Zach Thomas, Kevin Mawae: How epic rivals formed Hall of Fame bond for the ages
How does one man get under another man’s skin before they even meet? How does one man needle the other, tick him off to no end, then stick in more needles?
Good questions, these, but not the best question. The best question is how the guy holding those needles eventually makes a gesture on behalf of the other man that nobody saw coming, producing the happiest ending both men could imagine?
“I’m Larry Bird to his Magic Johnson,” Kevin Mawae was saying over the phone.
Magic, in this story, is played by Zach Thomas. Who else? There was a time when you thought about Mawae — he was a center you actually did think about — you automatically thought about Thomas, a linebacker. Because you knew it was time for Mawae and the Jets vs. Thomas and the Dolphins, in battle not unlike the Knicks and the Heat, minus the pleasantries.
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The plot, more or less:
1. Thomas would holler about Mawae always holding.
2. Mawae would laugh about Mawae always holding.
Eventually, the rivalry had to end. After 16 seasons, Mawae had proven his greatness. He earned his place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2019.
But Mawae looked around and the guy he’d held onto all those years wasn’t within arm's reach. He didn’t like it. At all. So on the biggest day of a pro football player’s career, Kevin Mawae did something about it.
“When people ask me who’s not in the Hall of Fame and that I think should be here, it’s an easy one for me,” Mawae said during his acceptance speech. “Number 54 from the Miami Dolphins.”
As Mawae continued, a phone in a man’s pocket at Disney World was blowing up. Seeing the texts, Thomas was atop space mountain, all right.
“There’s no greater honor than to get that recognition from an opponent,” Thomas said.
Mawae, 52, can’t say that Thomas, 49, isn’t a Hall of Famer anymore. In Thomas’ fourth year as a finalist, he was voted in. He’ll be enshrined on Aug. 5.
And yes, certainly, Mawae will be there.
“I told him how proud I am,” said Mawae, a first-year head coach at Lipscomb Academy in Nashville.
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This is the side of a personal rivalry the cameras don’t often capture. For years, all fans saw were two men going at each other — twice a year, relentlessly, for three hours at a time. In all, they battled 16 times, with Mawae’s teams winning 12. The Dolphins’ defense was designed to funnel running plays at Thomas, who could stop backs cold. It was Mawae’s job to get to Thomas before Thomas could get to Curtis Martin.
Mutual respect between Zach Thomas, Kevin Mawae dates back years
Thomas prided himself on being a competitor, a leader, a playmaker and, above all, a good teammate. When he spotted those traits in another player, even in Jets green, he could appreciate it.
“He was a leader,” Thomas said. “That’s what you respect. Because everybody talks about talent. Guys that made plays. But there’s guys that are all about themselves that nobody respects, even if they were a Hall of Famer.”
Mawae’s Hall of Fame speech seemed to encourage reporters and fans alike to compare Thomas’ statistics with those of linebackers already in the Hall. The conclusion: Thomas’ numbers often were better.
To be clear, both men will tell you Thomas deserved to make the Hall on his own merits. Maybe Mawae’s endorsement was that one nudge that put him over the top. Maybe it would have happened anyway. We’ll never know.
What Mawae has known, for the four years since he spoke up, is how grateful Thomas is. Gratitude arrived in his mailbox. There was a professionally made thank-you card and a gift card to The Capital Grille.
“Meal’s on me, man,” Thomas wrote. “Thanks.’ ”
In the eyes of Thomas’ army of supporters, Mawae’s reputation had flip-flopped faster than a WWE character’s.
“As much as the Miami fans hated me, it's just so funny how many of them started loving me after my Hall of Fame speech,” Mawae said. “Because they all know how good Zach was and how he deserved to be in the Hall of Fame.
“And now he gets his time to shine. So I'm really thrilled about that.”
Mawae was once told he couldn't block Thomas
“Thrilled” doesn’t apply to how Mawae first became aware of Thomas. In Week 6 of Thomas’ rookie season of 1996, Mawae’s first team, Seattle, was preparing to visit Miami. Mawae had been a second-round pick out of LSU and was in his third season, all as a starter. Thomas was a fifth-rounder out of Texas Tech who reported for training camp just hoping to make the roster, only to hear coach Jimmy Johnson say he’d won the starting job.
Howard Mudd, the Seahawks’ famed line coach, pulled Mawae aside.
“He said one of the coaches on our staff said he did not think I would be able to block Zach Thomas,” Mawae said. “So it started before I even got to the Jets. Mudd would not tell me who the coach was. He said, ‘After the game, I’ll tell you who the coach was.’ ” (Mawae was eventually told it was Kevin Gilbertson but never confirmed it.)
Mudd knew he was pushing the right buttons with Mawae, who already had developed a swagger you’ll find in many Hall of Famers.
“I always thought I was the best guy on the field,” he said.
So for anyone to question whether he could block some rookie?
“It was a personal challenge,” Mawae said.
It was the start of a beautiful rivalry. Mawae and Thomas would butt heads on a football field 15 more times over the years.
“I think it was friendly,” Mawae said. “I enjoyed it. For Zach, it was always business.”
‘Mawae's going to hold. You've gotta watch him'
Mawae said before games, Thomas would campaign to officials like this:
Thomas: “Mawae’s going to hold. You’ve gotta watch him.”
Mawae: “That’s right. I’m going to hold. I’m going to sling him to the ground. I will hold every play. You’ve just got to catch me.”
Thomas said the holding debate really came down to a Monday night meeting when game officials were mic’d up. And that he didn’t accuse Mawae of run-of-the-mill holding.
“This is the holding-est center in the league,” Thomas recalled saying.
Now that the statute of limitations has run out, just how much did Mawae hold Thomas?
“As much as I possibly could,” Mawae said.
Psychological games followed, like the time he learned Thomas had gotten engaged.
“You going to send me an invitation to your wedding?” he asked.
“Why would I ever do that?” Thomas said.
“Because we’ve known each other for a number of years.”
“Man, stop bothering me. You’re not coming to my wedding.”
So?
“I saw it bothered him so bad, I just kept on with it.”
Once, to use Thomas’ relentless pursuit against him, the Jets ran a play in which Mawae faked toward the right and jammed on the brakes. Thomas plowed right into him so comically, both men cracked up midplay.
Thomas got on Mawae's nerves, calling out blocking schemes
Thomas knew that in Mawae, he was facing a “bad dude,” technically gifted, and with unusually strong hands. Thomas’ weapon was renowned preparation, gleaned via endless hours of watching tape deep into the night.
“He was one of the smartest players I ever played against,” Mawae said. “For him to call out the blocking scheme before you snap the ball, it’s nerve-racking.”
On Oct. 22, 1995, the Jets beat the Dolphins 17-16. They would not lose to Miami until 2002. The streak was eight games, each more frustrating than the last for the Dolphins. Every time Jets week arrived, the Dolphins faced questions about why they never could beat the Jets. Even though the Jets had players such as Martin, a Hall of Famer, the spotlight always found Thomas and Mawae (“all they would talk about,” Thomas said).
“Everybody made such a big deal about it,” Mawae said. “Zach and Jason (Taylor) would talk about it in the Miami media all the time. ‘Mawae does this. Mawae does that. He holds all the time.’ ”
Mawae said coach Bill Parcells would tell his players: “We know we can beat them. They’re still unsure if they can beat us.” But even Parcells was taking no chances, calling out Mawae in a team meeting.
“The last thing he said in the meeting, he put it out there, ‘Mawae, if you don’t block 54, we’ll never win this game,’ ” Mawae said. “I was one of the top free agents the whole year, the top-paid center, and you’ve got the head coach calling you out, challenging you to be what he expected you to be. Me against Zach? I was going to beat him every time. Zach would tell you I had the better of him for almost 15 matchups.”
Thomas’ recollection?
“That's probably the reason it took me so long, where he did get the better of me on a big percentage of those games,” Thomas said. “He’s such a competitor — one of the best linemen I’ve ever faced — so I don’t expect him to say he lost a battle.”
Thomas wanted Mawae to join the Dolphins
After the 2005 season, Mawae’s time with the Jets had run its course. He finished out his career with four more seasons in Tennessee, against Thomas' wishes.
“I tried to court him down here,” Thomas said. “At least he got out of that ugly green jacket.”
It’s at this point you realize Hall of Famers might leave the game but the game never really leaves Hall of Famers. When Thomas and Mawae come face to face in Canton, both wearing gold jackets, the laughs and the stories, some actually based on fact, will bring this rivalry back to life. One of the game’s great centers and one of the game’s great linebackers. Who just happened to come along at the same time. In the same division.
Who happened to bring out the best in one another.
Maybe then Mawae will finally put that Capital Grille gift card to use. All this time, he has been holding onto it, Thomas might say. Mawae has been waiting for the right time. This August feels like that time.
Dolphins reporter Hal Habib can be reached at hhabib@pbpost.com and followed on Twitter @gunnerhal.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Dolphins' Zach Thomas forms Hall of Fame bond with ex-rival Kevin Mawae
