Top-10 Miami Dolphins of All-Time

The Miami Dolphins were at one time one of the greatest football teams of all time, in the 70s; today, the Dolphins have issues winning in the playoffs. Don Shula was a legendary coach who went through his last two decades in coaching without winning a Super Bowl. Active players will not be eligible for this list.

Criteria

Stats, Championships, you know the usual way to pick a top ten list is what makes up the criteria here. Dan Marino never won a Super Bowl. Do you rank him as Number One? Scroll down and find out!

10) Dick Anderson

Dick intercepted 34 passes with 792 return yards and three touchdowns.  He also recovered 16 fumbles.

Scott was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1972, 1973, and 1974.  He was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1973, leading the league in interceptions with eight. Anderson seemed to always be in the right place at the right time. The no-name defense had many legends, and Anderson was one of those men.

Dick Anderson’s TD In Super Slo-Mo – 1971 AFC Championship – Colts at Dolphins – 1080p/60fps

9) Jake Scott

Scott started at both safety positions for 81 games while with Miami.  He intercepted 35 passes and recovered eight fumbles.  He also returned punts and kickoffs, leading the league in punt return yards in 1971 with 33 for 318.

Scott is integral to the Dolphins’ three-straight Super Bowl appearances and that 1972 undefeated season. Seemed like every time the Dolphins needed a big play, Scott was their to make that play. He had great instincts and was tough as nails.

Every Jake Scott Interception (Playoffs) | Jake Scott Highlights

8) Larry Csonka

Csonka started all 106 games in which he appeared at the fullback position for the Dolphins.  He was a brutal ball carrier who preferred to run through would-be tacklers instead of going around them and would often drag multiple defenders for several yards after initial contact.  He rushed 1,506 times for 6,737 yards and 53 TDs.  He also caught 91 passes for 688 yards and four TDs.

Csonka left for the WFL in the mid-70s and became a New York Giant. Csonka returned for one last ride with the Dolphins in 1979 and helped the Dolphins win an AFC East Championship. Where does Csonka rank on our list of the Greatest Running Backs of the 1970s!

Larry Csonka Highlights

7) Dwight Stephenson

With Stephenson as captain, the Dolphins’ offensive line gave up the fewest sacks in the NFL for a then-record six straight seasons, from 1982 to 1987.

Dwight made the Pro Bowl every year from 1983 to 1987, was the Walter Payton Man of the Year in 1985, and was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998. A case can be made that Stephenson was the greatest center in NFL history and with a longer career he may very well have been the greatest center and a top five Dolphin.

oline Dwight Stephenson

6) Jason Taylor

Taylor was selected for the Pro Bowl six times: 2000, 2002, and 2004-2007.  He is the all-time career leader in fumble recoveries for TD.  He was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2006 and the Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2007.

Taylor is in the hall of fame where he belongs, he was a dominant player who unfortunately was not on the greatest of teams. Jason Taylor teamed up with Zach Thomas to create a devastating one-two attack on defense.

Jason Taylor Highlights

5) Zach Thomas

Zach recorded 1,041 tackles and 598 assists. He also had 19.5 sacks, 17 interceptions for 170 yards, four touchdowns, 16 forced fumbles, and seven fumble recoveries.

Zach played in seven Pro Bowls, 1999-2003, 2005, and 2006. Thomas is sorely underrated but recently got his due at the Hall of Fame. He had great instincts, and if you wanted to find him, just look for the ball because he was always wherever the ball was.

The Zach Attack – Zach Thomas Career Highlights

4) Richmond Webb

Webb started 163 games for Miami at left tackle.  He was a physical beast, standing 6’6″ and weighing 325 pounds (before 300-pounders were common).

He made the Pro Bowl his first seven years in the league, 1990-1996. He was dominant and a Top Ten offensive Tackle of all time. He would have fit in great with the great Dolphins teams of the 1970s. His first seven years were as good as any lineman ever had. He was physically dominant but his athletic ability made him special.

Richmond Webb – Dolphins Great – talks NFL Career

3) Larry Little

Larry started 153 games for Miami at right guard.  In a long line of Dolphin offensive linemen enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he was inducted in 1993. Little was one of the most dominate Guards in NFL history, the only guard that was better was John Hannah.

Little was a huge part of the Dolphin’s Super Bowl season, as the Dolphin’s offensive line was why they had one of the greatest running games in NFL history. As a lineman, little was a quiet guy who was often overlooked, but he was an all-time great player at his position.

Perfection + 50: The Dolphins’ Larry Little

2) Bob Griese

Griese started 151 games at QB for the Dolphins.  He completed 1,926 passes on 3,429 attempts for 25,092 yards and 192 TD’s.  He played in eight Pro Bowls in 1967, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1977, and 1978.  In 1977, he led the league in passer efficiency with a rating of 87.8.

1979 may have been a break out season because he led the Dolphins to the playoffs by throwing the ball. The 1978 Dolphins vs Oilers Monday Night classic was another game that showed exactly how good Griese could be throwing the ball. Griese was great in college at Purdue, and he ranks as one of the greatest Big Ten quarterbacks of all time.

Bob Griese Highlights

1) Dan Marino

When he retired in 1999, he owned every significant passing record in the game.  He completed 4,967 passes out of 8,358 attempts for 61,361 yards and 420 TDs. He was selected as the AFC’s starter in nine Pro Bowls: 1983-1987, 1991-1992, and 1994-1995. Is Marion the Greatest NFL Quarterback of the 1980s?

Dan was the NFL’s MVP in 1984 when he set records with 5,084 yards and 48 TD’s. Marino only led the Dolphins to one Super Bowl but he was maybe the greatest pure passer in football history.

Dan Marino || The Man || Dolphins Career Highlights

Honorable Mentions

Mark Clayton

One half of “The Marks Brothers,” Clayton was one of Dan Marino’s two favorite receivers.  Catching 550 passes for 8,643 yards and 81 TD’s, Clayton could never be left unaccounted for and was frequently double-teamed.

He led the NFL in receiving TD’s in 1984, with 18, and again in 1988, 14.

Mark Duper

Duper was the other half of the previously mentioned “Marks Brothers” and started 136 games as a wide receiver for the Dolphins.

Duper caught 511 passes for 8,869 yards and 59 TDs. He eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving in four different seasons, 1983, 1984, 1986, and 1991.

Vern Den Herder

Vern started 144 games for Miami, mainly from the left defensive end position.  He was part of the No-Name Defense early in his career and registered 64.5 sacks for the Dolphins.

Jim Langer

From 1973 to 1978, Langer made the Pro Bowl all six seasons.  He is considered one of the best centers ever to play in the NFL.

Nat Moore

Nat started 124 games at wide receiver for Miami.  He was a first-team all-pro in 1977.

Moore caught 510 passes for 7,546 yards and 74 touchdowns and led the NFL with 12 receiving TD’s in 1977.