Dolphins History Lesson: Players AND Coaches

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Renaldo Hill will make Miami Dolphins history when they play their first regular season game of 2023 as the first person to have played for the team and had two stints as an assistant coach.
Hill is one of 14 people who have done both, a list that includes fellow members of the current staff Sam Madison and Wes Welker, as well as Hall of Fame center Dwight Stephenson.
In this latest Dolphins History Lesson, we run down the 14 player-coaches in team history, along with our review of who was the most established at playing and coaching.
While Stephenson clearly was the best Dolphins player who also coached for the team and it's a showdown between Larry Seiple and Tony Nathan as the best coach who also played for Miami, it's a little harder to come up for the best combo person.
THE DOLPHINS PLAYERS WHO ALSO COACHED FOR THE TEAM
Sam Madison — 1997-2005 as CB; 2022-current as assistant coach
Wes Welker — 2004-06 as WR; 2022-current as assistant coach
Patrick Surtain — 1998-2004 as CB; 2022 as assistant coach
Gerald Alexander — 2011 as S; 2020-21 as assistant coach
Renaldo Hill — 2006-08 as DB; 2018, 2023- as assistant coach
Bryan Cox — 1991-95 as LB; 2011 as assistant coach
James Saxon — 1992-94 as RB; 2008-10 as assistant coach
Terry Robiskie — 1980-81 as FB; 2007 as assistant coach
Jeff Dellenbach — 1985-94 as T/C; 2004 as assistant coach
Bernie Parmalee — 1992-98 as RB; 2002-04 as assistant coach
Dwight Stephenson — 1980-87 as C; 1992 as assistant coach
Tony Nathan — 1979-87 as RB; 1989-95 as assistant coach
Larry Seiple — 1967-77 as P/RB/TE; 1988-99 as assistant coach
Bob Matheson — 1971-79 as LB; 1983-86 as assistant coach
THE MOST ACCOMPLISHED PLAYERS-COACHES AS DOLPHINS PLAYERS
Dwight Stephenson — 1980-87 as C; 1992 as assistant coach
Sam Madison — 1997-2005 as CB; 2022-current as assistant coach
Patrick Surtain — 1998-2004 as CB; 2022 as assistant coach
Bryan Cox — 1991-95 as LB; 2011 as assistant coach
Tony Nathan — 1979-87 as RB; 1989-95 as assistant coach
THE MOST ACCOMPLISHED PLAYERS-COACHES AS DOLPHINS COACHES
Larry Seiple — 1967-77 as P/RB/TE; 1988-99 as assistant coach
Tony Nathan — 1979-87 as RB; 1989-95 as assistant coach
Bob Matheson — 1971-79 as LB; 1983-86 as assistant coach
Bernie Parmalee — 1992-98 as RB; 2002-04 as assistant coach

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of Miami Dolphins On SI and host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press and the Dolphins team website. In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books, such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.
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