Wearing 29
During the Dolphins Organized Team Activities you can’t help but notice that Minkah Fitzpatrick is dawning the 29 jersey. That jersey was last worn by a player that was a pillar to the Miami Dolphins; Sam Madison. With that commitment, is Minkah ready to emerge from his shadow?
Unfortunately, I wasn’t alive the last time the Dolphins won a Super Bowl. I was barely walking when Dan Marino led the Dolphins to their last Super Bowl appearance, so I honestly don’t know or haven’t felt that experience of the Dolphins being a serious contender. Growing up watching and playing football, was what my childhood was all about. There wasn’t a Sunday afternoon where I wasn’t playing or watching the pigskin getting thrown around. As I grew up, my favorite player was Sam Madison. He was the voice of the secondary and fierce competitor. He was paired with Patrick Surtain and the two of them were best cornerback tandem in the league. During their time together (Madison and Surtain) shut down opposing teams making their pairing one of the most productive cornerback tandems in NFL History (697 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 60 interceptions and 2 touchdowns).
The swagger of Madison was what made his performance on the field that much better. He was a competitor that backed up his loud mouth with actual performance – something that can’t be said for all outspoken players. He was the Dolphins version of Richard Sherman. In actuality, during that time, the Dolphins had their own version of the Legion of Boom, as Sam Madison, Patrick Surtain, Brock Marion and Sammy Knight were just as good as Seattle’s definition, but that’s a discussion for another day.
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Minkah Fitzpatrick was just drafted 11th overall by the Miami Dolphins in the 2018 draft. Lofty expectations are labelled to this 21-year-old Free Safety. His style of play is fluid and similar to Madison, but without the loud mouth. When Minkah put on a Dolphins jersey, the number on the back and front was 29.
So do you automatically start thinking about comparing the two? Minkah wore 29 in University so it makes sense that he would want to continue that trend. Minkah is not going to be playing the same position as Madison, as Madison was a cornerback and Minkah will be at safety and potentially nickel hybrid cornerback. Retrospectively these two players are almost opposites when it comes to their personalities. On the field, you can’t help but notice their similarities. Fluid hip movements, shadowing that is unimageable, ball instincts (reactive and adjustments) and desire to win.
Minkah is inline for a monster year. The last time a Dolphins defensive player won Rookie of the Year was Tim Bowens back in 1994. In reviewing all the dominate players that have worn a Dolphins jersey, it’s hard to imagine that a player has not achieved that success in the past 24 years.
Minkah will start day 1, anytime you draft a player 11th overall or higher (excluding Dion Jordan) they must make an immediate impact. Based on his OTA play, you can’t help but be excited for the passion and knowledge he will bring. Anything less than winning the Rookie of Year award should be considered a minor disappointment.
Dolphins fans haven’t seen what Fitz can do when the pads come on, let alone line up on Sunday. However, his first decision to wear a number like 29, has caught the eyes of many long-time fans. First impression means a lot, and if Fitz fits the 29 jersey we could potentially see something special, something that this kid hasn’t experienced in a long time.