The Dolphins again will wear their throwback uni-
forms in 2019, but this time with a twist.
Tom Garfinkel, the Dolphins’ Vice Chairman/Presi-
dent/CEO, revealed on Twitter and Instagram that the
team would wear white throwback uniforms for the
Sept. 15 home game against the New England Patri-
ots.
The game, which will fall on Dan Marino’s 58th
birthday, will be the second game of the season after
the opener against the Baltimore Ravens at Hard
Rock Stadium on Sept. 8.
The Dolphins wore their aqua throwback jerseys
last season when they defeated the Buffalo Bills and
New England Patriots in consecutive weeks in De-
cember, the second victory coming as a result of the
miraculous two-lateral touchdown by Kenyan Drake.
Orchard’s positive outlook
Nate Orchard hasn’t yet been able to carry over
his pass-rushing proficiency from college to the NFL,
but he’s confident it could happen with the Dolphins.
The five-year NFL veteran, who became a second-
round draft pick after recording 18.5 sacks in his final
season at the University of Utah, signed as a free
agent in May less than a week after he had been re-
leased by the Seattle Seahawks.
The Dolphins are Orchard’s fifth team since the
start of the 2018 training camp, along with Cleveland,
Buffalo and Kansas City.
“It’s the nature of the business,” Orchard said. “The
NFL, it’s a tough league and everywhere I’ve been it’s
a business decision. But at the end of the day, the ego
is great. My confidence is still sky high. I’ve got a
great support system, my wife and kids and family.
They keep me going. And at the end of the day you
gotta be confident in what you do and don’t ever let
anybody drag you down.”
In Cleveland, Orchard had five sacks in 34 games,
including three when he started 11 games as a 3-
outside linebacker as a rookie in 2015. Orchard also
lined up at defensive end in a 4-3 for the Browns.
Helping hand
GM Chris Grier and assistant coaches Jim Cald-
well and Karl Dorrell were in Atlanta in late June to
take part in the 2019 Quarterback Coaching Summit,
an event designed to help minorities get increased
coaching opportunities.
The Quarterback Coaching Summit began last
year as the brain child of former NFL quarterbacks
James Harris and Doug Williams. Caldwell partici-
pated last year as well while he was away from
coaching for the first time in four decades.
During his year away from the NFL last year, Cald-
well mentored some minority coaches who aspired to
become head coaches. He was impressed with those
he came across, just as he was with the coaching
hopefuls at the 2019 summit.
“If anybody is looking for maybe a quality control or
looking for assistant quarterback coach or a quarter-
back coach or an offensive coordinator, they can find
it quickly,” he said. “There were about 50 participants
and it was outstanding.”
Buckeyes buddies
New Dolphins defensive lineman Adolphus Wash-
ington was playing catch-up after signing with the
Dolphins halfway through the OTAs, but but he got
some help in that respect.
Washington had the benefit of joining a team that
features three former Ohio State teammates — line-
backers Raekwon McMillan and Jerome Baker, and
rookie tackle Isaiah Prince.
“It’s always good reuniting with your old team-
mates,” Washington said after an OTA practice.
“They’ve been helping me out a lot since I’ve been
here, letting me know where to go, what time to be to
meetings, (that) being on time is late and all that stuff.
Kind of like it was at Ohio State, so I’m kind of used to
it.”
Washington spent his first three NFL seasons with
Buffalo and Cincinnati after being a third-round pick of
the Bills in 2016.Big props from Pop
The Dolphins’ neverending commitment to youth
and high school football recently was recognized in a
big way.
The Dolphins were recognized as the Pop Warner
NFL Team of the Year, given annually to a franchise
that has demonstrated commitment and support of
their community and youth.
“When thinking about teams that have shown an
unwavering commitment to youth football programs,
the Dolphins came to mind immediately,” said Jon
Butler, Pop Warner Little Scholars’ executive director.
“Not only does their Junior Dolphins Program use
NFL resources to teach young athletes the fundamen-
tals of football, but it also puts an emphasis on char-
acter development. This is in complete alignment with
our mission here at Pop Warner, and we’re thrilled to
have them as our 2019 NFL Team of the Year.”Something to Smile about
Kenyan Drake traveled to Brazil in late June on
behalf of Smile Train, a nonprofit organization dedi-
cated to helping children born with a cleft lip.
In support of the organization, Drake promoted a
drive whereby a signed photo of the “Miracle in
Miami” would be sent to anyone who would pledge
$15 to Smile Train while he was in Brazil — and he
would subsequently match the donation total.
“Being involved with Smile Train has definitely been
a huge blessing on my life and being able to impact
people not just domestically but internationally using
my platform to just be a positive energy and being in-
volved with them over the past year,” Drake said dur-
ing an interview on The Audible. “Went to Mexico last
year; this year I’m going to Brazil. ... I just want to
continue to be that beacon of light for not myself but
people around the world.”
On the last day of mandatory minicamp last week,
after Head Coach Brian Flores canceled practice in
favor of a conditioning test, Drake hosted his first
Cocktails for a Cause, again to benefit Smile Train.Call to the Hall
The College Football Hall of Fame announced its
candidates for the Class of 2020, and the list includes
several players with ties to the Dolphins.
Among the candidates are former Dolphins running
back Keith Byars (Ohio State), DE Kevin Carter
(Florida), LB Marco Coleman (Georgia Tech), LB
E.J. Junior (Alabama), QB Cade McNown (UCLA),
CB Troy Vincent (Wisconsin) and Boomer Grigsby,
who was a linebacker at Illinois State but briefly
played fullback for the Dolphins in 2005. Also among
the candidates is former Oklahoma quarterback Josh
Heupel, who never played for the Dolphins but was a
sixth-round pick of the team in 2001.
The Class of 2020 will be announced next January
before the BCS national championship game. The
Class of 2019, which will be inducted in December,
includes former Dolphins cornerback Terrell Buckley,
who starred at Florida State.18 Dolphin Digest AUGUST 6, 2019
NEWS AND NOTES
The throwback is coming back
KENYAN DRAKE
Digest photo/JOEL AUERBACH