Number 49 and the Three Dolphins Who Wore It Best

It's been a long time since a major contributor wore this number

Miami Dolphins linebacker Sam Eguavoen is the last player to wear the number 49 in a regular season game for the team. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-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 49.

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, and Larry Gordon at 50.

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 49 for at least one regular season game:

CB Jimmy Warren (1966-69), DB Ray Jones (1971), DB Charlie Babb (1972-79), CB William Judson (1982-89), DB Marvell Burgess (1987), FB Tony Paige (1990-92), FB Robert Wilson (1994-96), LB DeWayne Dotson (1997), LB Zach Vigil (2015-16), LB Sam Eguavoen (2019-22)

The breakdown of 49 with the Dolphins

As we start the second half of the countdown, we found ourselves with several solid candidates for the top three players to wear 49 for the Dolphins. Cornerback Jimmy Warren came to the Dolphins in 1966 via the expansion draft and proceeded to lead the AFL in interception return yards that season with 198. He was selected to the AFL All-Star Game that season. Warren started for all four of his seasons with Miami and had nine interceptions over the first two years. Charlie Babb played eight seasons with the Dolphins and started 35 of 97 games, including every game in 1975 and 1976. He had a career-high four interceptions in 1975, three years after his punt block return helped the Dolphins defeat the Cleveland Browns in their first playoff game in 1972. William Judson arrived as an eighth-round pick in 1981 and spent his rookie season on IR and was a backup in 1982 before going on to start for the next seven seasons. Judson missed only two games after his rookie year and finished with 24 interceptions, including six in 1983 and four in 1984, 1985 and 1988. Tony Paige started 45 games at fullback in his three seasons and averaged 47 catches per season before going on to become a player agent.

The top three Dolphins players with number 49

1. CB William Judson

2. CB Jimmy Warren

3. FB Tony Paige

Dolphins 49's among the NFL's all-time best

The number 49 hasn't produced many memorable players, with Bobby Mitchell the only one with that number in the Hall of Fame. Despite never making the Pro Bowl, Judson actually is eighth on PRF's Approximate Value list among all NFL players to have worn 49.