Ford, Kindley Going Home And Other Jaguars Connections

It was in Jacksonville that the legend of Solomon Kindley the lifeguard was born, and the Miami Dolphins rookie guard is back there for the first prime-time game of his young NFL career.

The 2020 fourth-round pick from the University of Georgia will be in the starting lineup when the Dolphins face the Jaguars on Thursday night in search of their first victory of the season.

“It’s crazy," Kindley said. "I remember watching TV and just seeing Thursday night games watching Jacksonville and they’re playing and now it’s a dream come true that I’m even able to go back to that stadium and now I’m playing on Thursday Night Football. I’m excited. I’m ready to go.”

Kindley is one of two Dolphins players from Jacksonville, the other being wide receiver Isaiah Ford. The team also has other players and coaches with connections to the Jaguars.

Guard Ereck Flowers played for the Jaguars in 2018 before his career took him to Washington and then to Miami this past offseason. Defensive line coach Marion Hobby held the same position in Jacksonville in 2017-18, while new assistant coaches Gerald Alexander (DB coach) and Kolby Smith (quality control coach) both actually played for the Jaguars.

"I’m really excited," Ford said. "Any time you get to play in your hometown in front of your family and friends, it’ll be a really exciting time. This will be my first time actually getting to play inside the stadium, so I’m really looking forward to that.”

Ford is coming off a strong performance for the Dolphins, catching seven passes for 76 yards in the 31-28 loss against the Buffalo Bills.

It continued Ford's emergence that started late last season when he finally got his chance after two-plus years of dealing with injuries and bouncing on and off the practice squad.

Ford, though, says he's just getting started.

“I think a lot of the guys that have seen me mature throughout this entire process since I’ve been a Dolphin, they’ve kind of given me encouragement and things like that," Ford said. "But really, when you’re dialed into the grand scheme of things you’re not really focused on how far you’ve come. You’re still thinking you’ve got a ways to go.

The Jaguars don't have any former Dolphins players on their roster, but they do on their coaching staff.

It starts with head coach Doug Marrone, who played four games for the Dolphins as an offensive lineman in 1987 as part of his five-game NFL career. Running backs coach Terry Robiskie is one of the few who have both played (1980-81) and coached for the Dolphins (2007).

Lastly, there's a familiar name on the Jaguars coaching staff, and that's assistant offensive line coach Tony Sparano Jr. He was a quality control coach for the Dolphins in 2011 when his late father was in fourth and final year as Miami head coach.