Number 54 and the Three Dolphins Who Wore It Best

We're now 54 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
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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 54.

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.

Players who wore 54 for at least one regular season game:

LB Wahoo McDaniel (1966-68), LB Dale McCullers (1969), LB Ted Davis (1970), T Howard Kindig (1972), LB Ralph Ortega (1979-80), LB Steve Potter (1981-82), LB Rodell Thomas (1983-84), LB Alex Moyer (1985-86), LB Johnny Taylor (1986), LB Steve Lubischer (1987), LB Larry Kolic (1987-88), LB E.J. Junior (1989-91), LB Chuck Bullough (1993-94), LB Zach Thomas (1996-2007)

The breakdown of 54 with the Dolphins

This is another number where there is no debate when it comes to the top player. Actually, there's a reason no Dolphins player has been assigned number 54 since it was last worn by Zach Thomas in 2007. Zach Thomas IS number 54. We don't really need to list all the reasons; instead, you can just check out this appreciation story we did a while back. Now, the debate for second and third among those who wore 54 for the Dolphins is a good one. Wahoo McDaniel may be known to a lot of people as a professional wrestler, but that came after a nine-year football career that ended with his three seasons with the Dolphins. McDaniel started 22 of the 30 games he played for Miami. ... E.J. Junior joined the Dolphins as a Plan B free agent (remember that?) after spending eight seasons with the Cardinals, who had made him a first-round pick in 1981. Junior started 12 games in a forgettable first season in Miami, but had six and five sacks, respectively, the next two years working as a pass-rushing specialist.

RELATED: Hall of Fame Advocating for Zach

Worth noting

McCullers played all 14 games as a backup for the Dolphins in 1969, but he was waived the following August and never played pro football again. ... Davis started six of the 14 games he played in 1970 when he helped the Dolphins make the playoffs for the first time. ... After being acquired in a trade with the Bills, Kindig appeared as a backup in all 14 games and all three playoff games in the 1972 perfect season. ... Cuba native Ortega started six games for the Dolphins in 1980, his last of six NFL seasons. ... Alex Moyer was a Dolphins third-round pick in 1985 whose career was derailed after 13 games over two seasons because of injuries.

The top three Dolphins players with number 54

1. LB Zach Thomas

2. LB Wahoo McDaniel

3. LB E.J. Junior


Published
Alain Poupart
ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of All Dolphins and co-host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press, the Dolphins team website, and the Fan Nation Network (part of Sports Illustrated). In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.