Miami Dolphins: Bringing The Old School To The New

Listening to my iPod on the way to the gym, I can’t help but notice how many old school joints are being used today.  Mixing old school tracks with new school lyrics usually provides music to my ears.  What we have seen during our recent Organized Team Activities, is kinda the same thing…DJ Joe Philbin is working his magic on a remix.

Sometimes mixing a little old school methodology with new school programs provides exceptional results.  That is why we need to give credit to the head coach on how he has engaged the Miami Dolphins fraternity on tutoring and coaching our existing players.  Jason Taylor, Sam Madison and Dan Marino have all attended our OTA’s to share their real life game experience to our current roster.

If I could give the Dolphins players some advice it would be to become a sponge.  Absorb as much information from these players and learn everything you can.  It was great to see each of these mentors focus on the development of key players on our team.

Jason Taylor and Dion Jordan:

You couldn’t ask for a better role model for Dion Jordan than a player that many thought was the second coming of Jason Taylor.  Taylor recently tweeted the following statement about Dion Jordan:

"“Dion’s bigger than me, more athletic than I am, and he’s going to be stronger…He’s so willing to learn”"

That is exactly what you want to hear from Taylor.  Recent reports from multiple sites state the Dion Jordan has added around 15lbs of muscle to his frame, and is starting to grasp and understand his technique as a defensive lineman.  Jordan has even been working on a patent move that will get him into the backfield quicker.

Dan Mario and Ryan Tannehill:

We all know what Dan Marino has accomplished.  Just saying his name brings a sense of respect to any field he steps on.  Marino has seen it all during his tenure with the Dolphins, pain, success, and more importantly the struggle to win. Ryan Tannehill is in the thick of it right now.  Going into his third year many believe this is the make or break year for the former first round pick.  Tannehill has all the tools around him to succeed, but sometime that is not enough.  Having a mentor like Marino will allow him to lean on real life experiences, which is something that can never be taught in a class room.

Jamar Taylor, Will Davis and Sam Madison:

When Louis Oliver left our Dolphins, Sam Madison became my favorite Miami Dolphins. I loved his game.  Watching his technique, aggressiveness, leadership, is something that just rubs off on you.  He is a player that commands respect in the huddle and his willingness to fight for his team makes you want to play – faster, stronger and harder.  Jamar Taylor and Will Davis are two young players that need to learn how to play in the NFL.  They came in similar to how Madison did second round and third round selections to Madison’s second, and now must prove they belong.  Working with Madison on how to take their skills to the next level is exactly what they both need.

Coaches can draw up plays, tell you where you are supposed to be and teach you the fundamentals of the game, however, learning from a player that has been in the trenches, knows what it is like to fight in the fourth quarter, and adapt to how other players are playing is real life experiences that these former players are passing along to a new generation.  If that type of knowledge is being transferred to the Miami Dolphins draft class …well, that is just music to our ears!