Number 21 and the Three Dolphins Who Wore It Best

We're now 21 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
Publish date:
Aug 18, 2022 8:05 AM EDT

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 21.

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

Players who wore 21 for at least one regular season game:

HB-K Gene Mingo (1966-67), RB Jim Kiick (1968-74), S Rick Volk (1977-78), DB Tate Randle (1987), RB Mark Higgs (1990-94), RB Lawrence Phillips (1997), S Rayna Stewart (1998), RB Autry Denson (1999-00), CB Terry Cousin (2001), CB Jamar Fletcher (2002-03), S Antuan Edwards (2004), CB Travis Daniels (2005-06), CB André Goodman (2007-08), CB Vontae Davis (2009-11), CB Deandre Presley (2012), CB Brent Grimes (2013-15), S Jordan Lucas (2016-17), RB Frank Gore (2018), S Eric Rowe (2019-21)

The breakdown of 21 with the Dolphins

The Dolphins haven't had quite as much success with 21 as they have with 22 or 23, but there still have been several major contributors. The first was Jim Kiick, who was an AFL All-Star his first two seasons after arriving as a fifth-round pick and was a key contributor on the Dolphins' Super Bowl teams of the early 1970s. Kiick, who died in June, rushed for at least 521 yards each of his first five seasons, caught 21 or more passes each of his first six, and contributed as a blocker as well. Mark Higgs joined the Dolphins as a Plan B free agent in 1990 and led the team in rushing in 1991 and 1992 when he had more than 900 yards each time. He also had seven rushing touchdowns in that 1992 season. Vontae Davis deserves mention because, even though his time in Miami sadly will be remembered for his spot on "Hard Knocks" and his reaction when he was traded to the Colts in 2012, he was a solid player for MIami. He started 36 games in three years after being a first-round pick in 2009 and had four interceptions in both 2009 and 2011. He went on to earn two Pro Bowl invitations during his time in Indianapolis before he famously retired at halftime of the 2018 season opener when he was a member of the Buffalo Bills. In terms of production, it's tough to beat what Brent Grimes did in Miami. He signed with Miami after tearing an Achilles tendon in the 2012 opener with Atlanta, then proceeded to make the Pro Bowl in each of his three years in Miami while coming up with four, five and four interceptions. Simply put, he was one of the team's most productive players in the 2010s, though his tenure was overshadowed by issues involving his controversial wife, whose name was mentioned by owner Stephen Ross when the Dolphins released Grimes in the spring of 2016. Eric Rowe has proven to be a great pick-up from 2019, even though his role diminished last season.

Worth noting:

Gene Mingo, who came to Miami in the 1966 expansion draft, was 10-for-22 on field goals attempts in the Dolphins' inaugural season and had three receptions. ... Rick Volk came to the Dolphins for the final two seasons of his 12-year career. He started 13 games in 1978 and had four interceptions. ... Tate Randle was an eighth-round pick of the Dolphins in 1982, but was waived, went to Houston , then played 57 games with 22 starts for the Colts before returning to Miami in 1987 for the three strike-replacement games. ... Terry Cousin served as the third cornerback behind Sam Madison and Patrick Surtain in 2001 and started three games. ... Jamar Fletcher's two interceptions with the Dolphins during his disappointing time as a first-round pick came in 2002 when made a career-high four starts. ... Travis Daniels started 14 games as a rookie fourth-round pick and 11 more then next two seasons, though he wore 29 in 2007. ... André Goodman did the opposite of Daniels, going from 29 to 21. In 2008 while wearing 21, Goodman had five interceptions and started all 16 games for the AFC East champion Dolphins. ... Lucas, who the Dolphins drafted in the sixth round in 2016, was traded to Kansas City in 2018 and he picked up a Super Bowl ring last season. He opted out of the 2020 season. ... The ageless Frank Gore rushed for 722 yards for the Dolphins in 2018 in his 14th NFL season and averaged 4.6 yards per carry, his best average since 2012.