Number 54 and the Three Dolphins Who Wore It Best
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 54.
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.
Players who wore 54 for at least one regular season game:
LB Wahoo McDaniel (1966-68), LB Dale McCullers (1969), LB Ted Davis (1970), T Howard Kindig (1972), LB Ralph Ortega (1979-80), LB Steve Potter (1981-82), LB Rodell Thomas (1983-84), LB Alex Moyer (1985-86), LB Johnny Taylor (1986), LB Steve Lubischer (1987), LB Larry Kolic (1987-88), LB E.J. Junior (1989-91), LB Chuck Bullough (1993-94), LB Zach Thomas (1996-2007)
The breakdown of 54 with the Dolphins
This is another number where there is no debate when it comes to the top player. Actually, there's a reason no Dolphins player has been assigned number 54 since it was last worn by Zach Thomas in 2007. Zach Thomas IS number 54. We don't really need to list all the reasons; instead, you can just check out this appreciation story we did a while back. Now, the debate for second and third among those who wore 54 for the Dolphins is a good one. Wahoo McDaniel may be known to a lot of people as a professional wrestler, but that came after a nine-year football career that ended with his three seasons with the Dolphins. McDaniel started 22 of the 30 games he played for Miami. ... E.J. Junior joined the Dolphins as a Plan B free agent (remember that?) after spending eight seasons with the Cardinals, who had made him a first-round pick in 1981. Junior started 12 games in a forgettable first season in Miami, but had six and five sacks, respectively, the next two years working as a pass-rushing specialist.
RELATED: Hall of Fame Advocating for Zach
Worth noting
McCullers played all 14 games as a backup for the Dolphins in 1969, but he was waived the following August and never played pro football again. ... Davis started six of the 14 games he played in 1970 when he helped the Dolphins make the playoffs for the first time. ... After being acquired in a trade with the Bills, Kindig appeared as a backup in all 14 games and all three playoff games in the 1972 perfect season. ... Cuba native Ortega started six games for the Dolphins in 1980, his last of six NFL seasons. ... Alex Moyer was a Dolphins third-round pick in 1985 whose career was derailed after 13 games over two seasons because of injuries.
The top three Dolphins players with number 54
1. LB Zach Thomas
2. LB Wahoo McDaniel
3. LB E.J. Junior
