Sammy Price, the running back who caught Hall of Famer Bob Griese’s first touchdown pass, died on Aug. 5 in Waterville, Ohio, a suburb of Toledo, according to his online obituary.
He was 82. A cause of death was not revealed.
Price played three seasons in the NFL, each with the Dolphins, from 1966-68. He was drafted in the 11th round of the 1966 AFL draft out of Illinois, where he was a three-year letterman. Price was also chosen by the Giants in the 1966 NFL draft but chose to sign with expansion Miami one year before the AFL-NFL merger.
“We are saddened to hear about the passing on Wednesday (Aug. 9) of three-time 1960s @IlliniFootball
letterman Sam Price,” wrote Mike Pearson, former sports information director at Illinois. “A member of Pete Elliott’s ’63 Big Ten and ’64 Rose Bowl championship team, Sam later played in the NFL for the
@MiamiDolphins.”
Price’s best season came in 1967, when he started nine games, rushed 179 yards and scored both of his two career touchdowns — including the 27-yard pass from a rookie Griese in Week 3 against the Broncos.
Over his three-year career, Price totaled 82 rushes for 313 yards and one touchdown to go with 10 receptions for 70 yards and one touchdown.
At Illinois, Price helped the Illini to the 1963 Big Ten title in his first season. That team went on to defeat Washington in the Rose Bowl 17-7. Price was also on the field for the Illini’s shock upset of Griese’s No. 6 Purdue in 1965.
