June 19, 2014
LEXINGTON, Ky. – University of Kentucky football great Larry Seiple, who played 11 years with the Miami Dolphins in the American Football League and the National Football League, has been selected as a 2014 inductee into the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame and will be honored Friday night during the organization’s induction ceremony in Louisville, Ky.
This weekend is the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 11th Anniversary Celebration where the organization will induct four former NFL stars with ties to the Commonwealth, including Seiple. Also being inducted will be former UofL wide receiver Mark Clayton, UofL defensive end Elvis Dumervil and Louisville, Ky., native Sherman Lewis, who played and coached at Michigan State along with a successful coaching tenure in the NFL. The induction ceremony will take place at Brown Theatre in Louisville, Ky., beginning at 7 p.m. ET. Tickets for the induction ceremony are available online at www.kyprofootballhof.org.
Seiple was a versatile performer during his time at Kentucky as a running back and wide receiver, also handling the punting duties and kickoff returns and punt returns. He was a three-year letterwinnner from 1964-66 and was named second-team All-Southeastern Conference as a junior and won UK’s “Unsung Hero Award” as a senior. Seiple still holds the UK records for average yards per pass reception in a season with 23.5 yards per catch in 1965 and in a career with 19.8 yards per reception.
Overall, Seiple caught 72 passes for 1,422 yards and also handled the team’s punting duties with a career yards per punt average of 39.6. He was known as a big-play performer in college, with four pass receptions of 70 yards or more during his career. On 4th-and-41 yards to go against Ole Miss in 1965, Seiple ran a fake punt 70 yards for a touchdown.
After his career ended at Kentucky, Seiple was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the seventh round of the 1967 NFL Draft. He spent 11 years with the Dolphins, where he won three Super Bowl titles. In 1969, he led the Dolphins in receiving. He played on three Super Bowls teams, twice winning the title, including the 1972 Dolphin squad that went 17-0 and is the last undefeated team in the NFL.
Upon retirement from the Dolphins after the 1977 sason, Seiple began his coaching career, starting in the college ranks before eventually coaching the Detroit Lions from 1980-1984, Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1985-1986 and the Miami Dolphins from 1988-2000.
Larry retired in 2005 and lives in the state of Florida with his wife of 47 years, Trudy. They have three children, Keri Lyn Rumaner, Larry Todd Seiple and Lori Ann Lynes.
In addition to the Hall of Fame inductees, the organization also will recognize the 2014 All-Commonwealth Team, which is comprised of standouts from the football-playing colleges in Kentucky. Four Wildcats, wide receiver Javess Blue, defensive end Alvin “Bud” Dupree, offensive tackle Darrian Miller and defensive end Za’Darius Smith were selected for this year’s honor squad.
