Miami Dolphins

Miami Dolphins
Established 1966 Play in Miami Gardens, Florida
Miami Dolphins logo Miami Dolphins logo Logo
League/conference affiliations
American Football League (1966–1969) Eastern Division (1966–1969) National Football League (1970–present) American Football Conference (1970–present) AFC East (1970–present)
Current uniform
Team colors	Aqua, Coral, White and Navy
Mascot	T. D.
Personnel
Owner(s)	Wayne Huizenga
General manager	Jeff Ireland
Head coach	Vacant
Team history
Miami Dolphins (1966–present)
Team nicknames
The Fins/Phins
Championships
League championships (2) Super Bowl championships (2) 1972 (VII), 1973 (VIII)
Conference championships (5) AFC: 1971, 1972, 1973, 1982, 1984
Division championships (12) AFC East: 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1992, 1994, 2000 Wild Card: 1978, 1990, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001
Home fields
Miami Orange Bowl (1966–1986) Dolphin Stadium (1987–present) a.k.a. Joe Robbie Stadium (1987–1996) a.k.a. Pro Player Stadium (1997–2004) a.k.a. Dolphins Stadium (2005)

The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami, Florida Metropolitan Area. They play home games at Dolphin Stadium, in the suburb of Miami Gardens, about 15 miles from Downtown Miami. They are headquartered at the Miami Dolphins Training Facility in Davie, Florida. The Dolphins belong to the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The Dolphins were founded by Joseph Robbie, began play in the American Football League as an expansion team in 1966, and joined the NFL as part of the AFL-NFL Merger. The Dolphins are the oldest major-league professional sports franchise in the state of Florida. They are currently owned by Wayne Huizenga.

The team made its first Super Bowl appearance following the 1971 season in Super Bowl VI, but lost to the Dallas Cowboys. In 1972, the Dolphins completed the NFL's first perfect season in the Super Bowl era, winning all 14 regular season games, two playoff games and Super Bowl VII. The team also won Super Bowl VIII, becoming the first team to appear in three consecutive Super Bowls, and the second team (first AFL/AFC team) to win back-to-back championships. Miami also appeared in Super Bowl XVII and Super Bowl XIX, losing both games.

For most of their history, the Dolphins were coached by Don Shula, the winningest head coach in professional football history. His Dolphins teams posted losing records in only two of his 26 seasons with the club. Six future Hall of Fame members played for Miami during the 1970s, including running back Larry Csonka and quarterback Bob Griese. During the 1980s and 1990s quarterback Dan Marino became the most prolific passer in NFL history, breaking numerous league passing records. He led the Dolphins to numerous playoff appearances and Super Bowl XIX.

History

Main article: History of the Miami Dolphins

Miami joined the American Football League (AFL) when an expansion team franchise was awarded to lawyer Joseph Robbie and actor Danny Thomas in 1965 for $7.5 million, although Thomas would eventually sell his stake in the team to Robbie. A contest was held in 1965 to find the name of the new Miami franchise for the American Football League. 19,843 entries were submitted with over a thousand different names. A dozen finalists were screened through by a seven-member committee made up of the local media, names considered included the Mariners, Marauders, Mustangs, Missiles, Moons, Sharks, and Suns. The winning name, "Dolphins," was submitted by 622 entrants. Mrs. Robert Swanson of West Miami won lifetime passes to Dolphin games when her nickname entry successfully predicted the winner and score of the 1965 football game between Notre Dame and the University of Miami, a scoreless tie.

1970s

The Dolphins had a combined 15-39-2 record in their first four seasons (under head coach George Wilson) when Shula was hired as head coach. Shula was a former Paul Brown disciple who had been lured from the Baltimore Colts after first losing Super Bowl III two seasons earlier to the AFL's New York Jets and finishing 8-5-1 the following season,. The Colts charged the Dolphins with tampering in their hiring of Shula, costing them their first round draft pick in 1970. Shula introduced himself to the Miami press by saying that he didn't have any magic formulas and that the only way he knew to make his teams successful was through hard work. Shula's early training camps with the Dolphins, with four workouts a day, would soon be the stuff of sweltering, painful legend. But Shula's hard work paid immediate dividends, as Miami improved to a 10-4 record and their first-ever playoff appearance, losing 21-14 at Oakland.

The Dolphins were successful in the early 1970s, becoming the first team to advance to the Super Bowl for three consecutive seasons. They captured the AFC championship in 1971 behind quarterback Bob Griese, running backs Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick, and wide receiver Paul Warfield. The AFC Divisional Playoff Game, in which the Dolphins defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, was the longest contest in NFL history (82 minutes 40 seconds). In Super Bowl VI, however, Miami lost to the Dallas Cowboys 24-3.

In 1972 the Dolphins completed the NFL's first perfect season, winning every regular season game, two playoff games and Super Bowl VII, defeating the Washington Redskins 14-7. QB Griese fell victim to a broken leg and dislocated ankle in Week 5 versus the San Diego Chargers and was replaced by veteran Earl Morrall for the rest of the regular season, but returned to the field as a substitute during the AFC Championship game versus the Pittsburgh Steelers and then started in Super Bowl VII. The Dolphins set the NFL single-season rushing record, and running backs Csonka and Mercury Morris became the first teammates to each rush for 1,000 yards in a season. The offensive line included future Hall of Fame members Jim Langer and Larry Little and Pro Bowler Bob Kuechenberg. The 1972 Dolphins defensive unit, called the No-Name Defense because Miami’s impressive offense received much more publicity, was the league’s best that year. It was led by linebacker Nick Buoniconti, end Bill Stanfill, tackle Manny Fernandez and safeties Dick Anderson and Jake Scott.

Before the 1972 Dolphins, only the Chicago Bears, in 1934 and 1942, had finished an NFL regular season with no losses or ties. The 1934 team lost the NFL Championship Game that year to the New York Football Giants, and the 1942 team lost the Championship to the Redskins. The Cleveland Browns were undefeated in the 1948 All-America Football Conference season.

The Dolphins finished 12-2 after the 1973 regular season and repeated as NFL Champions, beating the Minnesota Vikings 24-7 in Super Bowl VIII at Rice Stadium in Houston. Miami reached the playoffs again in 1974 but lost in the first round to the Oakland Raiders, in what has entered NFL lore as the "Sea of Hands" game, considered one of the greatest games ever played. Following the 1974 season, the Dolphins lost Csonka, Kiick, and Warfield to the World Football League.

Miami rebounded from a 6-8 record in 1976 by winning ten or more games in four of the next five seasons. Shula built a solid defense around a new set of stars, including linebacker A.J. Duhe and linemen Bob Baumhower and Doug Betters. The Dolphins went 10-4 again in 1977, but again lost the division title (and playoff spot) to the Colts. They made the playoffs as a wild card in 1978, but lost in the first round to the Houston Oilers 17-9.

Csonka returned to the Dolphins in time for the 1979 season. After winning the division with a 10-6 record, the Dolphins lost the divisional playoff 34-14 to the eventual Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers at Three Rivers Stadium.

1980s

In 1980, David Woodley, an athletic quarterback out of LSU, took over for Bob Griese, who severely injured his shoulder in a game against the Baltimore Colts. Griese would never play again, retiring after the season. The Dolphins finished 8-8 and did not make the playoffs.

The Dolphins were back on top of the AFC East in the 1981 NFL season, with an 11-4-1 record. That season, the Dolphins quarterback position was actually manned by both Woodley and back-up quarterback Don Strock, causing the local media to identify the Miami quarterback as "Woodstrock." They reached the divisional playoff against the San Diego Chargers, known as The Epic in Miami and remembered as one of the most memorable games in NFL history, After being down 24-0 after the end of the first quarter, back-up quarterback Don Strock entered the game and engineered a frenetic comeback, culminating in the historic "Hook and Lateral" play, in which wide receiver Duriel Harris caught a pass from Strock and immediately lateralled the ball to the streaking running back Tony Nathan for the score on the last play of the half, which cut the Chargers lead to 24-17. After the Dolphins took the lead in the 4th quarter, San Diego tied it up 38-38 with under a minute to play. Chargers tight end Kellen Winslow, playing through exhaustion, blocked Uwe von Schamann's field goal try on the last play of regulation. Von Schamann had another field goal attempt blocked in overtime, and Rolf Benirschke kicked the game-winner for San Diego in overtime after missing a chip shot field goal earlier in overtime. Strock finished the game with 403 passing yards and 4 touchdowns.

In the strike-shortened 1982 NFL season, the Dolphins, led by the "Killer B's" defense (Baumhower, Bill Barnett, Lyle Blackwood, Kim Bokamper, Glenn Blackwood, Doug Betters, and Bob Brudzinski), held five of their nine opponents to 14 or fewer points en route to their fourth Super Bowl appearance. During the first two rounds of the playoffs, they got revenge for previous losses, crushing the Patriots, 28-13 (revenge for the infamous Snow Plow game at Schaeffer Stadium played earlier in the season) and the San Diego Chargers, 34-13 at the Orange Bowl. Late in the season, in a snowy game against the New England Patriots, a convicted felon on work-release cleared a path for Patriots kicker John Smith to score the game-winning field goal. In the first round in Miami, they met again, with the Dolphins winning easily. In the second round against San Diego the Dolphins got revenge for their loss the previous year, winning even more handily. After shutting out the New York Jets in the AFC Championship 14-0, they lost Super Bowl XVII to Washington, 27-17. After enjoying success rooted in a defense-first philosophy, and employing a ball control offense to take pressure off of lackluster quarterbacks, the next 17 seasons would be marked by an average rushing game and defense that limited a great quarterback.

During the third game of the 1983 season at the Los Angeles Raiders on Monday Night Football, Shula replaced quarterback David Woodley with rookie Dan Marino, who went on to win the AFC passing title helped by a ratio of 20 touchdowns versus 6 interceptions and the NFL Rookie of the Year award. Seldom sacked by defenders, Marino was protected by an outstanding offensive line as he passed to receivers such as Mark Clayton and Mark Duper. Despite the regular season success (the Dolphins went 12-4 winning their last five regular season games, the only team in the AFC East with a winning record), they were upset in the divisional playoff by the Seattle Seahawks at the Orange Bowl. Defensive end Doug Betters was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

In 1984, the Dolphins won their first 11 games en route to a 14-2 season (the franchise's best 16-game season to date). Marino, in his first full season, produced the most impressive set of passing statistics in NFL history, setting single-season records for most yards (5,084), touchdown passes (48), and completions (362). He was voted NFL MVP. Miami avenged the Seahawks loss from the previous year 31-10 and crushed the Steelers 45-28 in the AFC Championship to get to Super Bowl XIX. In the title game, however, Miami lost to the San Francisco 49ers 38-16. It would be Marino's only Super Bowl appearance.

Miami finished 12-4 in 1985 and, in an epic Monday Night Football showdown, handed the previously-undefeated Chicago Bears their only defeat of the season. After rallying from a 21-3 third quarter deficit in the divisional playoffs to beat the Cleveland Browns 24-21, many people were looking forward to a rematch with Chicago in Super Bowl XX. The Cinderella New England Patriots, the Dolphins' opponents in the AFC Championship, had different plans. New England forced six turnovers on the way to a 31-14 win - the Patriots' first in Miami since 1966. The Patriots has lost 18 games in a row at the Orange Bowl. In 1969, the Boston Patriots had beaten the Dolphins at Tampa Stadium.

In 1986, the Dolphins, hampered by defensive struggles, stumbled to a 2-5 start and finished 8-8, missing the playoffs for the first time since 1977. The Dolphins lost their last ever game at the Orange Bowl to the New England Patriots 34-27 on Monday Night Football. The problems continued in 1987, with an 8-7 (7-5 in non-strike games) record in a strike-shortened year, their first at new Joe Robbie Stadium. Miami had their first losing season (6-10) since 1976 in 1988, and finished 8-8 following the 1989 regular season.

1990s

By 1990, the Dolphins had finally shaped up on defense and finished with a 12-4 record, second in the AFC East. They came from behind to beat the Kansas City Chiefs 17-16 in the Wild Card round, but lost to the Buffalo Bills 44-34 in the divisional playoffs. The team struggled with defensive injuries in 1991, and narrowly missed the playoffs in an overtime loss to the New York Jets during the final week of the season.

The Dolphins rebounded in 1992 by finishing 11-5 and capturing the AFC East title behind a career year from running back Mark Higgs and tight end Keith Jackson, newly acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles as an unrestricted free agent. They crushed the Chargers in the divisional playoffs 31-0, but were defeated by the Buffalo Bills 29-10 in the AFC Championship.

A season-ending Achilles injury to Dan Marino led to the team missing the playoffs in 1993 despite a league-leading 9-2 start. Marino returned in 1994 to lead the Dolphins to a 10-6 record and the AFC East crown. After defeating Joe Montana and the Kansas City Chiefs in the Wild Card round, the Dolphins gave up a 15-point halftime lead and lost a heart-breaking 22-21 loss to the San Diego Chargers Pete Stoyanovich missed a 46 yard field goal on the last play of the game and denied Marino a chance to play the Steelers in his hometown of Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship Game.

In 1995, Marino broke the career passing records formerly held by Fran Tarkenton for yards (48,841), touchdowns (352), and completions (3,913). The Dolphins finished 9-7, second in the AFC East, but still made the playoffs as a wild card, losing to Buffalo in the first round. Following the 1995 season, Don Shula retired and became an executive in the Dolphins’ front office. Jimmy Johnson, who had won a collegiate national championship at the University of Miami and two Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys, was named as Shula’s replacement. At the press conference announcing his retirement, Shula said that he "agreed to step aside", leading some to speculate that Huizenga had all but fired him.

In 1996, Miami finished 8-8 and out of the playoffs, with rookie Karim Abdul-Jabbar's 1,116-yard rushing season and standout rookie linebacker Zach Thomas serving as two of the few bright spots. In 1997, Miami stumbled late and backed into the playoffs with a 9-7 season, losing to the New England Patriots in the Wild Card round.

Miami had a solid 10-6 season in 1998 with a career season for receiver O.J. McDuffie, but it was not enough to get past the New York Jets into first place in the division. The Dolphins beat the Bills in the Wild Card round, but lost in the next round to the eventual champion Denver Broncos. (The Broncos lost only two regular season games in 1998, one of which was to the Dolphins.)

In 1999, the team advanced to the playoffs at 9-7. After a close win at Seattle in the Wild Card round 20-17, they suffered the worst playoff loss in NFL history against the Jacksonville Jaguars: 62-7. After the season, Jimmy Johnson left the team and Marino retired.

2000s

Before the 2000 season, Dave Wannstedt, formerly of the Chicago Bears, became the new coach, and ex-Jacksonville Jaguars backup Jay Fiedler became the new quarterback, even though former Marino backup Damon Huard had been considered the favorite. Despite lowered expectations, the defense broke through with Jason Taylor and Trace Armstrong each getting 10 sacks, and four players (Sam Madison, Brian Walker, Brock Marion and Patrick Surtain) tallying at least five interceptions. All-pro linebacker Zach Thomas also contributed many tackles. In addition, Lamar Smith rushed for 1,139 yards, and Miami finished atop the AFC East with an 11-5 record. In the first round of the playoffs, Miami took the Indianapolis Colts to overtime and won on a Lamar Smith touchdown run. Smith finished with 209 yards on 40 carries, but in the next round, the Dolphins were shut out by the Oakland Raiders, and a worn-out Smith was barely able to run.

The 2001 offseason brought in rookie Chris Chambers at wide receiver, but Trace Armstrong left, as did two offensive linemen, Richmond Webb, a Pro Bowl anchor since 1990, and Kevin Donnalley. During the 2001 season, the Dolphins relied on a strong defense to finish 11-5, earning a Wild Card spot and finishing second in the AFC East behind the eventual Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots. The Dolphins lost in the first round of the playoffs 20-3 to the Baltimore Ravens.

Miami revitalized its running game in time for the 2002 season by trading for New Orleans Saints running back Ricky Williams. In addition, rookie tight end Randy McMichael made his presence felt. The Dolphins, behind a new offensive scheme under freshly hired offensive coordinator Norv Turner, and a power running game led by Williams, quickly rushed out to a 5-1 start, including an incredible last minute comeback by Fiedler against the Broncos. However, Fiedler injured his thumb and would be out for an extended period of time. This intrigued some Dolphins fans, who believed backup Ray Lucas could outdo the much-maligned Fiedler. However, Lucas was abysmal in his first two games and merely average in his third, and the team dropped three straight. Miami rebounded with wins over Baltimore and an impressive thumping of San Diego, but lost to Buffalo. Still, Miami pulled off an impressive win over the Oakland Raiders and sat at 9-5 with two weeks left in the season, in prime position to steal the AFC East. However, despite dominating the New England Patriots for most of the game in Week 17, the Dolphins blew an 11-point lead late in the fourth quarter of a devastating loss. Due to a tiebreaker, both the Dolphins and Patriots lost out on the playoffs as the Jets took the AFC East title. Many fans called for Wannstedt's firing, but he was kept on for the 2003 season. Despite it all, the team believed it had plenty to look forward to, as Ricky Williams broke Dolphins records with 1,853 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground.

The 2003 Miami Dolphins were a hard team to pinpoint. The defense was again solid and forced a lot of turnovers, and opposing offenses found running the ball extremely difficult. However, poor offensive line play (despite most of the starters returning) gave little room for Ricky to run, and the offense was stagnant. The Dolphins began with a repeat of 2002's season end, with a complete meltdown against the Houston Texans, but they rebounded to win four straight games. During a crushing overtime loss at the hands of the Patriots, Jay Fiedler was injured, forcing newly acquired backup Brian Griese to lead the Dolphins to victory the next week over San Diego. That, however, was Griese's high point, and after a good showing against Indianapolis in a losing effort, he was lousy against the Titans and highly ineffective against the Ravens. When Griese and the Dolphins fell behind to the Washington Redskins, Jay Fiedler came off the bench and saved their season, leading them to a comeback victory, 24-23. Miami looked like it might rebound thanks to a victory over the Dallas Cowboys that took them to 8-4, but two key losses to the Patriots and the Eagles ended Miami's postseason hopes. Miami finished 10-6, but was still short of a playoff spot.

The 2004 offseason was disastrous for the Dolphins. Tight end Randy McMichael was arrested for domestic violence and wide receiver David Boston (signed from San Diego) suffered an injury in training camp and missed the entire season (Boston also failed a drug test for steroids later in the season). But the biggest shock came when Ricky Williams retired for then-unspecified reasons, until it was eventually revealed that a) Williams had recently suffered his third strike under the NFL's substance abuse policy, and b) to a lesser degree felt he was unnecessarily overused by Wannstedt. Many experts predicted a disastrous season for the Dolphins. These predictions proved right as Miami dropped their first six games of the 2004 season, marking the worst start in franchise history at the time. After the team fell to 1-8, Wannstedt resigned on November 9, 2004. He was replaced on an interim basis by defensive coordinator Jim Bates. The Dolphins fared slightly better under Bates, winning three of their final seven games, including a 29-28 upset victory over the defending champion Patriots on December 20 in a nationally televised Monday Night Football contest. Despite this, the Dolphins decided not to hire Bates for the permanent coaching position. Instead, they hired LSU coach Nick Saban. However, due to a number of poor personnel decisions, Saban was unable to lead the team to the playoffs during his brief two-year stint.

On January 3, 2007, Saban announced that he had accepted a contract for eight years and a guaranteed $32 million to coach at the University of Alabama. Saban left despite making several false public statements in the preceding weeks assuring fans and owner Wayne Huizenga that he would be staying on as coach of the Dolphins. Cam Cameron, previously the offensive coordinator for the San Diego Chargers, was then introduced as the new head coach of the Dolphins.

For the 2007 season, the NFL scheduled the Dolphins' home game against the New York Giants on October 28 to be played in London's Wembley Stadium; this was the NFL's first regular-season game to be played outside of North America. The Giants defeated the Dolphins, 13-10. On December 16, the Dolphins ended a 16 game losing streak and beat the Baltimore Ravens at home 22-16 in overtime on a 64 yard touchdown from Cleo Lemon to Greg Camarillo. Despite the win over the Ravens, the team would lose its next two games to finish 1-15, which tied the NFL record for most losses in a season with 15, a record shared by 7 other teams, according to Steve Hirdt of the Elias Sports Bureau.

Late in the 2007 season, former two time Super Bowl winning coach Bill Parcells was named head of the Dolphins football operations. Shortly after the season finale, Parcells fired GM Randy Mueller and on January 3, 2008, head coach Cam Cameron was fired along with the vast majority of his staff.

Facilities

Stadiums

The original home field the Dolphins played in was the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida until 1986. Their current, and only other home field, is Dolphin Stadium (originally named Joe Robbie Stadium) in Miami Gardens a north suburb of Miami, Florida.

Training

Main article: Miami Dolphins Training Facility

According to a local newspaper, St. Petersburg Beach hosted the Dolphins very first training camp in 1966. The players were housed next to Sea World.

The Dolphins trained at Biscayne College, later renamed St. Thomas University, from 1970 until 1993.

In 1993, the Dolphins opened the Miami Dolphins Training Facility at Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Florida. In 2006, the facility added a domed field which allows the team to practice during thunder storms which are frequent during summer training camps.

Logos and uniforms

Logos

File:Dolphins logo 1966-1973.jpg

The original Dolphin logo used from 1966-1973.

File:Dolphins logo 1974-1996.jpg

The Dolphin logo used between 1974-1996.

File:MiamiDolphins.png

The Dolphin logo 1997-current.

Except for a few minor changes throughout the years, the Dolphins logo and uniforms have essentially remained the same. The logo consists of a dolphin wearing a helmet with the sun shining behind it. The uniform design consists of white helmets, orange trim, and either white or aqua green jerseys. The team also wears either white or aqua green pants. The pants are composed of a high grade cotton/lycra polymer.

When the team's logo debuted in 1966, the dolphin's head was positioned so that its head was near the center of the sunburst. By 1974, the dolphin's body was centered on the sunburst. Because of the team's name and mascot, the Dolphins are sometimes referred to as "The Fish," even though dolphins are really mammals, not fish. The Florida Marlins, a major league baseball team that plays in the same stadium, are also called "The Fish." Another common Dolphins nickname is "The Fins."

Uniforms

File:AFCE-Uniform-MIA-All.PNG

The current uniforms used by the Dolphins

In 1997, dark blue was added to the logo and uniforms as an accent color. The hashmarks around the perimeters of logo's sunburst were removed, while the dolphin's features were accentuated. The Dolphins also changed from numbers outlined in orange to drop-shadow numbers.

Miami is one of the three NFL teams that primarily wear their white jerseys at home (the others being the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins), although they will wear their aqua jerseys during games held at night. Since the 2003 season, the Dolphins have worn an alternate orange jersey twice for home night contests. They are 2-0 in games wearing the alternate jersey (in comeback wins against the Washington Redskins in 2003 and eventual Super Bowl champ and division rival New England in 2004). They did not wear the orange jerseys in the 2005 season because they had no night games, and they didn't wear them in 2006 despite playing the Jets on Monday Night Football on Christmas Day.

In 2005 and 2006, the Dolphins did not wear the aqua pants with the white jerseys, instead opting for the all-white combination. From 2000 through 2004, the Dolphins usually wore all-white at home and aqua pants with white jerseys on the road under former coach Dave Wannstedt (2000-2004) and interim coach Jim Bates (2004).

On three occasions, the Dolphins have worn an all-aqua combination for prime-time games: defeating the Chicago Bears in 2002, losing to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2003, and defeating the Cleveland Browns in 2004.

In February 2007, it was announced that the Dolphins would make slight alterations to their uniforms. The navy blue outline on the Dolphins numbers will be thinned in hopes of making them easier to read for viewers. Despite this news and contrary to rumors, the Dolphins have no plans to change the team's logo.

Fight song

The Dolphins have a fight song that is played after every score, including extra points. The song was performed by the Rubber Band. The music is identical to the fight song of the now defunct Houston Oilers and the lyrics are exceptionally similar. The lyrics are:

(Verse)

Miami has the Dolphins,
The greatest football team!
We take the ball from goal to goal,
Like no one's ever seen!
We're in the air,
We're on the ground,
We're always in control.
And when you say Miami,
You're talking Super Bowl!

(Chorus 1)
Cause we're the Miami Dolphins,
Miami Dolphins,
Miami Dolphins Number 1.

(Chorus 2)
Yes we're the Miami Dolphins,
Miami Dolphins,
Miami Dolphins Number 1.

Season-by-season records

Season records

Season	W	L	T	Finish	Playoff results
Miami Dolphins (AFL)
1966	3	11	0	5th AFL East	--
1967	4	10	0	4th AFL East	--
1968	5	8	1	3rd AFL East	--
1969	3	10	1	5th AFL East	--
Merged into NFL
1970	10	4	0	2nd AFC East	Lost Divisional Playoffs (Raiders) 21-14
1971	10	3	1	1st AFC East	Won Divisional Playoffs (Chiefs) 27-24 Won Conference Championship (Colts) 21-0 Lost Super Bowl VI (Cowboys) 24-3
1972	14	0	0	1st AFC East	Won Divisional Playoffs (Browns) 20-14 Won Conference Championship (Steelers) 21-17 Won Super Bowl VII (Redskins) 14-7
1973	12	2	0	1st AFC East	Won Divisional Playoffs (Bengals) 34-16 Won Conference Championship (Raiders) 27-10 Won Super Bowl VIII (Vikings) 24-7
1974	11	3	0	1st AFC East	Lost Divisional Playoffs (Raiders) 28-26
1975	10	4	0	2nd AFC East	--
1976	6	8	0	3rd AFC East	--
1977	10	4	0	2nd AFC East	--
1978	11	5	0	2nd AFC East	Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Oilers) 17-9
1979	10	6	0	1st AFC East	Lost Divisional Playoffs (Steelers) 34-14
1980	8	8	0	3rd AFC East	--
1981	11	4	1	1st AFC East	Lost Divisional Playoffs (Chargers) 41-38
1982	7	2	0	2nd AFC Conf.+	Won First Round (Patriots) 28-13 Won Second Round (Chargers) 34-14 Won Conference Championship (Jets) 14-0 Lost Super Bowl XVII (Redskins) 27-17
1983	12	4	0	1st AFC East	Lost Divisional Playoffs (Seahawks) 27-20
1984	14	2	0	1st AFC East	Won Divisional Playoffs (Seahawks) 31-10 Won Conference Championship (Steelers) 45-28 Lost Super Bowl XIX (49ers) 38-16
1985	12	4	0	1st AFC East	Won Divisional Playoffs (Browns) 24-21 Lost Conference Championship (Patriots) 31-14
1986	8	8	0	3rd AFC East	--
1987	8	7	0	3rd AFC East	--
1988	6	10	0	5th AFC East	--
1989	8	8	0	3rd AFC East	--
1990	12	4	0	2nd AFC East	Won Wild Card Playoffs (Chiefs) 17-16 Lost Divisional Playoffs (Bills) 44-34
1991	8	8	0	3rd AFC East	--
1992	11	5	0	1st AFC East	Won Divisional Playoffs (Chargers) 31-0 Lost Conference Championship (Bills) 29-10
1993	9	7	0	2nd AFC East	--
1994	10	6	0	1st AFC East	Won Wild Card Playoffs (Chiefs) 27-17 Lost Divisional Playoffs (Chargers) 22-21
1995	9	7	0	3rd AFC East	Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Bills) 37-22
1996	8	8	0	4th AFC East	--
1997	9	7	0	2nd AFC East	Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Patriots) 17-3
1998	10	6	0	2nd AFC East	Won Wild Card Playoffs (Bills) 24-17 Lost Divisional Playoffs (Broncos) 38-3
1999	9	7	0	3rd AFC East	Won Wild Card Playoffs (Seahawks) 20-17 Lost Divisional Playoffs (Jaguars) 62-7
2000	11	5	0	1st AFC East	Won Wild Card Playoffs (Colts) 23-17 Lost Divisional Playoffs (Raiders) 27-0
2001	11	5	0	2nd AFC East	Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Ravens) 20-3
2002	9	7	0	3rd AFC East	--
2003	10	6	0	2nd AFC East	--
2004	4	12	0	4th AFC East	--
2005	9	7	0	2nd AFC East	--
2006	6	10	0	4th AFC East	--
2007	1	15	0	4th AFC East	--
Totals	369	267	4	(1966-2007, regular season)
	20	19	0	(1966-2007, playoffs)
	389	286	4	(all games, 1966-2007, including playoffs)

+ = Due to a strike-shortened season in 1982, all teams were ranked by conference instead of division.

Players of note

Further information: List of Miami Dolphins starting quarterbacks

Current roster

Miami Dolphins roster

Quarterbacks 16 Gavin Hardison  1 Tua Tagovailoa 19 Skylar Thompson 14 Mike White Running backs 28 De'Von Achane 26 Salvon Ahmed 35 Chris Brooks 30 Alec Ingold FB 31 Raheem Mostert 23 Jeff Wilson 25 Jaylen Wright Wide receivers  3 Odell Beckham Jr.  0 Braxton Berrios 42 Je'Quan Burton 85 River Cracraft 18 Erik Ezukanma 10 Tyreek Hill 86 Braylon Sanders 84 Anthony Schwartz 87 Mathew Sexton 17 Jaylen Waddle 83 Malik Washington 82 Tahj Washington Tight ends 80 Tanner Conner 88 Jody Fortson 89 Julian Hill 49 Hayden Rucci  9 Jonnu Smith 81 Durham Smythe

Offensive linemen 72 Terron Armstead T 55 Aaron Brewer C 69 Ireland Brown C 66 Lester Cotton G 75 Jack Driscoll T 74 Liam Eichenberg C 76 Ryan Hayes T 63 Chasen Hines G 73 Austin Jackson T 62 Matthew Jones G 65 Robert Jones G 70 Kendall Lamm T 79 Bayron Matos T (Int.) 60 Andrew Meyer C 52 Patrick Paul T 71 Kion Smith T 77 Isaiah Wynn G Defensive linemen 91 Neville Gallimore DE 93 Da'Shawn Hand DE 98 Jonathan Harris DE 95 Benito Jones NT 68 Mario Kendricks DE 97 Isaiah Mack DE 90 Daviyon Nixon DE 78 Leonard Payne DE 96 Brandon Pili NT 92 Zach Sieler DE 94 Teair Tart NT

Linebackers 58 Shaquil Barrett OLB 56 Quinton Bell OLB 20 Jordyn Brooks ILB 47 Cam Brown OLB  2 Bradley Chubb OLB 53 Cameron Goode OLB 50 Mohamed Kamara OLB 11 David Long Jr. ILB 59 Grayson Murphy OLB 15 Jaelan Phillips OLB 45 Duke Riley ILB 44 Chop Robinson OLB 41 Channing Tindall ILB 57 Zeke Vandenburgh ILB  6 Anthony Walker Jr. ILB Defensive backs 27 Ethan Bonner CB 22 Elijah Campbell FS 34 Jordan Colbert SS 36 Storm Duck CB 29 Kendall Fuller CB  8 Jevon Holland FS 37 Isaiah Johnson CB  4 Kader Kohou CB 43 Jason Maitre CB 32 Patrick McMorris SS 33 Siran Neal CB 40 Nik Needham CB 38 Mark Perry SS 21 Jordan Poyer SS  5 Jalen Ramsey CB 24 Cam Smith CB Special teams 16 Jake Bailey P 48 Blake Ferguson LS  7 Jason Sanders K

Rookies in italics Roster updated May 16, 2024 Depth chart Transactions 83 active (+1 exempt), 7 unsigned → AFC rosters → NFC rosters

Pro Football Hall of Famers

• 42 Paul Warfield, WR, 1970-74, elected 1983
• 39 Larry Csonka, RB, 1968-74 & 1979, elected 1987
• 62 Jim Langer, C, 1970-79, elected 1987
• 12 Bob Griese, QB, 1968-80, elected 1990
• 66 Larry Little, G, 1969-80, elected 1993
• 347 Don Shula, Head Coach, 1970-95, elected 1997
• 57 Dwight Stephenson, C, 1980-87, elected 1998
• 85 Nick Buoniconti, LB, 1969-76, elected 2001
• 13 Dan Marino, QB, 1983-99, elected 2005

Each of these players is honored with a placard on the facing of the upper level of one end zone at Dolphins Stadium. So is team founder-owner Joe Robbie, who has not yet been elected to the Hall of Fame. In place of a uniform number, Shula has the number 347, representing his record number of NFL coaching victories, 274 of them as Dolphins head coach.

Retired numbers

• 12 Bob Griese, QB, 1967-80 (retired May 6, 1982, at the Dolphins' annual awards banquet)
• 13 Dan Marino, QB, 1983-99 (retired September 17, 2000, at halftime of the Dolphins-Baltimore Ravens game)
• 39 Larry Csonka, FB, 1968-74, 1979 (retired December 9, 2002, at halftime of the Dolphins-Chicago Bears game)

Dolphins Honor Roll

The Miami Dolphin Honor Roll consists of all the Hall of Famers listed above, plus wide receiver Mark Duper, wide receiver Mark Clayton, offensive guard Bob Kuechenberg, wide receiver Nat Moore, founder and owner Joe Robbie, and a special entry for the entire undefeated 1972 team. In 2006, safety Dick Anderson and offensive tackle Richmond Webb were added to the Ring of Honor.

Other notable alumni

Steve DeBerg, QB, 1993 Bernie Kosar, QB, 1994-96 Scott Mitchell, QB 1990-93 Earl Morrall, QB, 1972-76 Don Strock, QB, 1973-87 David Woodley, QB, 1980-83 Jay Fiedler, QB, 2000-04 Abdul-Karim al-Jabbar, RB, 1996-99 Joe Auer, RB, 1966-67 Keith Byars, RB, 1993-96 Andra Franklin, RB, 1981-84 Jim Kiick, RB, 1968-74 Mercury Morris, RB, 1969-75 Tony Nathan, RB, 1979-87 Bernie Parmalee, RB, 1992-98 Troy Stradford, RB, 1987-90 Delvin Williams, RB, 1978-80 Cris Carter, WR, 2002 Chris Chambers, WR, 2001-07 Jimmy Cefalo, WR, 1978-84 Mark Clayton, WR, 1983-92 Mark Duper, WR, 1982-92

Irving Fryar, WR, 1993-95 Oronde Gadsden, WR, 1998-2003 Mike Golic, DT, 1993 Duriel Harris, WR, 1976-83, 1985 O.J. McDuffie, WR, 1993-2000 Nat Moore, WR, 1974-86 Howard Twilley, WR, 1966-76 Jim "Crash" Jensen, TE/WR/RB/QB, 1981-92 Bruce Hardy, TE, 1978-89 Keith Jackson, TE, 1992-94 Jim Mandich, TE, 1970-77 Randy McMichael, TE, 2002-06 Joe Rose, TE, 1980-85 Jeff Dellenbach, T/C, 1985-94 Tim Ruddy, C, 1994-2003 Norm Evans, OL, 1966-75 Jon Giesler, OL, 1979-88 Ed Newman, OL, 1973-84 Keith Sims, OL, 1990-97 Richmond Webb, OL, 1990-2000 Bob Baumhower, DT, 1977-86 Tim Bowens, DT, 1994-2004 Manny Fernandez, DT, 1968-75

Trace Armstrong, DE, 1995-2000 Doug Betters, DE, 1978-87 Kim Bokamper, DE, 1977-85 Jeff Cross, DE, 1988-95 Vern Den Herder, DE, 1971-82 Bill Stanfill, DE, 1969-76 Bob Brudzinski, LB, 1981-89 Bryan Cox, LB, 1991-95 A.J. Duhe, LB, 1977-84 Wahoo McDaniel, LB, 1966-68 Bob Matheson, LB, 1971-79 John Offerdahl, LB, 1986-93 Junior Seau, LB, 2003-05 Terrell Buckley, CB, 1995-99, 2003 Tim Foley, CB, 1970-80 Paul Lankford, CB, 1982-91 Sam Madison, CB, 1997-2005 Don McNeal, CB, 1980-89 Lloyd Mumphord, CB, 1969-74 Patrick Surtain, CB, 1998-2004 Jake Scott, FS/PR, 1970-75 Glenn Blackwood, S, 1979-87 Lyle Blackwood, S, 1981-86 Sammy Knight, S, 2001-04

Brock Marion, S, 1998-2003 Pete Stoyanovich, K, 1989-95 Garo Yepremian, K, 1970-78 Olindo Mare, K, 1996-2007 Eric Laakso, OT, 1978-84 Reggie Roby, P, 1983-92 Larry Seiple, P, 1967-77

All-time team

Published October, 2007, in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Team was chosen in a fan ballot.

Offense
QB Dan Marino
RB Mercury Morris
FB Larry Csonka
WR Paul Warfield
WR Mark Clayton
TE Jim Mandich
OT Richmond Webb
OT Norm Evans
OG Larry Little
OG Bob Kuechenberg
C Dwight Stephenson
PK Olindo Mare
Coach Don Shula

Defense
DE Jason Taylor
DE Bill Stanfill
DT Tim Bowens
DT Manny Fernandez
MLB Zach Thomas
OLB Bob Brudzinski
OLB Bryan Cox
CB Sam Madison
CB Patrick Surtain
SS Dick Anderson
FS Jake Scott
P Reggie Roby
ST Jim Jensen

All-time first round draft picks

1960s

Year	Player	College	Position
1967	Bob Griese	Purdue	Quarterback
1968	Larry Csonka	Syracuse	Fullback
1968	Doug Crusan	Indiana	Tackle
1969	Bill Stanfill	Georgia	Defensive End

1970s

Year	Player	College	Position
1970	No 1st Round Pick, Jim Mandich (2nd Round)	Michigan	Tight End
1971	No 1st Round Pick, Otto Stowe (2nd Round)	Iowa State	Wide Receiver
1972	Mike Kadish	Notre Dame	Defensive Tackle
1973	No 1st Round Pick, Chuck Bradley (2nd Round)	Oregon	Center
1974	Donald Reese	Jackson State	Defensive End
1975	Darryl Carlton	Tampa	Tackle
1976	Larry Gordon	Arizona State	Linebacker
1976	Kim Bokamper	San Jose State	Linebacker
1977	A.J. Duhe	Louisiana State	Defensive End
1978	No 1st Round Pick, Guy Benjamin (2nd Round)	Stanford	Quarterback
1979	Jon Giesler	Michigan	Tackle

1980s

Year	Player	College	Position
1980	Don McNeal	Alabama	Defensive Back
1981	David Overstreet	Oklahoma	Running Back
1982	Roy Foster	USC	Guard
1983	Dan Marino	Pittsburgh	Quarterback
1984	Jackie Shipp	Oklahoma	Linebacker
1985	Lorenzo Hampton	Florida	Running Back
1986	No 1st Rd Pick, John Offerdahl (2nd Round)	Western Michigan	Linebacker
1987	John Bosa	Boston College	Defensive End
1988	Eric Kumerow	Ohio State	Defensive End
1989	Sammie Smith	Florida State	Running Back

1990s

Year	Player	College	Position
1990	Richmond Webb	Texas A&M	Tackle
1991	Randal Hill	Miami (FL)	Wide Receiver
1992	Troy Vincent	Wisconsin	Defensive Back
1992	Marco Coleman	Georgia Tech	Linebacker
1993	O.J. McDuffie	Penn State	Wide Receiver
1994	Tim Bowens	Mississippi	Defensive Tackle
1995	Billy Milner	Houston	Tackle
1996	Daryl Gardener	Baylor	Defensive Tackle
1997	Yatil Green	Miami (FL)	Wide Receiver
1998	John Avery	Mississippi	Running Back
1999	No 1st Round Pick, J.J. Johnson (2nd Round)	Mississippi State	Running Back

2000s

Year	Player	College	Position
2000	No 1st Round Pick, Todd Wade (2nd Round)	Mississippi	Tackle
2001	Jamar Fletcher	Wisconsin	Defensive Back
2002	No 1st Round Pick, Seth McKinney (3rd Round)	Texas A&M	Center
2003	No 1st Round Pick, Eddie Moore (2nd Round)	Tennessee	Linebacker
2004	Vernon Carey	Miami (FL)	Tackle
2005	Ronnie Brown	Auburn	Running Back
2006	Jason Allen	Tennessee	Defensive Back
2007	Ted Ginn, Jr.	Ohio State	Wide Receiver

Coaches of note

Head coaches

Name	From	To	Regular Season Record			Post Season Record
			W	L	T	W	L
George Wilson (AFL)	1966	1969	15	39	2	--	--
Don Shula	1970	1995	257	133	2	17	14
Jimmy Johnson	1996	1999	36	28	0	2	3
Dave Wannstedt	2000	2004	42	31	0	1	2
Jim Bates (interim)	2004	2004	3	4	0	--	--
Nick Saban	2005	2006	15	17	0	--	--
Cam Cameron	2007	2007	1	15	0	--	--

Current staff

Miami Dolphins staff

	Front office Chairman/managing general partner – Stephen Ross Vice chairman/partner – Bruce Beal Vice chairman – Jorge Pérez Vice chairman – Matt Higgins Vice chairman, president, and CEO – Tom Garfinkel General manager – Chris Grier Assistant general manager – Marvin Allen Vice president, football administration – Brandon Shore Senior vice president, chief financial officer – Chris Clements Senior personnel executive – Reggie McKenzie Co-director, player personnel – Adam Engroff Co-director, player personnel – Anthony Hunt Director of college scouting – Matt Winston Senior scout – Jim Abrams Special advisor to the vice chairman, president, and CEO – Dan Marino Head coach Head coach – Mike McDaniel Associate head coach/running backs – Eric Studesville Assistant head coach/tight ends – Jon Embree Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Frank Smith Quarterbacks/pass game coordinator – Darrell Bevell Assistant quarterbacks – Chandler Henley Wide receivers/pass game specialist – Wes Welker Offensive line – Butch Barry Assistant offensive line – Lemuel Jeanpierre Offensive assistant – Parks Frazier Offensive assistant – Jonathan Krause Offensive assistant – Max McCaffrey Offensive assistant – Roman Sapolu Offensive assistant – Rob Everett			Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Anthony Weaver Defensive line – Austin Clark Assistant defensive line – Kynjee Cotton Linebackers/run game coordinator – Joe Barry Outside linebackers – Ryan Crow Pass game coordinator/secondary – Brian Duker Cornerbacks – Mathieu Araujo Defensive backs/pass game specialist – Ryan Slowik Assistant defensive backs – DeShawn Shead Defensive assistant – Matthew O'Donnell Defensive assistant – Sean Ryan Special teams coaches Special teams coordinator – Danny Crossman Senior special teams assistant – Ronnie Bradford Strength and conditioning coaches Head strength and conditioning – Dave Puloka Assistant strength and conditioning – Adam Lachance → Coaching staff → Management → More NFL staffs

Cheerleaders

The team's cheerleaders are simply known as the Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders.

Radio and television

The Miami Dolphins' flagship radio station is 560 WQAM. Jimmy Cefalo and Jim Mandich are the announcers, and Joe Rose joined WQAM and the Dolphins Radio Network crew before the 2007 NFL season started. The 2007 Miami Dolphins Radio Network is a statewide network of radio stations in Florida.

Most preseason games are seen on WFOR (CBS) in Miami/Fort Lauderdale, WTVX (CW) in West Palm Beach/Fort Pierce, and WXCW (CW) in Naples/Fort Myers with announcers Craig Bolerjack, Bob Griese, and Nat Moore.

ESPN reporter Hank Goldberg was a longtime color analyst on the Miami Dolphins Radio Network.

Dolphins radio announcers

Years	Flagship station	Play-by-Play	Color commentator	Sideline Reporter
1966	610 WIOD	Johnny Bell	Dan Bossler
1967-69	610 WIOD	Bob Gallagher	Henry Barrow
1970	610 WIOD	Joe Croghan	Larry King
1971	610 WIOD	Rick Weaver	Larry King
1972	610 WIOD	Rick Weaver	Lou Creekmur
1973	610 WIOD	Rick Weaver	Fred Woodson
1974-76	610 WIOD	Rick Weaver	Henry Barrow
1977-91	610 WIOD	Rick Weaver	Hank Goldberg	Henry Barrow
1992-93	610 WIOD	Rick Weaver	Jim Mandich
1994-02	610 WIOD	Bill Zimpfer	Jim Mandich
2002-04	560 WQAM	Howard David	Jim Mandich
2005-06	790 WAXY	Jimmy Cefalo	Joe Rose	Nat Moore
2007-present	560 WQAM	Jimmy Cefalo	Jim Mandich and Joe Rose

See also

• Dolphins-Jets rivalry
• History of the Miami Dolphins
• List of American Football League players
• Miami Dolphins Training Facility

External links

• Official Website
• Sports E-Cyclopedia.com
• Miami Dolphins at Curlie