The Miami Dolphins Hall of Shame: 5 initial inductees
There is a ton of optimism around the current regime in Miami, but fans who have been supporting the team for the last few decades have endured plenty of disappointments. We’re going to look at a few players and situations that broke our hearts.
Training camp is almost upon us and we’re going to be hit with a non-stop Dolphins news cycle for the next six months (thank god). For today, let’s turn back the clocks and do some collective healing as a fan base.
Note: This is just meant to be a fun piece. The individuals we’ll be talking about today reached the absolute pinnacle of their profession-the NFL. They all accomplished amazing things before coming to Miami, and ultimately let us down. Several of them also went on to redeem themselves elsewhere. If there is one thing that I believe wholeheartedly, it’s that we all deserve a second chances-and the same applies to professional athletes, coaches, and executives.
What follows are the first five inductees into the Miami Dolphins Hall of Shame…
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 25: Dion Jordan (R) of the Oregon Ducks stands with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell as they hold up a jersey on stage after he was picked #3 overall by the Miami Dolphins in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall on April 25, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
#5 Dion Jordan
We all remember the excitement around Dion Jordan when he was drafted. He was seen as a hybrid linebacker that could rush the passer, but also fall into coverage and run with receivers. At the time, experts predicted that the NFL was going to favor more of this hybrid players-and they were correct.
Jordan’s impressive combine was one of the things driving his hype. People were right to be excited, he was an absolute freak.
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 248 lbs
Wing: 82″
40 yd: 4.6
Shuttle: 4.35
3-cone: 7.02
Vert: 32.5″
He hadn’t been a terribly productive pass rusher in college, but the prevailing idea was that it could be coached out of him. The Miami Dolphins would decide to trade their #12 overall selection along with #42 to swap spots with Oakland and take Jordan at #3 overall.
His time in Miami
Jordan would appear in all 16 games of his rookie season, tallying 2 sacks and 5 QB hits. That rookie year wasn’t terrible but was a bit underwhelming for a third overall pick. The following season is when Jordan’s troubles began. He was suspended for two separate violations of the substance abuse policy, missing a total of six games from his 2014 sophomore campaign. He would then be suspended for the entire 2015 season for a third failed drug test.
With that suspension, Jordan had played his last snap in a Dolphins uniform. 552 snaps and very little production from a player that you traded into the top-5 to acquire.
Where is he now?
Jordan is still attempting to reinvigorate his pro career. He has bounced around a few places the past couple of years from Seattle to San Francisco. He had some success with Seattle back in 2017 (racking up 4 sacks in the final five games of the season), but wasn’t able to follow that up. He’s currently a roster bubble player and unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like Jordan will ever live up to his massive potential.
What lesson can be learned?
This answer is twofold for me. First, never be too confident in your evaluation. They didn’t give up too much to get to three, but that second-round pick still has a ton of value. Some players selected after #42 in 2013: Kawann Short (44), Travis Kelce (63), Larry Warford (65), Tyrann Mathieu (69), Terron Armstead (75), Keenan Allen (76). Dion Jordan had promise, but he was far from a sure thing. Moving up to get him added pressure to Jordan and the franchise to get results fast-not a good situation for a player who still needed a ton of development.
Lastly, character vetting is just as important in the draft process as anything else. If you’re moving up to get a player top-5, you had better know they can handle the pressure and if you need to hold his hand initially-do it! Protect your investment.