Bob Baumhower spent his entire pro career with the Miami Dolphins, and for most of those years, he anchored the defensive line. He arrived in 1977 as a second-round pick out of Alabama and stepped in at nose tackle right away. He started all but one of the 130 games he played.

He made the Pro Bowl in 1979, then strung together four more from 1981 through 1984. In each of those seasons he earned either first-team or second-team All-Pro recognition, with the first-team nod coming in 1983. That year Pro Football Weekly named him its Defensive Player of the Year. In the early 1980s, the Dolphins reached two Super Bowls, and Baumhower's work in the middle was a big part of how the defense held up against the run and created problems for opposing centers.

What made him effective was less about pure size and more about technique and leverage. At 6-foot-5, he was taller than many nose tackles of the era, but he used his length and quickness to clog the A-gaps and occupy blockers. Teammates on the “Killer B’s” defense said he consistently took on double teams and still managed to disrupt the play. The Dolphins’ defense led the league in total defense during the strike-shortened 1982 season, and Baumhower was the constant in that group.

Knee and ankle problems cost him the entire 1985 season. He returned for one more year in 1986, but his production dropped off, and he retired afterward. The Dolphins added him to their Honor Roll in 2008.

With Miami, Baumhower recorded 39.5 sacks and started all but one of his 130 games.