Number 27 and the Three Dolphins Who Wore It Best

We're now 27 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

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 27.

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

Players who wore 27 for at least one regular season game:

RB Gary Tucker (1968), RB Gary Davis (1976-79), RB Lorenzo Hampton (1985-89), S Stevon Moore (1990), CB David Pool (1994), CB Terrell Buckley (1995-99, 2003), S Arturo Freeman (2000-02), CB Will Poole (2004-05), S Shirdonya Mitchell (2006), S Lamont Thompson (2007), RB Samkon Gado (2007), CB Benny Sapp (2010-11), S Jimmy Wilson (2012-14), RB Raheem Mostert (2015), RB LaMichael James (2015), S Shamiel Gary (2015), S Maurice Smith (2017), RB Kalen Ballage (2019), FB Chandler Cox (2020), CB Justin Coleman (2021)

The breakdown of 27 with the Dolphins

The top spot for 27 has to go to cornerback Terrell Buckley, who had 24 interceptions in 96 career games with the Dolphins. Buckley had a career-high eight interceptions in 1998 and led the NFL with 164 interception return yards in 1996 when he had six picks. Gary Davis was a sixth-round pick who played four seasons with the Dolphins, mostly as a backup. His best season was in 1977 when he started six games and rushed for 533 yards and two touchdowns. Lorenzo Hampton was a first-round pick in 1985 who played 70 games with 34 starts in his five NFL seasons, all with Miami. His best season came in 1986 when he rushed for 830 yards and scored 12 touchdowns, including three in a 45-3 Monday night victory against the New York Jets. Jimmy Wilson started 20 games, including 13 in 2014, in his final three seasons with the Dolphins after wearing 25 as a rookie in 2011. 

Worth noting:

Stevon Moore played seven games for the Dolphins in 1990 after arriving as a Plan B free agent and he was lost to the Browns in Plan B free agency in 1992 and went on to start 97 games for the Browns and Ravens over the next eight years. ... Arturo Freeman played a total of five seasons with the Dolphins, the first three wearing 27 and the last two with 20. ... Will Poole was a fourth-round pick in 2004, but knee issues ended his career after he played 15 games with one start in 2004. ... Lamont Thompson signed with the Dolphins after starting 45 games for Tennessee over the previous three years, but he last only three games in Miami before he was waived. ... Benny Sapp started six games for the Dolphins in 2010, but was released days after the 2011 season opener after being beaten for a 99-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady to Wes Welker. ... Mostert wore 27 for his one game for the Dolphins in 2015 but will be wearing 31 in his return this season. ... Ballage switched to 27 last year after wearing 33 as a rookie in 2018.

The top three Dolphins players with number 27

1. CB Terrell Buckley

2. RB Lorenzo Hampton

3. RB Gary Davis

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Alain Poupart has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989. You can follow him on Twitter at @PoupartNFL.