New Linebacker's Interesting Dolphins Connection

Miami Dolphins linebacker Brennan Scarlett not only will be reunited with former NFL teammates but also one from in college who's now a coach

Linebacker Brennan Scarlett was one of three former Houston Texans players the Miami Dolphins acquired over the past several days, so he'll be seeing some familiar faces when the team officially gathers for the first time next month.

But there's another connection for Scarlett, and one that goes further back and just might be more important for him.

Long before he played for the Texans, Scarlett split his college career between the University of California and Stanford, and one of his Cal teammates was one Austin Clark.

The same Austin Clark, who went this offseason from Dolphins outside linebackers coach to defensive line coach.

"You talk about a player with some grit," Scarlett said Monday during a Zoom session. "Oh, AC! AC has some grit, man, another guy that loves to play the game and I could tell back then just kind of how passionate he was about the ins and outs of the game and the fundamentals, and the kind of intangible things that it takes to be a great football (person).

"AC had all those things, so I'm not surprised he's sitting in the seat that he's sitting in now. Really excited to work with him again and really pursue this thing together once again. Yeah. AC, he was a honey badger was what we called him back then. It was like, you know there was Tyrann Mathieu, and then there was Austin Clark.”

Scarlett agreed to a one-year contract with the Dolphins on Friday, and it became official Monday.

Scarlett joined fellow linebacker Benardrick McKinney and wide receiver Will Fuller V as 2020 Houston Texans players on the 2021 Dolphins roster.

RELATED: McKinney Musings on Being Physical, Playing With Watson, Reaction to Trade and More

He provided his scouting report on McKinney.

"B-Mac, that's a great guy, good friend of mine, a great teammate to have out on the football field," Scarlett said. "I think the biggest thing about B-Mac is he loves the game of football. He's passionate to be out there on the field, and I think that's one of the most important pieces to playing with somebody is somebody who wants to be out there and loves to be out there and so that's really what I'm looking forward to. I would say I share kind of those same values, if you will, look forward to competing every day and at the end of the day, look forward to winning football games because that's really what what we're out here to do so.

"I will say that's what they got here in the end, the two of us are two guys that love to compete and love to play the game of football."