Miami Dolphins At 50: Kickers and Punters
By Dan Heaning
Mandatory Credit: MiamiDolphins.com.
Punters
No. 2 – Reggie Roby
At 6’3 and 249lbs, Reggie Roby was built like a linebacker. In fact, one would not think Roby was on the field to kick the ball away but he would do so perhaps better than anyone before him.
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Widely considered to be one of the best punters, if not the best punter, in the history of the game his stats say it all. Roby averaged no less than 42 yards per punt in every one of his seasons in Miami with the exception of his final campaign.
He’s third in franchise history in total punts (555), punt yardage (24,036), and is tied with Turk for the longest punt in team history with a 77-yard kick in 1987.
Roby was named to the Pro Bowl three times (twice as a Dolphin) and received numerous accolades. He was awarded 16 first and second team all league and conference honors during his time in Miami. He earned five more elsewhere to bring his career total to 21.
Roby was also named to the the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s All-1980s second team. He has yet to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, but the door may be open for him to finally make the Hall some day.
Roby passed away in February 2005 at 43 years old, seven years after he left the game of football, due to unknown causes.
Kickers
No. 2 – Pete Stoyanovich
Pete Stoyanovich is one of the most accurate kickers the Miami Dolphins ever had and all it cost to get him was an eighth round pick in the 1989 NFL Draft.
During his seven-year stay in Miami, Stoyanovich only had one season with a field goal percentage under 75. In his rookie campaign, he made 73.1 percent of his attempts. He would not hit a lower total until his first season with the Kansas City Chiefs (70.8 percent) in 1996.
Stoyanovich is third all-time in scoring (774) and has the third, fourth, and fifth best scoring seasons in Dolphins history.
Shockingly, Stoyanovich never made a Pro Bowl and only received All-Pro honors once. Though he did receive eight all league and conference accolades through various publications for his work from 1990 to 1992.
His 79.3 career field goal percentage as a Dolphin ranks him third all-time while his 176 field goals made ranks him second. He also holds the record for the longest field goal in a playoff game thanks to his 58-yarder against Kansas City in the 1991 Wild Card round.