Number 59 and the Three Dolphins Who Wore It Best

We're now 59 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

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 59.

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 59 for at least one regular season game for the Dolphins:

LB Jack Thornton (1966), LB Doug Swift (1970-75), LB Guy Roberts (1977), LB Steve Shull (1980), LB Bob Brudzinski (1981-89), LB John Grimsley (1992-93), LB DeWayne Dotson (1995), LB Derrick Rodgers (1997-2002), LB Billy Strother (2004), LB Donnie Spragan (2004-06), LB Derek Smith (2008), LB J.D. Folsom (2009), LB Ikaika Alama-Francis (2010-11), LB Jonathan Freeny (2012), LB Dannell Ellerbe (2013-14), LB Chase Allen (2017-18), LB Jamal Davis II (2019)

The breakdown of 59 with the Dolphins

No Dolphins player has made the Pro Bowl wearing 59, but there have been some good linebackers who have worn that number. Doug Swift made the Dolphins roster as a rookie free agent in 1970 and went on to start 71 games, including all 42 during the three seasons that ended with the team going to the Super Bowl. Swift had three interceptions during the 1972 perfect season. Bob Brudzinski came to the Dolphins after they gave the Los Angeles Rams second- and third-round picks for his services and he started his first seven years in Miami. He was a key component of the Killer B's defense that helped Miami reach the Super Bowl in the 1982 season. John Grimsley when a five-year starter with Houston coming off a knee injury when he joined the Dolphins in a trade in 1992 and proceeded to start 20 games for Miami. Derrick Rodgers was a six-year starter for the Dolphins after arriving as a third-round pick out of Arizona State. He had five sacks as a rookie in 1997 and two interceptions in 2002 in his final season with Miami before leaving to join the Saints as a free agent.

Worth noting

Spragan was a part-time starter in his three seasons with the Dolphins. ... Derek Smith joined the Dolphins in December 2008 and appeared in one regular season game and one playoff game for Miami before ending his 12-year NFL career. ... Freeny played three seasons as mostly a special-teamer for the Dolphins, but his last two featured him wearing 56. ... Ellerbe had 101 tackles in 2013 after arriving as a free agent from Baltimore, but he sustained a hip injury in the 2014 opener and was traded to New Orleans the following offseason in the deal that brought Kenny Stills to Miami. ... Allen started four games as a rookie free agent in 2017, but a foot injury cut short his 2018 season and he hasn't played since.

The top three Dolphins players with number 59

1. LB Doug Swift

2. LB Bob Brudzinski

3. LB Derrick Rodgers

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Alain Poupart has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989. You can follow him on Twitter at @PoupartNFL.