Miami Dolphins At 50: Top 10 OLs

Mandatory Credit: MiamiDolphins.com.

No. 2 – Dwight Stephenson

When Paul “Bear” Bryant says you’re the best player he’s ever coached, that makes you one of the best football players ever.

Dwight Stephenson is arguably the best center to ever play the game. His time in the NFL and with the Dolphins is considerably shorter than that of many on this list. But his dominance was unmatched.

He played in 114 games and started in 86, but Stephenson didn’t jump right into the fray. He spent his rookie season as a special teamer and started in five of 16 contests in his sophomore campaign.

However, he would earn the starting center spot in 1982 and the results were grand. The Dolphins rushing attack would shoot up to third-best in the league while the line would also allow a league low 11 sacks. Despite these huge improvements, Stephenson didn’t garner a Pro Bowl selection. But for the remainder of his career, he would earn a spot at the all-star contest.

Stephenson changed the way the position was played. In 1984, he became the first player to touch the football on almost every play.

During his eight-year career, the Dolphins went three consecutive seasons with the lowest sack total, he helped guide the team to nearly three Super Bowl appearances, and received 29 first team (and one second team) honors via multiple publications.

But Stephenson wasn’t done there. He also won the 1985 Walter Payton Man of the Year award, received four First Team All-Pro accolades, was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s First Team All-1980s squad, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998.

Stephenson was an innovator, a dominant player, and considered to be the finest to ever play the game. So then who could possibly outrank him on this list?