Manny Fernandez, key part to the 1972 perfect Dolphins season, dies at 79

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Manny Fernandez, a two-time Super Bowl-winning defensive lineman with the Miami Dolphins who was an anchor during the team's undefeated season in 1972, has died, the team announced Tuesday. He was 79.

No cause of death was announced by the team.

Fernandez played his entire eight-year NFL career with the Dolphins and was a key pillar on Miami's “No-Name Defense," which helped the team reach consecutive Super Bowls from 1971-1973, including back-to-back Super Bowl wins in 1972 and 1973.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Manny Fernandez,” the Dolphins said in a statement, “a member of the 1972 perfect team, a two-time Super Bowl champion, ring of honor member and an anchor of the Dolphins' legendary ‘No-Name Defense.’ His consistent and selfless contributions on the field were instrumental to the Dolphins' success throughout the early 1970s, particularly in the team's three consecutive Super Bowl appearances, in which he produced some of the most memorable defensive performances in the history of the game.”

Fernandez was dominant during the Dolphins' Super Bowl win over Washington following their undefeated 1972 season. That team also included stars such as Bob Griese, Nick Buoniconti and Larry Csonka.

An undrafted free agent out of Utah in 1968, Fernandez was inducted into the Dolphins' Ring of Honor in 2014.

“Our thoughts are with his family, loved ones and teammates as we remember one of the best players in Dolphins history,” the team said.

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FILE - Former Miami Dolphins player Manny Fernandez waits to be inducted into the team's honor roll during half time of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Dec. 21, 2014, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)

FILE - Miami Dolphins football coach Don Shula, right, leads, from left, safety Dick Anderson, defensive tackle Manny Fernandez and defensive end Bill Stanfield, to the practice field on July 11, 1973 in Miami, for the first day of workouts for the 1973 season.( AP Photo/Jim Kerlin, File)

FILE - Former Miami Dolphins player Manny Fernandez smiles after being presented with a football during the Dolphins All-Time 50th Anniversary Team ceremony during half time at an NFL football game against the New York Giants, Dec. 14, 2015, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

FILE - Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Manny Fernandez stands for a photo in Miami, Fla., July 18, 1973. (AP Photo/Jim Kerlin, File)

Washington Redskins running back Larry Brown (43) is stopped in his tracks by Miami Dolphins defender Manny Fernandez (75) during the NFL football Super Bowl VII game in Los Angeles, Jan. 14, 1973. (AP Photo/File)

LONGVIEW, Wash. (AP) — The implosion of a chemical tank at a pulp and paper mill in Washington state Tuesday killed an undisclosed number of people, local authorities and company officials confirmed.

In a joint statement, Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. and local law enforcement said the tank’s rupture caused “multiple critical injuries” as well as fatalities.

Authorities said there was no immediate threat to the public.

Mike Gorsuch, battalion chief with the fire department in Longview, Washington, described it as a “mass casualty scene.” He said first responders had decontaminated patients and taken them to hospitals in Longview and Vancouver, Washington.

The Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. facility is a pulp and paper mill and liquid packaging plant that makes material for tissues, printing paper, cups, plates, cartons and other goods. It employs about 1,000 people, according to the Washington State Department of Ecology.

About 40 firefighters and paramedics had responded, along with a regional hazmat team, Gorsuch said. The incident was reported at 7:19 a.m.

Nippon Dynawave did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Thousands of residents of southern California remained evacuated Tuesday due to a damaged chemical tank at an aerospace plant.

The exterior of the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. is shown, after a tank containing hazardous liquid imploded, on Tuesday, May 26, 2026 in Longview, Wash. (AP Photo/Claire Rush)