Number 95 and the Three Dolphins Who Wore It Best

We're now 95 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

Alain Poupart | Jun 5, 2022

Steve Mitchell-USA Today Sports

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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 95.

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

NT T.J. Turner (1986-92), DT Tim Bowens (1994-2004), Dan Wilkinson (2006), DT Chase Page (2007), NT Jason Ferguson (2008-09), DT Lionel Dotson (2010), DT Chris Baker (2010), DT Igor Olshansky (2011), DE Dion Jordan (2013-14), DE William Hayes (2017-18), DE Tank Carradine (2019), DT John Jenkins (2019), DT Benito Jones (2020)

The best with 95

This is the second slam dunk as far as a top choice because Tim Bowens was an elite run stuffer for a decade for the Dolphins. Zach Thomas often credited Bowens' ability to occupy defenders as a key to his ability to make so many plays at linebacker. Bowens made the Pro Bowl twice, but he probably was deserving of more accolades. Jason Ferguson was a similar player to Bowens, a big no-nonsense run-stuffing lineman who did the dirty work, and his contribution to the 2008 AFC East title team shouldn't be overlooked. Ferguson missed the final seven games of the 2009 season because of a knee injury and announced his retirement the following July, four months after he was suspended for the first eight games of 2010 for violating the league policy regarding performance-enhancing drugs. William Hayes was very good as a backup after joining the Dolphins in 2017, but his two seasons in Miami were cut short by knee injuries. The first player to wear 95 for the Dolphins in a regular season game was T.J. Turner, who started 83 games but mostly for a struggling defense. He did start 12 games in 1990 when the defense had a resurgence that help the team finish 12-4.

Worth noting

Dan Wilkinson's one season with the Dolphins came at the end of a 13-year career that began as the No. 1 overall pick (Cincinnati) in the 1994 NFL draft. ... We'd be remiss not to mention Dion Jordan, who had as many suspensions (3) as sacks during his time with the Dolphins. Jordan played last season with the Raiders but currently is a free agent. ... Turner passed away in Texas in 2009 at the age of 46, the same year former number 96 Alfred Oglesby died, also in Texas.

The top three Dolphins players with number 95

1. Tim Bowens

2. T.J. Turner

3. Jason Ferguson

Published Jun 5, 2022

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.