Just about every NFL team that shares a state with big-time college football programs has a large segment of the fanbase that roots for — and perhaps slightly overrates — the talent coming out of said schools. For the Miami Dolphins, this includes the University of Miami, the University of Florida, and Florida State University. Fans often want to see the team draft players from these schools, and it's easy to see why.
There is such an absurd volume of college football games every week during the season that there's no way to keep up with every team. A playmaker for your alma mater or the school nearest your hometown is naturally going to draw your eye. That familiarity is all it takes for someone to want to see the same player who helped their favorite college team do the same for their favorite NFL team.
History is littered with tales that illustrate both sides of the coin: hometown kid made good as well as local product unable to escape old habits, friends, or unhealthy family dynamics. While there's no direct correlation between winning and players in a familiar location, we at the Phin Phanatic unearthed an interesting trend that has emerged since the new regime took over.
The Miami Dolphins have an affinity for products of a certain state, and it's not Florida
The Dolphins currently have 93 players on their roster, including on reserve lists. Of these 93, a whopping 17 went to school in the state of Texas. As fate would have it, Florida schools don't even crack the top five. Behind the 17 Texas alumni, there are eight from Michigan, seven from California, seven from Kentucky, and finally four from Georgia schools. Only two players on the Dolphins' roster played their college football in the state of Florida.
To dig deeper, we collected the data on players' hometowns, and while things normalized a little bit, Florida-born players are still slightly underrepresented. Historically, each of Texas, Florida, and California has produced 10–12 percent of NFL players. In 2024, for example, about 10 percent of the players who made opening day rosters were born in Florida.
The Dolphins have 20 players who call the state of Texas home. At nearly 22% of their roster, that is a major outlier. Florida comes in at second with nine players, which is closer to the average, but it raises an interesting question.
Is it sheer happenstance? Possibly. Perhaps, though, general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and Co. have shied away from players who are familiar with the city and state for competitive reasons. There is something to be gleaned from taking a young athlete away from his old stomping grounds. Sometimes it leads to increased focus due to the lack of distractions.
The reality is that Florida is a hotbed of talent, not only in football but in every sport. There is no shortage of fantastic athletes in the state. What's more, a player from the area may bring just a one percent higher level of conviction when playing for their hometown team. It also presumably adds some juice to know your family and friends are watching from the stands every week.
Time will tell whether it's all just a coincidence. Regardless, fans just want to see the team win. It doesn't quite matter how the road is paved. This is a fanbase starving for a consistent winner. If Jon-Eric Sullivan is able to deliver a winner with players from the moon, so be it.
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