Michael Dieter has good company with Dolphins number 63
By Brian Miller
The Miami Dolphins have given third-round draft pick Michael Dieter the number 63 and some previous players have worn it well.
For now, Miami Dolphins guard/tackle rookie, Michael Dieter, will wear number 63. As we well know, players can change their numbers before the start of the season or before the start of the next one. For now, it’s 63 and it has been worn pretty well in the past.
The history of 63 begins way back in 1966’s inaugural season when the Billy Neighbors wore the number for the first four seasons of Miami Dolphins football. From 1970 to 1978 the number remained unused until Mark Dennard joined the Dolphins.
Dennard played for the Dolphins from 1978 to 1983 doing a good job handling his line duties. Dennard would wear the number well until leaving Miami. After bouncing between a couple of one and done players, 63 found itself on the back and front of Jeff Uhlenhake‘s jersey.
Uhlenhake did a solid job with his time in Miami as well. He played from 1989 – 1993. The center would play another four NFL seasons after leaving Miami and made a cameo in the movie Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.
The only other positive player to wear 63 was Mark Dixon who wore it from 1998 – 2003. A few other players wore the uniform off and on with mostly one year stays in Miami. The last time, however, wasn’t a great outing for 63.
In 2014 the Dolphins assigned the number to Dallas Thomas who spent three seasons wearing 63 before Adam Gase released him a few weeks into the 2016 season. Thomas was not good in Miami. In fact, Thomas left Miami in 2016 and has not been in the NFL since.
Now it is Michael Dieter’s turn to wear the 63 and make his own history with the number. How will he do? That depends on him and only time will tell.