Number 29 and the Three Dolphins Who Wore It Best

We're now 29 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 29.

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

Players who wore 29 for at least one regular season game:

RB Jack Harper (1967-68), DB Garry Grady (1969), RB Tom Smith (1973), CB John Swain (1985), S Liffort Hobley (1987-93), CB Frankie Smith (1994-95), CB Sam Madison (1997-2005), CB André Goodman (2006), CB Travis Daniels (2007), S Tyrone Culver (2008-11), S Jonathon Amaya (2012), CB Will Davis (2013-15), RB Jonas Gray (2015), CB Tyler Patmon (2015), RB Arian Foster (2016), S Nate Allen (2017), S Minkah Fitzpatrick (2018-19), CB Xavier Crawford (2019), RB Samaje Perine (2019), S Brandon Jones (2020-21)

The breakdown of 29 with the Dolphins

There is no debate for the top spot when it comes to 29 because it belongs to four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Sam Madison. The second-round pick started 127 games for the Dolphins in nine seasons and had 31 interceptions, including three in a memorable Sunday night game against Tennessee in 1999. Madison won a Super Bowl title with the New York Giants in 2007 and as an assistant coach with the Kansas City Chiefs this past February. The rest of the group at number 29 included some big names, though the second spot has to go to safety Liffort Hobley, who played 84 games with 29 starts in six seasons with Miami. Hobley had eight fumble recoveries, including two he returned for touchdowns, with the Dolphins. Among others who made contributions wearing 29 was safety Tyrone Culver, who played 66 games in four seasons with six starts. Culver, who wore 36 when he played four games in 2012, saw extensive action on special teams. We probably have to mention Minkah Fitzpatrick, the 2018 first-round pick whose time in Miami ended when he was traded to Pittsburgh after two games in 2019. Fitzpatrick ended up playing 18 games with 13 starts for the Dolphins and recording two interceptions. The way his departure unfolded — he requested a trade and was granted his wish — keeps him out of this top three. Brandon Jones is off to a promising start with the Dolphins after being a fifth-round pick in 2020.

Worth noting:

Swain had played four seasons with Minnesota before he joined the Dolphins in 1985 for the first of two stints. He played six games in 1985 and one game (which he started) in 1987 when he wore 40. ... Frankie Smith went on to play five more NFL seasons after playing 29 games with four starts in three seasons with Miami, the first of which came with him wearing 28. ... Goodman played three seasons with the Dolphins, but he wore 29 only in 2006 when he started 14 games but had no interceptions. ... Daniels also played three seasons with Miami, but like Goodman he wore 29 only one year. That was in 2007 when he started five games and had one interception. ... Jonas Gray played six games with Miami in 2015 after first being on the roster in 2012 and after coming back from a stint in New England that included a 200-yard rushing performance. ... Foster, of course, was a four-time Pro Bowl selection, who retired after playing four games with the Dolphins in 2016 because of continuing injury problems. ... Nate Allen joined the Dolphins after starting 76 games for the Eagles and Raiders, and started the first seven games of the 2017 season before a calf injury landed him on IR and ended his NFL career.

The top three Dolphins players with number 29

1. CB Sam Madison

2. S Liffort Hobley

3. S Tyrone Culver

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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.