Larry Csonka: Don Shula’s Coaching Style Would Not Work In Today’s NFL

On Thursday's edition of The Ricky Cobb Show, Ricky was joined by Hall of Fame running back and NFL legend Larry Csonka.

They covered many topics, but one that stood out was Csonka discussing whether or not his old legendary Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula's style would work in the modern NFL.

Surprisingly, he doesn't think that it would.

"Ricky, if I told you that my personal relationship through the years when I was playing for Don Shula was wonderful, that would be horse s--t," Csonka said when asked about how his relationship with Shula had been. "Because anybody that played for Don Shula (knows) he was a very demanding, perfection-seeking head coach that would not take 'no' for an answer."

Csonka said that Shula was in control of all aspects of the team, but he and his teammates eventually realized that the late coach's methods worked.

"Until you realize that that formula works — when we started to win, that made it more tolerable — but when Coach Shula first got there and started demanding all of that, there were a lot of people looking for the first bus out of Dodge.

"I don't know if you could even do that today," Csonka continued. "I don't know that his type of coaching would even fit in the NFL today. Certainly, it would be a square peg in a round hole."

Csonka reiterated that winning made playing for Shula and his tough way of coaching much easier.

"We started to win, Rick," Csonka said. "When we started to win it became easier to accept his demands. Because when you start to win and you start to win consistently to where you start to have faith in the team and it starts to develop. It's like a plant growing, suddenly it starts to relish the sunlight. It starts to reach for it more and more.

"We became much more tolerable (of) his demeanor, we became more accepting to his demands because it was working.