BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) – A prized possession belonging to a South Florida family has been returned.
A 1972 Miami Dolphins football helmet, signed by four hall of famers and head coach Don Shula, was stolen in 2013. On Wednesday it finally made it back in the hands of its rightful owner.
Two months after the helmet was stolen, Mike Sparrel’s father died. “I’m an avid Dolphin fan, and that’s a lot of my memories with my dad,” Sparrel said, “going down to those Dolphin games and actually seeing ’72 winning team. That was very special. A lot of special memories.”
In 2013, detectives said, Joseph Schneider stole the helmet. “We never thought we would see this helmet back,” Sparrel said.
Schneider was arrested for other burglaries and police confiscated the helmet.
Boyton Beach Police decided to take it upon themselves to find the rightful owner of the helmet after it was recovered. “When I saw this helmet we didn’t have an owner for, I knew it was missing,” said Boyton Beach Police officer Eric Reynolds. “Four hall of famers, three other players on that 1972 team – I grew up in Miami, so I know how important that was to Dolphins fans.”
The Sparrel family saw the helmet on a news report and recognized it immediately. “So we sent over the information, pictures and what not, and he said, ‘This is an exact match,'” Sparrel said.
Miami Dolphins legend Larry Little, who played on the 1972 undefeated team, was there to present the helmet to Sparrel. “It was really heartwarming for me to be able to do it because what happened, and for him to lose his life right after, it meant a great deal for me to be here today,” Little said.
Sparrel is thankful to Reynolds for doing what he could. “Oh, he’s up above going, ‘Hey, you got it back,'” said Sparrel. “Thank you for what you did. He’s thanking you right now from up above. You didn’t have to do that, and I’m glad you did. I appreciate everything you did to make this happen.”
The helmet is valued between $500 and $1,500, but this family said it’s a piece of their dad, and they will give it to different family members to hold for years to come.
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