Ranking the Miami Dolphins Hall of Fame members

MIAMI GARDENS, FL - DECEMBER 21: Miami Dolphins greats (L to R) Dan Marino Don Shula and Larry Csonka are shown on the field before the Dolphins met the Minnesota Vikings in a game at Sun Life Stadium on December 21, 2014 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images)
MIAMI GARDENS, FL - DECEMBER 21: Miami Dolphins greats (L to R) Dan Marino Don Shula and Larry Csonka are shown on the field before the Dolphins met the Minnesota Vikings in a game at Sun Life Stadium on December 21, 2014 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images) /
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Don Shula statue commerating the 1972 perfect season Super Bowl win – Image by Brian Miller
Don Shula statue commerating the 1972 perfect season Super Bowl win – Image by Brian Miller /

Number 2:  Dan Marino – 1983 – 1999

Dan Marino. Enough said. Seriously the best pure passing quarterback the league may have ever seen. Marino was a quarterback ahead of his time, shackled by rules that put too much emphasis on defensive players. He played in a time when it was o.k. to hit the quarterback and there were no pass interference calls on every attempt.

Marino is still the face of the franchise but no matter what he does, he can’t take over the top spot.

Number 1: Don Shula

You can make an argument that Marino should be here because he was a player not a coach but without Shula, Marino may have played somewhere else. Shula was multi-generational. He adapted his team to the ever-changing landscape of the NFL. From ball control to pass happy, Shula did it all.

The only coach to take a team to a perfect season and the first to go to three consecutive Super Bowls. Winning two of them. In total Shula coached in six of the big games. One with the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III and in the mid-80’s with David Woodley and Dan Marino.

How would you have ranked these exceptional athletes?