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Miami Dolphins receive the Paul Tagliabue Award for diversity

By Brian Miller

DAVIE, FL - FEBRUARY 04: (L-R) Bruce Beal Vice Chairman, Stephen Ross Chairman & Owner, Brian Flores Head Coach, Chris Grier General Manager, and Tom Garfinkel Vice Chairman and CEO of the Miami Dolphins, pose as the Miami Dolphins announce Brian Flores as their new Head Coach at Baptist Health Training Facility at Nova Southern University on February 4, 2019 in Davie, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
DAVIE, FL - FEBRUARY 04: (L-R) Bruce Beal Vice Chairman, Stephen Ross Chairman & Owner, Brian Flores Head Coach, Chris Grier General Manager, and Tom Garfinkel Vice Chairman and CEO of the Miami Dolphins, pose as the Miami Dolphins announce Brian Flores as their new Head Coach at Baptist Health Training Facility at Nova Southern University on February 4, 2019 in Davie, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /
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The Miami Dolphins are shaping and reshaping their legacy on the field but off the field, they remain one of the most committed franchises when it comes to diversity.

Today, Miami Dolphins’ owner Stephen Ross and his team were awarded the Paul Tagliabue Award for diversity. The Dolphins have been at the forefront recently in the hiring of minority leadership within their organization.

Rod Graves, the executive director of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, spoke about why the Dolphins received this award calling the Dolphins “the model franchise”.

"“No question they are the model franchise for the National Football League. I think it’s clear that the organization embraces diversity based on what we believe are strong, what I call modern-day principles of success.”"

The Dolphins are one of only two NFL teams that have a minority general manager. They are also only one of four teams with a minority head coach. Stephen Ross however never looked at the hires as being minority hires. Both Brian Flores and Chris Grier have proven they are more than qualified to lead an NFL franchise. It does not, however, keep them out from under the microscope.

Grier and Flores imploded the team last year as they work to rebuild the franchise from top to bottom on the field. This off-season they will start to assemble that vision with the start of free agency and then the draft in April.

Their vision is what drives the franchise to either success or failure and no one is going to care about their nationality, the color of their skin, or anything else if they fail. Fans want a winner and Flores proved last year that winning is the most important thing to him. He easily could have laid down all season for the rights to the top draft pick. He did not and in the process was heralded around league circles for winning with a roster that seemed more practice squad quality.

Regardless of the success on the field or lack thereof last year, it is great to see the Dolphins continue to be a model in the NFL. Their off-field community commitments are bar none the best in the league. Stephen Ross created RISE as an initiative to further tear down barriers of race. Congratulations to them all for being one of the best class acts in all of pro sports.

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