The Miami Dolphins had a rich history of winning their division, winning playoff games, winning period. Someday, maybe that returns. The Dolphins also have a history that some would like to forget, despite everyone else getting a good laugh about it.
Training camp is in the rearview mirror, and the NFL season is about to start. All the questions will soon be answered.
Nothing says "suck" like the one year of Cam Cameron. Yes, the Dolphins were a comedy of errors that season, and two Hall of Fame players, Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor, have told the story of their initial impressions, which turned out to be true, regarding that head coach. Miami did indeed "suck" that year.
Miami Dolphins weirdest moment in franchise history came during training camp.
While that comedy of errors warrants consideration, we could also dive deeper into the 1972 team. It was during this time that Manny Fernandez put an alligator in Don Shula's shower at the training complex. Yep, that's pretty weird too, but it falls a bit short on our number one.
It was 1992, and the Dolphins were ramping up training camp. It was July, and under Shula, you didn't miss practices, and you were never late. Not without serious repercussions. In the third round of the 1990 draft, Miami selected defensive tackle Alfred Oglesby. The DT would start six games of 13 in his rookie season and all 12 the following year that he played in.
During the July camp, Oglesby missed practice. Knowing he would face the wrath of Shula, Oglesby told the team upon his return that he had been kidnapped. The DT was hoping to avoid punishment for missing practice. The story prompted the Dolphins to contact the police, who interviewed Oglesby about the kidnapping.
The story is even better. Oglesby not only missed practice but also missed curfew. He was reported missing by the great Richmond Webb, according to a Los Angeles Times report from 1992. Oglesby apparently borrowed Webb's car.
"Police searched for Oglesby Wednesday night and Thursday after teammate Richmond Webb reported him missing in Webb’s car. Officers found the 1990 BMW Thursday in a crime-ridden area of the city"LA Times
Oglesby left the hotel where the team was staying for camp, which was not allowed. He took Webb's car and fell asleep at a friend's house. When he awoke, the friend and the car were gone. Police would later find the vehicle in a bad section of South Florida.
Shula would eventually hand out a punishment to Oglesby, but he would only play in 6 games for the Dolphins that season. Miami moved on from him that season, and he finished the year with the Packers.