Number 25 and the Three Dolphins Who Wore It Best

We're now 25 days away from the start of the NFL regular season, so we honor the best players who have worn that number for the Miami Dolphins

Author:
Alain Poupart
Updated:
Aug 14, 2022 9:12 AM EDT
Original:
Aug 14, 2022

In this story:

Miami Dolphins

The countdown to the start of the 2022 regular season has begun now that we're under 100 days away, so we'll honor every day the best players to wear the corresponding number for the Dolphins.

Today, we're at number 25.

As a reminder about the ground rules, the top three will be determined only by what the players did while wearing that uniform for the Dolphins.

The top players at each number so far have been:

99. DE/LB Jason Taylor; 98. DL Jared Odrick; 97. DT Jordan Phillips; 96. DT Paul Soliai; 95. DT Tim Bowens; 94. DT Randy Starks; 93. DE Trace Armstrong; 92. LS John Denney; 91. DE/LB Cameron Wake; 90. DE/LB Marco Coleman

89. WR Nat Moore; 88. TE Keith Jackson; 87. TE Andre Tillman; 86. WR Oronde Gadsden; 85. LB Nick Buoniconti; 84. DE Bill Stanfill; 83. WR Mark Clayton; 82. WR Brian Hartline; 81. WR O.J. McDuffie; 80. WR Irving Fryar

79. T Jon Giesler; 78. T Richmond Webb; 77. DE/LB A.J. Duhe; 76. T Branden Albert; 75. DT Manny Fernandez; 74. T Mark Dennis; 73. DT Bob Baumhower; 72. DT Bob Heinz; 71. T Todd Wade; 70. DE Kendall Langford

69. G Keith Sims; 68. T Eric Laakso; 67. G/T Bob Kuechenberg; 66. G Larry Little; 65. OL Jeff Dellenbach; 64. G Ed Newman; 63. G/T Mark Dixon; 62. C Jim Langer; 61. C Tim Ruddy; 60. G Bert Weidner

59. LB Doug Swift; 58. DE-LB Kim Bokamper; 57. C Dwight Stephenson; 56. LB John Offerdahl; 55. Earnie Rhone; 54. Zach Thomas; 53. LB Bob Matheson; 52. LB Channing Crowder; 51. LB Bryan Cox; 50. LB Larry Gordon

49. CB William Judson; 48. CB Gerald Small; 47. S Glenn Blackwood; 46. S Don Bessillieu; 45. CB Curtis Johnson; 44. CB Paul Lankford; 43. S Bud Brown; 42. WR Paul Warfield; 41. FB Keith Byars; 40. S Dick Anderson

39. FB Larry Csonka; 38. DB Calvin Jackson; 37. CB J.B. Brown; 36. FB Don Nottingham; 35. DB Walt Aikens; 34. RB Ricky Williams; 33. RB Karim Abdul-Jabbar; 32. RB Kenyan Drake; 31. S Brock Marion; 30. RB Bernie Parmalee

29. CB Sam Madison; 28. CB Don McNeal; 27. CB Terrell Buckley; 26. S Jarvis Williams

Players who wore 25 for at least one regular season game:

CB Dick Westmoreland (1966-69), DB Tim Foley (1970-80), DB Mike Smith (1985-87), S Louis Oliver (1989-93, 1995), DB Corey Harris (1995), CB Greg Jeffries (1999-2000), CB Jimmy Wyrick (2003), CB Reggie Howard (2004-05), CB Will Allen (2006-11), DB Jimmy Wilson (2011), CB R.J. Stanford (2012-13), S Louis Delmas (2014-15), CB Xavien Howard (2016-21)

The breakdown of 25 with the Dolphins

The Dolphins have had considerably fewer players wear 25 than other numbers in the 20s, but that's an indication they have had several contributors with that number. Dick Westmoreland arrived via the expansion draft and had four picks in the Dolphins' first season before leading the AFL with 10 picks in 1967 when he was selected as an All-Star. He ended up starting 43 games in four seasons. Tim Foley was a third-round pick in 1970 who started 110 games at cornerback and safety. He was a starting cornerback for the Dolphins' two Super Bowl-winning teams and made the Pro Bowl as a safety in 1979. Louis Oliver started 89 games for the Dolphins in two stints after arriving as a first-round pick in 1989. He had four or five interceptions in each of his first four seasons, including 1992 when he had a 103-yard pick-six at Buffalo. Will Allen started 47 games in his first three seasons in Miami after arriving as a free agent before starting six games each of the final two years. He had three picks in 2008, including one he returned for a touchdown. Howard has started 71 games since arriving as a second-round pick out of Baylor in 2016, has made the Pro Bowl three times and generally is recognized as one of the top five cornerbacks in the NFL.

Worth noting:

Harris started seven games for Miami in 1997 in the sixth year of his 12-year NFL career. ... Wyrick played four games as a backup wearing 25 in 2003 before switching to 35 in 2004 when he played 14 games. ... Wilson wore 25 at a rookie in 2011 before switching to 27 for the next three seasons. ... Delmas started 12 games for the Dolphins in 2014 before his career ended in August 2015 when he tore an ACL in a joint practice with the Carolina Panthers.