Number 40 and the Three Dolphins Who Wore It Best

We're now 40 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

Winslow Townson-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 40.

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

Players who wore 40 for at least one regular season game:

WR Bo Roberson (1966), S Dick Anderson (1968-77), S Mike Kozlowski (1981-86), CB John Swain (1987), RB Irving Spikes (1994-96), Ray Green (2001-02), Sean McDermott (2003), S Donovin Darius (2007), S Jonathon Amaya (2010), Charles Alexander (2011), Anderson Russell (2012), FB Tyler Clutts (2013), CB Lowell Rose (2014). CB Lafayette Pitts (2016), CB Nik Needham (2019-21)

The breakdown of 40 with the Dolphins

There's not much debate at number 40, with safety Dick Anderson a clear-cut choice at the top and Mike Kozlowski, Irving Spikes and Nik Needham the others in the conversation. Anderson joined the Dolphins in 1968 as a third-round pick out of Colorado and was an immediate hit, recording eight interceptions with an AFL-best 230 interception return yards as a rookie in 1968. Anderson had eight picks again in 1970 and 1973 and in that '73 season he was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He had perhaps the greatest regular season defensive performance in a Monday night game against Pittsburgh in 1973 when he had four picks, including two he returned for touchdowns. Kozlowski was mostly a backup in his seven seasons with the Dolphins, the last six coming when he was wearing 40 after first donning the number 37. Kozlowski tied Anderson't team record of two interception returns for touchdowns in a game when he did it against the Jets in 1983. Spikes made the team as a rookie free agent in 1994 and rushed for 312 yards in his first season and 316 yards in his third before he switched to 35 in his final NFL season in 1997. Nik Needham has become a quality slot corner after first making the team in 2019 as an undrafted free agent.

Worth noting:

Roberson joined the Dolphins in 1966 through the expansion draft and had 26 catches for 519 yards (20.2 average) and two touchdowns in 11 games, seven of them starts. ... Swain had two brief stints with the Dolphins, playing six games wearing 29 in 1985 and playing one game wearing 40 in 1987. ... Sean McDermott played five games as a long-snapper in 2003 and, no, he's not the current Buffalo Bills head coach of the same name. ... Donovin Darius joined the Dolphins after being a nine-year starter for Jacksonville, but he was sidelined by a calf injury after three games and ended up retiring. ... Amaya played 10 games for the Dolphins in 2010 before he was involved in the 2011 trade that brought Reggie Bush to Miami from New Orleans. Amaya was back in Miami in 2012, but wearing number 29 this time.

The top three Dolphins players with number 40

1. S Dick Anderson

2. S Mike Kozlowski

3. CB Nik Needham