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Motivational Speaker
Bob Kuechenberg has many years of experience as a motivational speaker and radio talk show host and guest. He was also the host of the Emmy Award Winning TV magazine show “Disabilities and Possibilities.” Bob was the national spokesperson for IBM’s program for “The United Way,” traveling across America addressing large IBM groups, often with more than 100 attendees. Bob has also addressed special events and meetings of corporate titans including, American Express, UPS, Cadillac and Boy Scouts of America to name a few.
On a local level, Bob has spoken before several large Chambers of Commerce, including the Greater Fort Lauderdale, Miami Beach, Dania Beach and Hollywood Chambers of Commerce.
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In addition, Bob has addressed dozens of large local corporate citizens over the years, including, Ryder Truck and numerous large banks, such as Southeast Bank, First Union, and Barnett among others. Finally, Bob is very proud to have been the co-creator and inaugural chairman of the “Blockbuster Bowl.” This bowl game was the most successful “inaugural game in the entire history of bowl games, selling out the Dolphin Stadium in 1990.
Bob has been blessed to have been coached by the finest coaches in the game at every level, winning championships in high school, college and the NFL and has a deep understanding of what motivation and team work really is. The brutal physical challenges of football are a stunning microcosm of the lessons of life. Bob has learned from the masters, and is able to communicate these invaluable lessons with a unique blend of inspiration, spirituality, humor, vision and plain, straight forward honesty.
Bob is very serious in his approach to these very important events. His presentation is guaranteed to impact your group no matter who they are and leave them with fascinating take home value! If you would like to have Bob as a guest speaker at your next corporate event please contact us at (954) 583-1880 or at cintia@kuechenberginc.com.
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Early Years
Bob was born on October 14, 1947 in Gary, Indiana to Rudolph and Marion Kuechenberg. His full name is Robert John Kuechenberg, but many people call him “Kooch.”Bob was the 3rd of 9 children, including 7 sisters. His father made his living as a prizefighter in Florida, with a pro record of 27-3. He then joined a local carnival and worked for approximately 1 year as a human cannonball. When Bob was a child, his father made his living as a champion bull rider and, eventually, as the rodeo bull fighter, the clown. Bob witnessed most of these rodeos while growing up, and participated in many as part of his father’s clowning skits during the rodeos.But Bob’s hero growing up was his 4 year older brother Rudy, who played in the NFL with the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers. Bob graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1969 and starred in both football and baseball there. Bob was a 3 year starter in football, including the 1966 national championship.
Bob’s 1st year in the NFL was a very bumpy road.The Philadelphia Eagles originally drafted Bob in the fourth round of the 1969 National Football League Draft. Cut by the Eagles, Bob subsequently signed and was almost immediately released by the Atlanta Falcons. Bob finished the 1969 season playing 7 games for the Chicago Owls of the Continental League - 5 without pay. In 1970, the former Notre Dame lineman was signed to a free agent contract with the Miami Dolphins. Bob never gave up on his dream of playing in the NFL. In true "underdog wins" fashion, Bob went on to become a mainstay on the Dolphins' offensive line for 15 seasons. He spent his 15th and final season on the Dolphins injured reserve list.
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Dolphin History
Bob is one of South Florida’s most beloved sports legends. He is considered the most versatile offensive lineman in NFL history. During his 15 year career with the Miami Dolphins, Bob was one of Coach Don Shula’s star players, playing all three offensive line positions (center, guard, and tackle), as well as working on special teams and performing long snapping duties on all punts, field goals, and extra points. He taught himself to long-snap in mid-career (1978) and went on to become the best snapper in the NFL, performing those duties in several Pro Bowls. An equally talented offensive guard and tackle, Bob became the only offensive lineman in NFL history to earn All Pro honors in two different positions in the same year (1978).
Bob will be best remembered for his determination to finish every game he started, all 202 of them, and his willingness to take the field despite injury. He had consecutive start streaks of 53, 49, and 42 games during his career. Bob has played with broken ankles, a broken forearm, and in 1977 he performed long snapping duties for two Dolphin games while wearing a body cast for a broken back. In 1973, he sat out the season finale with a fractured forearm, but returned for the playoffs and totally erased Alan Page, the Minnesota Vikings Hall of Fame defensive tackle in the Dolphins Super Bowl VIII, 24-7 victory. Page was the NFL’s most valuable player (MVP) that very year. Read more about his injuries and determination in this link.
Individual and team accomplishments in Bob’s 15 year Dolphin Career:
- The only football player in NFL history to have 5 Superbowls rings with the same franchise.
- Bob’s win-loss record with the Dolphins (151-51) is the best in the franchise history.
- The only player to play in all 19 playoff games in Dolphins history at that time.
- The NFL’s record for most wins between a head coach and a player is held by Don Shula and Bob Kuechenberg
- Played in six Pro Bowls (1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1982 and 1983)
- At the time of his retirement, Bob had played more games than any other player in Dolphins history.
- 8 AFC Eastern Division titles (1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1979, 1981, 1983 and 1984), five AFC championships (1971, 1972, 1973, 1982 and 1984), and in Super Bowls in 1972 and 1973.
Bob’s grit is best illustrated with this fact: During his 26 years of organized football, from 7th grade and high school to college and 16 years of pro football, no game was ever stopped and no time out was ever taken to help Bob off the field. Bob’s career ended in 1985 after double-vision caused by 26 years of "putting his head in the numbers" took its toll, rendering Bob unable to play. At that time, he had tested better than ever before, logging his fastest distance run and bench pressing a Dolphin record of 475 lbs. He was the only mainstay in the Dolphin lines of the 1970’s and 1980’s lines that included Hall of Famers Jim Langer, Larry Little and Dwight Stephenson. He has been selected as one of the 15 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001 through 2009.
To watch a video of Bob's career click here.
To watch the 1972 Perfect Season's "Perfectville" commercial click here.
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