Number 41 and the Three Dolphins Who Wore It Best

Keith Byars stands out with Thanksgiving Day heroics and pass catching

Miami Dolphins running back Keith Byars (41) scores a touchdown against the New York Jets in 1994. / RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports

The countdown to the start of the 2024 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 41.

The top players at each number so far have been Jason Taylor at 99, Jared Odrick at 98, Phillip Merling at 97, Paul Soliai at 96, Tim Bowens at 95, Randy Starks at 94,  Trace Armstrong at 93, John Denney at 92, Cameron Wake at 91, Marco Coleman at 90,  Nat Moore at 89, Keith Jackson at 88, Andre Tillman at 87, Oronde Gadsden at 86, Nick Buoniconti at 85, Bill Stanfill at 84, Mark Clayton at 83, Brian Hartline at 82, O.J. McDuffie at 81, Irving Fryar at 80, Jon Giesler at 79, Richmond Webb at 78, A.J. Duhe at 77, Branden Albert at 76, Manny Fernandez at 75, Mark Dennis at 74, Bob Baumhower at 73, Terron Armstead at 72, Todd Wade at 71, Kendall Langford at 70, Keith Sims at 69, Robert Hunt at 68, Bob Kuechenberg at 67, Larry Little at 66, Jeff Dellenbach at 65, Ed Newman at 64, Mark Dixon at 63, Jim Langer at 62, Tim Ruddy at 61, Bert Weidner at 60, Doug Swift at 59, Kim Bokamper at 58, Dwight Stephenson at 57, John Offerdahl at 56, Earnest Rhone at 55, Zach Thomas at 54, Bob Matheson at 53, Channing Crowder at 52, Bryan Cox at 51, Larry Gordon at 50, William Judson at 49, Gerald Small at 48, Glenn Blackwood at 47, Don Bessilieu at 46, Curtis Johnson at 45, Paul Lankford at 44, Andrew Van Ginkel at 43, and Paul Warfield at 42.

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.

Players who wore 41 for at least one regular season game:

Willie Pearson (1969), CB Jeris White (1974-76), CB Norris Thomas (1977-79), KR Fulton Walker (1981-85), RB Mark Konecny (1987), DB Afrian Grant (1990), FB Keith Byars (1993-96), S Scott McGarrahan (2001), CB Joey Thomas (2008), DB Evan Oglesby (2009-10), FB Jorvorskie Lane (2012), CB Chris Owens (2013), CB R.J. Stanford (2014), CB Byron Maxwell (2016-17); DB Montre Hartage (2019), LB Channing Tindall (2022-23)

The breakdown of 41 with the Dolphins

Jeris White was a second-round pick in 1974, but he didn't become a full-time starter until 1976 when he had two interceptions and he was traded to Tampa Bay the following offseason. Like White, Norris Thomas' stay in Miami ended with a trade to Tampa Bay, but Thomas had more success with the Dolphins as he played in 46 games with 42 starts and had seven interceptions. He had three picks and three fumble recoveries in 1977. Fulton Walker is well known to Dolphins fans for his kickoff return for a touchdown against Washington in Super Bowl XVII. He spent four-plus seasons as the team's primary kickoff returner and led the NFL with a 26.7 average in 1983. Fullback Keith Byars arrived as a free agent in 1993 and made the Pro Bowl in his first season with the team in a season highlighted by his 77-yard touchdown run in the snow at Dallas on Thanksgiving Day. In three-plus seasons with Miami, he was a key part of the passing game, with 166 receptions out of the backfield. R.J. Stanford played 34 games as a backup cornerback for the Dolphins in two-plus seasons. Byron Maxwell played a big role in the Dolphins' playoff run of 2016 after arriving in a trade with Philadelphia as he started 13 games and had two interceptions and four forced fumbles. Channing Tindall, who switched from 51 to 41 before the start of his rookie season, is still looking to make his mark in the NFL.

The top three Dolphins players with number 41

1. FB Keith Byars

2. CB Norris Thomas

3. KOR Fulton Walker

Dolphins 41's among the NFL's all-time best

There are no Hall of Famers who mostly wore 41, but Byars ranks in the top 10 based on Pro Football Reference's Approximately Value rankings, where he's eighth at that number. It should be noted that Byars' 13 NFL seasons including only three-plus with Miami.