Number 19 and the Three Dolphins Who Wore It Best

We're now 19 days away from the start of the NFL regular season, so we honor the best players who have worn that number for the Miami Dolphins

Author:
Alain Poupart
Updated:
Aug 20, 2022 9:24 AM EDT
Original:
Aug 20, 2022

In this story:

Miami Dolphins

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 19.

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; 47. S Glenn Blackwood; 46. S Don Bessillieu; 45. CB Curtis Johnson; 44. CB Paul Lankford; 43. S Bud Brown; 42. WR Paul Warfield; 41. FB Keith Byars; 40. S Dick Anderson

39. FB Larry Csonka; 38. DB Calvin Jackson; 37. CB J.B. Brown; 36. FB Don Nottingham; 35. DB Walt Aikens; 34. RB Ricky Williams; 33. RB Karim Abdul-Jabbar; 32. RB Kenyan Drake; 31. S Brock Marion; 30. RB Bernie Parmalee

29. CB Sam Madison; 28. CB Don McNeal; 27. CB Terrell Buckley; 26. S Jarvis Williams; 25. CB Xavien Howard; 24. RB Delvin Williams; 23. Patrick Surtain; 22. RB Tony Nathan; 21. RB Jim Kiick; 20. S Reshad Jones

Players who wore 19 for at least one regular season game:

Reyna Thompson (1986), QB Scott Mitchell (1990-93), QB Bernie Kosar (1994-96), WR Nate Jacquet (1998), WR Larry Shannon (1998-99), WR Ted Ginn Jr. (2007-09), WR Brandon Marshall (2010-11), WR Legedu Naanee (2012), WR Armon Binns (2012-13), WR Jakeem Grant (2016-21)

The breakdown of 19 with the Dolphins

As we get into the teens, the total of players for each number will be smaller, and so it is with 19. There have been some contributors, though.

• Scott Mitchell was a fourth-round pick in 1990 who had to step into action in 1993 after Dan Marino tore his Achilles tendon in an October game at Cleveland. Though his final numbers that year were nothing special (3-4 record, 12 TDs, 8 INTs), it was enough to earn him a big contract from the Detroit Lions. He ended up playing 11 seasons in the Dolphins and had one big year, with the Lions in 1995 when he had 32 touchdowns against 12 interceptions.

• The selection of Ginn with the ninth overall pick in the 2007 draft drew a lot of ridicule, particularly because of Cam Cameron's "Ginn family" speech, but the fact remains that Ginn is still in the NFL 13 years later. Ginn started 35 games for Miami and averaged 43 catches per season, not to mention his three kick returns for touchdowns, including two in a memorable 2009 game against the Jets.

• Brandon Marshall was highly productive, though highly controversial in his two-year stint with the Dolphins. He topped 1,000 receiving yards in both 2010 and 2011 and made the Pro Bowl the second year when he had 1,214 yards and six touchdowns. But his production didn't stop the Dolphins from trading him for two third-round picks, two years after they acquired him for two second-round picks.

• Jakeem Grant was a big-play returner after joining the Dolphins as a sixth-round pick in 2016, with three punt returns and two kickoff returns for touchdowns. His time in Miami ended last year when he was traded to the Chicago Bears.

In the end, the top spot came down to Ginn and Marshall, and a case could be made for either of them.

Worth noting:

Thompson wore 19 as a rookie in 1986 when he played 16 games with four starts. He played two more seasons with Miami wearing 24 before a five-year stint with the Giants that included a Pro Bowl berth and Super Bowl win in 1990. ... Former University of Miami legend Bernie Kosar closed out his 12-year NFL career with three seasons with the Dolphins, though he played only 14 games with two starts. He lost both of them. ... Legedu Naanee joined the Dolphins as a free agent after starting 19 games the previous two years with Carolina, but Miami terminated his contract after he caught only one pass in four games.