When did they know they were good?<\/p>\n
Sometimes one, simple question illuminates a personal story. Here is the answer of several Dolphins, old and young, coaches and players:<\/p>\n
Zach Sieler, defensive tackle: It was probably the end of my second year when I got down here, got a start against Cincinnati with threes game left (in 2019), where I made a couple of plays. That really kind of helped me. I feel like it catapulted my career into what it became. I said, \u2018OK, maybe I got something here.\u2019 Kind of got some confidence. That\u2019s a lot of the thing. I tell these guys, \u2018You got to find what helps slow the game down for you and what gives you that confidence.\u2019 And then once you do that, you just keep working on that and hone in on your little techniques here and there. Just keep building. That game gave the confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dante Trader, safety: \u201cI feel like once you\u2019ve set that bar as a kid \u2013 I\u2019m from Delmar, Delaware. Small town. Nobody comes from there. Probably some people don\u2019t even know it\u2019s a state on my team. It\u2019s where they don\u2019t give you nothing. I set my foot forward, like I\u2019m doing it, I\u2019m going, regardless of what everyone says \u2026 So, (it was) a high bar, and it was about just chasing it right from setting that bar in my small town.\u201d<\/p>\n
Larry Little, Hall of Fame guard: \u201cI thought I could play in this league in my second year with the Chargers. I started four or five games with San Diego that year (1968). I would\u2019ve started more but (coach) Sid Gillman wouldn\u2019t play me because I had a $1,000 bonus if I\u2019d played more. But it was in those games when I knew I could play. I was on what they called the taxi squad for the start of my rookie year. Never even played. Then I was learning from a pretty good guard in front of me, Walt Sweeney. Then, I got a chance that second year and knew I could play in the league. But when did I know I was good? That took a little longer. That wasn\u2019t until I was traded to Miami and started playing here. We started to have some success and I felt I was part of the reason for that. That\u2019s when I knew I was good.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chris Tabor, special teams coach: \u201cMy dad was a longtime high school football coach in the state of Missouri, God rest his soul. But I just wanted to be my dad. That\u2019s how I got into coaching. I always thought that if I could be my dad then I made it, so I\u2019m still chasing that.\u201d<\/p>\n
De\u2019Von Achane, running back: \u201cI\u2019ve always been a good football player, but probably like college when I was like, OK, I actually can be able to go to the next level. Then my first year when I got here, I saw the game, I seen like, OK, I still can make plays and I was like this (is) for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Malik Willis, quarterback: \u201cWhenever (I got) the opportunity to show it. You can think all you want, but until you get the opportunity to show it or go out there and do it, then all it is is your confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n
Patrick Paul, tackle: \u201cThe more I played, the more I thought I could play at this level. It\u2019s a learning process. I study other players all the time to see how they do it, maybe pick up something to help my game. Just my third year now. So, no matter where I am today, the idea is to get better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chop Robinson, edge rusher: \u201cI\u2019d say sophomore year in high school. I transferred schools, and then I was on the scout team. I was going against the varsity guys and I was on the defensive line playing three-technique sometimes and I was just burning past (blockers) on my get-off. I started to realize I had a chance. I was like, \u2018All right, I could be something.\u2019 I just waited my turn and went to work.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
Jahmile Addae, defensive backs\/cornerbacks coach: \u201cI knew that I was a decent coach as a player. I actually had a year where I had to sit out (injured). And during that year of sitting out I got a chance to tutor some of my teammates and peers. I found myself having just as much fun and just as much joy with them having success as me having it. That\u2019s when I realized eventually that I\u2019d be doing what I\u2019m doing right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
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