Miami Dolphins Tales From The Deep Hailing from Orange County, California, Nik Needham’s journey to Miami Gardens was far longer than just the 2,700+ miles between the two communities. Needham lived in four different cities and attended three different high schools as a youth before weathering a 1-23 storm his final two seasons with the UTEP Miners, only to watch seven rounds of the 2019 NFL Draft come and go without hearing his name called. The Miami Dolphins ultimately gave Needham an opportunity as an undrafted free agent and he has responded by developing into a key contributor among the team’s star studded secondary. Diving into The Tank, Nik looks back on his early high school days and the struggles of jumping from school to school, while also trying to secure playing time (4:13), as well as the impact moving in with his father, renown QB Coach Steve Calhoun, had on his life both on and off the field (6:25). He explains how he was able to avoid losing focus during a 1-30 stretch between his final two college seasons and first seven games as a pro (7:44). Nik goes on to reveal how these experiences, as well as going undrafted and being cut in his first training camp have all become factors in his internal motivation and drive (10:52), and brings us into the Dolphins defensive back room where he has learned from Pro Bowl cornerbacks Xavien Howard and Byron Jones, and now will be coached by former Fins legendary corners Sam Madison and Patrick Surtain (14:51). Just having recently signed his restricted free agent tender, Nik reflects upon where he has come from, and begin able to give back to the most important people in his life (24:32). Contributors to this episode include Sean “DJ Prec” Todd, Alex Bitchatchi, and Dolphins Productions. Theme song created and performed by The Honorable SoLo D.

Miami Dolphins Tales From The Deep A unique combination of size, speed, and athleticism helped Jaelan Phillips become the number one rated football recruit in the country in just his junior year at Redlands East Valley High School in California. Phillips followed a family legacy to UCLA and was on the path to fulfilling his gridiron dreams before a barrage of injuries, including being hit by a car, forced him into retirement. After walking away from the game completely, Phillips seized the opportunity to enroll at the University of Miami, rebuilt himself mentally and physically, and became a stalwart of the Hurricanes’ defense earning second-team All-American honors. The Miami Dolphins helped Phillips find football redemption when they selected him in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, and he responded by setting a new franchise record for quarterback sacks as a rookie with 8.5. In The Tank, Jaelan discusses his early interactions with new Miami Dolphins Head Coach Mike McDaniel (5:42), relives his journey from being the nation’s top high school prospect to becoming a promising young UCLA player battling unprecedented adversity (9:56), and candidly shares his feelings of failure after being faced with medical retirement just two years into his college career (17:40). Jaelan also stresses the importance of managing the mental aspect of football (19:28), reveals why he worked with a confidence coach this past year (21:06), reflects upon his strong finish to the 2021 season (23:33), and explains what drives him to give back to the South Florida community (28:52). Contributors to this episode include Sean “DJ Prec” Todd, Alex Bitchatchi, and Dolphins Productions. Theme song created and performed by The Honorable SoLo D.

Miami Dolphins Tales From The Deep From the moment Tua Tagovailoa threw the game-winning touchdown pass to lift the University of Alabama to their 17th National Championship in 2017, he kickstarted a journey that would see him capture nearly every college football award imaginable, along with the hearts of Crimson Tide fans across the country. The Miami Dolphins selected Tagovailoa with the fifth overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft and in two seasons with the team, he has a 13-8 starting record and has done so with the second-highest completion percentage in team history. In The Tank, Tua reacts to first-year Miami Dolphins Head Coach Mike McDaniel’s on-stage performance at the quarterback’s recent charity event (1:32), reveals what took place on the other side of the now famous FaceTime call between coach and QB (3:36), and addresses the “noise” that has surrounded him his entire career (9:08). Tua also shares his excitement for the Dolphins offseason personnel moves (12:06) while managing the expectations that may be built as a result of them (13:38). The Dolphins QB1 discusses leadership (15:19), his relationship with Dan Marino (16:12), the importance of family (18:20), and his motivation behind establishing the Tua Foundation (23:03). Contributors to this episode include Sean “DJ Prec” Todd, Alex Bitchatchi, and Dolphins Productions. Theme song created and performed by The Honorable SoLo D.

Miami Dolphins Tales From The Deep The decorated football career of Ricky Williams is the stuff of legend, featuring an NCAA career rushing record, the 1998 Heisman Trophy, becoming the first player ever to represent a National Football League team’s entire draft class in 1999, and an NFL rushing title in 2002. It is Williams’s enigmatic personality, however, that has often stood out even more than his gridiron greatness. The combination of the two endeared Williams to Miami Dolphins fans around the world when the team brought him to South Florida through a 2002 trade with the New Orleans Saints, and resulted in confusion, hurt, and outrage upon his unexpected but temporary retirement from football just days before the 2004 season. In May of 2020, Ricky took his first opportunity to Dive in The Tank and fondly recalled his years as a Dolphin, particularly his prolific first two seasons (9:13). He candidly detailed the decisions behind his retirement, including a surprising assist from an unlikely source (25:36), his conversations with then Dolphins Head Coach Dave Wannstedt (28:50), and how meaningful and self-healing his time away from football was (32:58). Ricky also covered his respect for Nick Saban (38:50), his special friendship with fellow Fins rusher Ronnie Brown, and of course talks the Wild Cat from his perspective (42:57).   Contributors to this episode include Sean “DJ Prec” Todd, Alex Bitchatchi, and Dolphins Productions. Theme song created and performed by The Honorable SoLo D.

An Official Miami Dolphins Podcast As senior director of publications for the New York Yankees, Alfred Santasiere III has seen, heard, and told no shortage of amazing stories in his 20 years working with the venerable baseball franchise. Before serving as editor-in-chief of Yankees Magazine or co-writing a New York Times best-seller, however, Santasiere fulfilled a life-long dream by interning with the Miami Dolphins Media Relations Department for the 2002 season, building relationships that allow him to continue to weave aqua and orange into his work to this day. In the tank, Al explains how a kid from Jersey fell in love with the Miami Dolphins (2:35) before sharing an unbelievable interaction with Bill Parcells (12:00). He offers both pros and cons of working for “Big Seth” as well as Fish Tank legend, Harvey Greene (19:32) and reflects upon the unique opportunities he enjoyed during his Dolphins internship working with the likes of Zach Thomas, Ricky Williams, and a host of others (31:00). Al reveals the true motivation behind his groundbreaking “Art of Sport” series for which he has interviewed everyone from George W. Bush to Don Shula to our very own O.J. McDuffie (37:37), allows us to tag along as he and Dan Marino visit the Hall of Famer’s childhood home (41:17), and gives Dolfans one more reason to hold their breath as Buffalo Bills legend, Jim Kelly, drops back to pass (48:50). Contributors to this episode include Sean “DJ Prec” Todd, Alex Bitchatchi, and Dolphins Productions. Theme song created and performed by The Honorable SoLo D.

An Official Miami Dolphins Podcast Born and raised in Miami, Vernon Carey starred at Northwestern Senior High School before helping to make up one of the most decorated rosters in college football history at the University of Miami. Carey completed the South Florida football trifecta when the Miami Dolphins selected the offensive lineman in the first round of the 2004 draft, and he remained a Dolphin for the entirety of his eight-year NFL career. In the tank, Vernon reflects upon fiercely competitive Miami Hurricanes practices (1:44) and working the parking lots for Dolphins games as a teenager (7:32). He shares what it was like to block for Ricky Williams (8:30), especially during the early success of the Wildcat (12:11), and clarifies his motivation behind giving close friend Channing Crowder his “welcome to the NFL” moment (14:35). Vernon also details his in-flight run-in with Keith Traylor (16:25) and explains the challenges and benefits of facing Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end Jason Taylor in practice (24:46). Finally, Vernon shares why his sons chose basketball over football (27:12), opens up about the responsibility of being a #GirlDad (30:26), and discusses his vision for the Carey Family Foundation (34:30). Contributors to this episode include Sean “DJ Prec” Todd and Dolphins Productions. Theme song created and performed by The Honorable SoLo D.

An Official Miami Dolphins Podcast Before Dan Le Batard built the top sports podcast in the country, he established himself as a columnist for the Miami Herald, regularly covering the biggest moments for South Florida’s biggest teams. A constant in the Miami Dolphins press box, Le Batard provided readers provocative perspective on Dolphins’ greats including Don Shula, Dan Marino, Jason Taylor, Zach Thomas, Ricky Williams, and so many more. In the tank, Dan and OJ reflect upon their heated exchange in the Georgia Dome visiting team locker room (2:08), while Dan also shares how his lifelong passion for sports was inspired by attending Miami Dolphins games as a child (9:38), discusses being called into Don Shula’s office after writing a column the legendary coach took issue with (12:39), explains his admiration for Jimmy Johnson despite the “dictator coach” label (16:14), and details his challenges in covering Dolphins icon Dan Marino (20:40). Additionally, the conversation features an in depth look into Dan’s friendship with Ricky Williams and the awkwardness of covering him once he arrived in Miami (24:15), as well as the intersection of mental health and playing football at a high level (41:56). Contributors to this episode include Sean “DJ Prec” Todd and Dolphins Productions. Theme song created and performed by The Honorable SoLo D.

An Official Miami Dolphins Podcast Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Travis Wingfield looked across the entire country to turn his love for sports into an undeniable passion when he became a diehard Miami Dolphins fan at an early age. Wingfield’s hunger for all things aqua and orange paired with his analytical approach led him to podcasting, and ultimately to building one of the most listened-to Dolphins podcasts around. Today, as host of the Drive Time Podcast on the Miami Dolphins Podcast Network, Wingfield has realized his dream of working for his lifelong favorite franchise as a podcaster, writer, and on-camera personality. In the tank, Travis explains how the Miami Dolphins unique color palette contributed to the development of developed his fandom at an early age, despite growing up more than 3,000 miles away from South Florida (2:02). Additionally, he shares the events that led him to podcasting (6:03), reveals how his refusal to actually play football forced his tireless study habits to learn the “Xs & Os” of the sport (11:09), reflects on a March-Madness style tournament bracket that named him the “Best Follow” on Dolphins Twitter” (17:20) only to be let down later by losing out to friend Kyle Crabbs for a writing position (20:28). Travis also pulls back the curtain on the first time he realized working for the Dolphins could become a reality with an amazing story that involves Tom Garfinkel, Dan Marino, and Stephen Ross’ suite at Hard Rock Stadium (24:00). Contributors to this episode include Sean “DJ Prec” Todd and Dolphins Productions. Theme song created and performed by The Honorable SoLo D.

An Official Miami Dolphins Podcast Undrafted out of Temple in 1998, Larry Chester played seven NFL seasons, including the final three years of his career with the Miami Dolphins, spending nearly every down next to Tim Bowens at defensive tackle. In the tank, Larry explains the unique nickname Bowens gave him (2:06), shares why he came across so angry during his Dolphins days (4:03), sheds light as to why Randy McMichael felt frightened after practicing with him for the first time (7:59), makes a routine out of throwing the team priest into the swimming pool (11:18), reflects on his uncanny strength which led to lifting cars in college (14:24), opens up as to why there is no need to hire security when “Uncle” Jay Williams attends your daughter’s birthday party (21:00), discusses playing in front of linebacker legends Zach Thomas and Junior Seau (29:30), and recalls a fateful day in San Diego where chasing a scrambling Drew Brees may not have been the best idea (34:34). Contributors to this episode include Sean “DJ Prec” Todd and Dolphins Productions. Theme song created and performed by The Honorable SoLo D.

An Official Miami Dolphins Podcast Happy New Year from The Fish Tank! With 22 episodes in the books for 2021, hosts O.J. McDuffie and Seth Levit reflect back on the year that was, and identify their top 10 moments, adding in a special bonus for listeners with a never-before heard segment featuring current Miami Dolphins wide receiver, Preston Williams. The countdown includes stories from the following guests: 10\. Kendall Langford (2:19) explaining why he will NEVER fly with Matt Roth again. 9\. Damon Huard (7:28) rebounding from throwing a pick-six in his first NFL game action after some sage advice from Dan Marino. 8\. Wes Welker (12:04) “heads” out to his first Dolphins practice in an oversized helmet and hears all about it from his teammates. 7\. Sean Smith (16:05) faces Davone Bess and realizes that he’s going to need to hone his technique and study the game to play at the NFL level. 6\. John Offerdahl (21:44) recalls basking in the moment prior to his first Monday Night Football game only to be jarringly interrupted by Don Shula. 5\. Irving Fryar (25:18.5) candidly expresses how he cried out for help as he battled personal demons at the beginning of his playing career. 4\. Jeff Darlington (31:01) reveals how members of the media may sometimes be wilder than the athletes they cover as he struggles to find one Alex Marvez story he can share on air. 3\. Bernie Kosar (35:12.5) provides background on one of the most iconic plays in Dolphins history as he details the evolution of what became known as “The Clock Play.” 2\. Dwight Stephenson (45:51) recalls a moment he wishes he could take back after breaking Dan Marino’s finger simply by snapping the football. 1\. Channing Crowder (50:46.5) and his teammates blow off steam following a loss in London during the dreadful 2007 season, and finally get a dub. Bonus: Preston Williams (59:40.5) in a never before heardinterview, explains why astrology is important when it comes to his dogs. Contributors to this episode include Sean “DJ Prec” Todd and Dolphins Productions. Theme song created and performed by The Honorable SoLo D.