Number 47 and the Three Dolphins Who Wore It Best
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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 47.
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
Players who wore 47 for at least one regular season game:
DB John McGeever (1966), DB Tom Beier (1967-69), DB Ted Bachman (1976), S Glenn Blackwood (1979-87), S Stefon Adams (1990), CB Darrell Malone (1992-94), RB Robert Edwards (2002), C Jeff Grau (2003), DB Courtney Bryan (2007-08), LB Kiko Alonso (2016-18), LB Vince Biegel (2019-21)
The breakdown of 47 with the Dolphins
There isn't a debate for the top spot at number 47 because it's Glenn Blackwood all the way. An eighth-round pick in 1979, Blackwood started 106 games in his nine seasons with the Dolphins and finished with 29 interceptions, including six in both 1984 and 1985. His older brother Lyle joined the Dolphins from the Colts in 1981 and they were part of the team's famed "Killer B's" defense. As for rest of the top three, nobody played more than three seasons with Miami. Darrell Malone played 25 games with three starts over past of three seasons. Kiko Alonso started all 46 games he played in his three seasons with the Dolphins after arriving in a trade with the Eagles and played a big role in the run to the 2016 playoffs as he finished with four fumbles recoveries and two interceptions, including his game-winning pick-six late in a victory at San Diego. Ironically, the player for whom Alonso was traded to New Orleans last year took his number 47, and that was Vince Biegel. Biegel showed promise in 2019 when he started 10 games and had 2.5 sacks and an interception, but he wasn't able to follow up on that performance and left this offseason for Baltimore.
Worth noting:
John McGeever came to the Dolphins in 1966 via the expansion draft and had two interceptions in 12 games in 1966. ... Tom Beier was a 10th-round pick who played 14 games in both 1967 and 1969 but didn't play in 1968. ... Stefon Adams played two games for the Dolphins in 1990 before the Raiders signed him as a Plan B free agent, though he never played another game in the NFL. ... Robert Edwards played in 12 games for the Dolphins in 2002 in his first NFL action since he had rushed for 1,115 yards as a rookie for New England in 1998. Edwards, who had to come back from a devastating knee injury sustained in a rookie flag football game in the sand at the Pro Bowl, scored two touchdowns in the 2002 opener. He never played in the NFL after that 2002 season but was a two-time all-star in the Canadian Football League.
The top three Dolphins players with number 47
1. S Glenn Blackwood
2. LB Kiko Alonso
3. LB Vince Biegel
