Number 36 and the Three Dolphins Who Wore It Best

We're now 36 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

Steve Mitchell-USA Today Sports

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 36.

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

Players who wore 36 for at least one regular season game:

TE Preston Carpenter (1967), FB Don Nottingham (1973-76), RB Steve Howell (1979-81), FB Tom Brown (1979-81), CB Stephen Braggs (1992-93), FB Stanley Pritchett (1996-99), FB Darian Barnes (2005-06), FB Lousaka Polite (2008-10), S Tyrone Culver (2010), DB Don Jones (2013), T.J. Heath (2014), CB Tony Lippett (2015-17), CB Jalen Davis (2018), S Doug Middleton (2019), S Adrian Colbert (2019), S Nate Holley (2020), S Will Parks (2021)

The breakdown of 36 with the Dolphins

As was the case with 37, we have three players whose contributions were similar, and in this case all were fullbacks. Don Nottingham was acquired from the Baltimore Colts in a trade in 1973 and he scored 20 rushing touchdowns the next two years. Nottingham, who played 67 games with 25 starts for Miami, had his best season in 1975 when he rushed for 719 yards and 12 touchdowns. Stanley Pritchett was a fourth-round pick in 1996 who played 52 games with 40 starts in four seasons with the Dolphins. Pritchett had seasons of 33 and 43 catches, and scored on a 74-yard touchdown reception in his third NFL game. Polite joined the Dolphins after playing four seasons with the Cowboys and Bears, and started 24 of the 43 games he played for Miami. Polite was mostly a lead blocker, but he also contribute as a short-yardage runner.

Worth noting:

Carpenter had been an 11-year starter in the NFL when he joined the Dolphins in 1967. He played in 13 games with one start for Miami and had 10 catches for 127 yards. ... Howell was a fourth-round pick in 1979 and he started 10 games over three seasons. His best season was in 1980 when  he rushed for 206 yards. ... Braggs played 17 games in two seasons with Miami, including six in 1992 when he was waived and re-signed three times. ... Barnes' 25 games for Miami represented the highest total among his seven teams during his seven-year NFL career. ... Culver played five seasons with Miami, but wore 29 for the first four before switching to 36 in 2012. ... Lippett was a fifth-round pick who started 13 games in his second NFL season and led the Dolphins in interceptions with four, including two in a victory at San Diego.

The top three Dolphins players with number 36

1. FB Don Nottingham

2. FB Stanley Pritchett

3. FB Lousaka Polite