Number 52 and the Three Dolphins Who Wore It Best

We're now 52 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 52.

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

Players who wore 52 for at least one regular season game:

C Mike Hudock (1966), LB-K Jimmy Keyes (1968-69), LB Larry Ball (1977-78), DE Mel Land (1979), LB Steve Shull (1981-82), LB Emmett Tilley (1983), LB Terry Tautolo (1983), LB Sanders Shiver (1984), LB Robin Sendlein (1985), LB Scott Nicolas (1987), LB Dennis Fowlkes (1987), LB Mike Reichenbach (1990-91), LB Roosevelt Collins (1992), LB Brant Boyer (1994), LB Jeff Kopp (1995), LB Robert Jones (1998-2000), LB Morlon Greenwood (2001-04), LB Channing Crowder (2005-10), LB Mike Rivera (2012), LB Philip Wheeler (2013-14), LB Kelvin Sheppard (2015), DT Chris Jones (2016), LB Raekwon McMillan (2018-19); LB Elandon Roberts (2021)

The breakdown of 52 with the Dolphins

We have arrived at another number without a clear-cut choice as the best to wear while playing for the Dolphins. There are several candidates for the top three spots, however. Robert Jones was a three-year starter after arriving as a free agent in 1998 and was particularly impressive in that first season when he finished with five sacks and two interceptions. Morlon Greenwood was a four-year starter after arriving as a second-round pick in 2003 and made a lot of tackles, including 108 in his final season with the team, though he never was an impact player. Channing Crowder also was a third-round pick and he started 74 of the 82 games he played for the Dolphins. He had a career-high 113 tackles in 2008 when Miami won the AFC East title and, of course, had a memorable game-clinching interception against Tom Brady in 2009. McMillan was a disappointment as a former second-round pick before he was traded to the Raiders two summers ago. Roberts had a solid 2021 season wearing 52 after switching from 44.

Worth noting:

Keyes was 7-for-16 on field goals attempts during the 1968 season. ... Ball wore 52 in 1977 and 1978 after wearing 51 during his first, three-year stint (1972-74) with the Dolphins. ... Shull played in all 41 games from 1980-82 and served as a captain for Super Bowl XVII before his career ended because of a knee injury. ... Tautolo joined the Dolphins as an eight-year veteran in 1983 and appeared in nine games. ... Shiver arrived in 1984 after playing in 112 games with 50 starts in eight seasons with the Colts; he played in 20 games with three starts for Miami. ... Sendlein, who came to Miami in the trade that sent USFL star WR Anthony Carter to Minnesota, was followed into the NFL by his son Lyle, who had a nine-year career as an offensive lineman for the Cardinals. ... Boyer played 14 games in 1993 after being a sixth-round pick but went on to play nine more seasons with the Jaguars and Browns and is now the special teams coordinator for the New York Jets.

The top three Dolphins players with number 52

1. LB Channing Crowder

2. LB Robert Jones

3. LB Morlon Greenwood