Community and Football, Defining the New Orleans Dolphins Organization

Family and community in the Deep South often includes football. For a New Orleans seven-on-seven organization called the Dolphins, all the ingredients work together to produce top-notch performance.

Author:
Brian Smith
Publish date:
Mar 9, 2022 11:18 AM EST

HOUSTON - During this past weekend’s DR Sportz seven-on-seven tournament, a 14U team caught the attention of many people. That’s unusual as 14U teams generally have many flaws. They should. They are 13 and 14 years old! There was an additional reason to check out some of the more youthful talent as well, and that truly did work out for everyone’s benefit.

The tournament was short of many of the 2023 and 2024 prospects it would usually have with the NCAA allowing unofficial visits this past weekend, and in a way that turned out to be a blessing.

The way the Dolphins played as a unit was fantastic. Whether offense or defense, it’s like they’ve been playing with one another for several years. Comfortable and calm, this team was winning by playing team football. It’s also a big part of the culture of the organization.

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Genuine. Down to earth. That’s the best way to describe the players and the family-atmosphere around them. Further, these folks from New Orleans wanted to do something extra for their tackle football organization, and the seven-on-seven was a way to do it. It’s worked out well.

“I started the team a year ago with a good friend J.R to help our quarterbacks and receivers read coverages for our tackle team,also to help the defense get full understanding of the different coverages that can be ran,” said Arsenio Bolds, Sr., Coach of the Dolphins.

Many of these young players are also learning about environments outside of New Orleans. That’s an advantage of seven-on-seven play. Travel!

“Also wanted to get exposure for the inner city kids and take them to different states to play a variety of talent,” Bolds stated.

Well, with the overwhelming talent this 14U group has already shown to have, there’s little doubt that they are headed for bigger and better things whether in Houston, New Orleans or any other city. They were one of the best teams in attendance of a tournament that had roughly 100 teams overall (all age groups combined).

Going back to the family aspect, it’s not surprising what Mr. Bolds had to say about the parents and individuals that travel with and support the members of the 14U Dolphins.

“The family support is wonderful. They bought into the system and understand the potential these kids have.”

Well, to say that several members of the team definitely earned the right to be considered future recruits is an understatement. The list is long. With that, one particular young man is quite the showman and he absolutely dominated the vast majority of one-on-one matchups.

You will not read or hear the following words uttered from many scouts about a player just finishing up eighth grade, but Tahmaj Jackson is a bona fide Power Five talent. He’s as twitchy as one could hope for at his age, and his ball skills are also absolutely incredible. One-handed, over someone else, or off the ricochet, Jackson locates and catches the football.

Trying to highlight one player would be a mistake. There are several players on this team that are very likely to end up playing FBS football. Take the following reception for a score by Nigel Pringle as a prime example as to why that's the case:

Here’s the list of players for the Dolphins, jersey numbers included, plus the team Twitter handle for anyone that wants to learn more about them. Thanks to all of these young men for playing so hard and being entertaining during this past weekend’s tournament. Same to all the people that coach and support the players. Look forward to seeing covering the Dolphins again during Battle New Orleans this upcoming weekend.

@Dolphins7v7

#11 Carl Reed Jr.

#4 Anthony Thomas

#87 Lamar Brown

#1 Fred Lewis Jr.

#6 Clint Hill Jr.

#9 Carlin Kinchen Jr.

#0 Tahmaj Jackson

#5 Keith Hill Jr.

#3 Cody Morris

#7 Arsenio”The Landlord”Bolds Jr.

#17 Nehemiah Philip