Miami Dolphins place Sitton on injured reserve
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September 14, 2018
Miami Dolphins place Sitton on injured reserve
MIAMI – The Miami Dolphins today announced they have placed guard Josh Sitton on injured reserve.
Sitton joined the Dolphins as an unrestricted free agent on March 16, 2018 after spending two seasons (2016-17) in Chicago. He played the first eight seasons of his career in Green Bay (2008-15) and has totaled 148 career games played and 138 starts. Sitton has earned four Pro Bowl selections following the 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2016 seasons and was a first-team All-Pro in 2014.
Miami Dolphins and Baptist Health South Florida Donate Equipment to Key West High School, Marathon High School and Coral Shores High School Football Teams
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September 13, 2018
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Miami Dolphins and Baptist Health South Florida Donate Equipment to Key West High School, Marathon High School and Coral Shores High School Football Teams
Miami, Fla. – The Miami Dolphins and Baptist Health South Florida donated football equipment to the Key West High School, Marathon High School and Coral Shores High School football teams. The donation is part of both organizations’ long-term rebuilding efforts in the region in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma.
The donated equipment, selected by the schools from a wish list, included scoreboards, practice jerseys and pants, t-shirts, cleats, Gatorade coolers, down markers, goal post wraps, sleds, knee pads, shoulder pads, belts and hip pads.
“A year after Hurricane Irma, the Miami Dolphins recognize how important long-term recovery efforts are as we all continue to work hard and rebuild our communities,” Miami Dolphins Senior Vice President of Communications and Community Affairs Jason Jenkins said. “Through the Junior Dolphins Donation Program, we’re excited to support these three deserving teams with new football equipment and wish them success this season. These long-term efforts don’t happen without great community partners so we also want to thank Baptist Health South Florida their support and commitment to the region.”
“Hurricane Irma devastated this community, but as you saw today, it certainly didn’t affect its spirit,” Rick Freeburg, Chief Executive Officer, Mariners Hospital and Fishermen’s Community Hospital said. “We are proud to partner with the Miami Dolphins as we continue our recovery efforts after the storm.”
The team also had the opportunity to hear from Freeburg and Dolphins alum and Youth Programs Ambassador Twan Russell about the importance of teamwork and overcoming adversity.
Today’s visit is part of the growing Junior Dolphins Donation Program, which this year also has made donations to Booker T. Washington High School in August, Miramar High School in May, Pompano Beach High School in July and Spanish River High School in September.
The Junior Dolphins program encourages youth players and coaches to learn, teach and play football in a fun and safe environment. The Junior Dolphins program is designed to give kids access to learn the fundamentals of football using the NFL’s top resources. To grow the game, the Junior Dolphins program will work to educate coaches, parents and youth on the health and safety of football with a strong emphasis on character development. Junior Dolphins is building the next generation of Dolphins Fans.
Baptist Health South Florida is the largest healthcare organization in the region, with 10 hospitals (Baptist Hospital, Baptist Children’s Hospital, Bethesda Hospital East, Bethesda Hospital West, Doctors Hospital, Fishermen’s Community Hospital, Homestead Hospital, Mariners Hospital, South Miami Hospital and West Kendall Baptist Hospital), more than 40 physician practices, 50 outpatient and urgent care facilities, Baptist Health Medical Group, Baptist Health Quality Network and internationally renowned centers of excellence spanning across Monroe, Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. A not-for-profit organization supported by philanthropy and committed to our faith-based charitable mission of medical excellence, Baptist Health has more than 19,500 employees and more than 3,000 affiliated physicians. Baptist Health South Florida has been recognized by Fortune as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America and by Ethisphere as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies. For more information, visit BaptistHealth.net/newsroom and connect with us on Facebook at facebook.com/BaptistHealthSF and on Twitter and Instagram @BaptistHealthSF.
Miami Dolphins Visit Miami VA Healthcare System and West Palm Beach VA Medical Center on Sept. 11
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September 11, 2018
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Miami Dolphins Visit Miami VA Healthcare System and West Palm Beach VA Medical Center on Sept. 11
Miami – Miami Dolphins’ players Kenny Stills and Albert Wilson, alumni Mark Duper, cheerleaders and mascot TD visited the Miami VA Healthcare System and West Palm Beach VA Medical Center on 9/11 to honor those who have served our country.
“Having (the Dolphins) in the hospital is great for our veterans. They were so happy, they are very excited. Some of them are very sick and just seeing them just makes them so happy. I have a patient that told me that, ‘I saw them from the pain clinic. I was in pain – as soon as I saw them – the pain disappeared.’ You couldn’t ask for more,” Miami VA Healthcare System Chief of Medical Administration Service Titilola Olugbakinro said. “It’s like a healing therapy for (the patients) to see (the Dolphins players). We are very happy that they came out of their busy time to come and visit us today.”
“During Sept. 11, I believe I was in fourth grade. I was getting ready for school. We ended up seeing the first building hit while I was at home,” Stills said. “It’s a really tragic day. A day I don’t forget. So it’s really important for us to be here today and try to bring some happiness and put smiles on people’s faces.”
During the visit, the Dolphins signed autographs and distributed Miami Dolphins’ T-shirts and notepads.
“Going through what I’m going through, I’m really emotional. And for something (like the Dolphins to visit), how can you time it so well to make something like this happen when I’m here going through what I’m going through,” patient Dwight Artis said in his recovering from spinal cord surgery. “I know I’m going to get better, but this is my motivation.”
Miami Dolphins Announce Week 1 PlayFootball Award Winners
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September 10, 2018
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#TeamWorkAtWork #JuniorDolphins #LetsPlayFootball
Miami Dolphins Announce Week 1 PlayFootball Award Winners
Miami, FL – The Miami Dolphins announced their PlayFootball Week 1 award winners in a program designed to celebrate youth football in South Florida. For each home game, the Dolphins will identify a high school coach of the week, high school player of the week, youth player of the week and team mom of the week. Award recipients will receive tickets to a Dolphins home game, be presented with a plaque on the field at Hard Rock Stadium and receive acknowledgement of their accomplishment in the game program and through the Dolphins’ social media platforms. The Dolphins also will recognize a team of the week who will be on field during the national anthem.
The program concludes at the Dolphins-Jaguars game where the Dolphins will honor yearly award winners in all categories with the exception of the team of the year.
Week 1 Winners:
- High School Coach of the Week: Dave Coleman from Piper High School. Coleman and his team began the season with a huge upset over perennial Dade powerhouse Miami Norland, winning the game 24-21.
- High School Player of the Week: Nay’Quan Wright from Miami Carol City High School. The senior running back rushed for 163 yards on 22 carries and scored an 80-yard touchdown run on the second snap of the game. Wright’s performance helped the Chiefs cruise to a 34-14 win over the two-time defending state champions American Heritage Plantation. He also was the 2016 Miami Dolphins High School Player of the Year.
- Youth Player of the Week: Keymari Robiou from the Miami Shore Spartans 11U of the Miami Xtreme Football League. Robiou, a running back and linebacker, had 10 carries for 112 yards and one touchdown and added 10 tackles as the Spartans defeated the Kendall Hammock Warriors 14-6.
- Team Mom of the Week: Brenda Aldana from the West Miramar Patriots 13U of the Miami Xtreme Football League. Aldana is a second year team mom and this year assisted the Patriots rebuild to four weight classes. A realtor by trade, Aldana, used her real estate marketing expertise to help market the league via social media and distributed flyers door to door. Her team truly sees her as the Patriots’ most valuable mom and believe she is irreplaceable.
- Team of the Week: Marjory Stoneman Douglas Senior High School. The Miami Dolphins were proud to honor the Stoneman Douglas football team as their team of the week at their home opener vs. the Titans in a continuing effort to support the Stoneman Douglas community and provide solace through sports following the February 14th school shooting.
The Junior Dolphins program encourages youth players and coaches to learn, teach and play football in a fun and safe environment. The Junior Dolphins program is designed to give kids access to learn the fundamentals of football using the NFL’s top resources. To grow the game, the Junior Dolphins program will work to educate coaches, parents and youth on the health and safety of football with a strong emphasis on character development. Junior Dolphins is building the next generation of Dolphins Fans.
Miami Dolphins make roster moves
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September 11, 2018
Miami Dolphins make roster moves
MIAMI – The Miami Dolphins today announced they have signed center Travis Swanson and released tight end Gavin Escobar.
Swanson played four seasons with Detroit (2014-17), appearing in 53 games with 42 starts. He signed as an unrestricted free agent with the N.Y. Jets on April 4, 2018 before being released on Aug. 31, 2018. He originally entered the NFL as a third-round pick (76th overall) by Detroit in the 2014 NFL draft.
Escobar originally joined the Dolphins as a free agent on April 16, 2018. He has played in 64 career games with seven starts for Dallas (2013-16) and Baltimore (2017). Escobar has 30 career receptions for 333 yards (11.1 avg.) and eight touchdowns. He’s also played in three playoff games with one start. Escobar originally entered the NFL as a second-round pick (47th overall) by Dallas in the 2013 NFL draft.
| Name |
Pos. |
Hgt. |
Wgt. |
Birthdate |
Exp. |
College |
Hometown |
Acq. |
| Travis Swanson |
C |
6-5 |
304 |
1/30/91 |
5 |
Arkansas ’14 |
Houston, Texas |
FA, ‘18 |
Miami Dolphins Name Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Assistant Coach Aaron Feis their George F. Smith High School Coach of the Year
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September 10, 2018
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#TeamWorkAtWork #JuniorDolphins #LetsPlayFootball #MSDStrong
Miami Dolphins Name Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Assistant Coach Aaron Feis their George F. Smith High School Coach of the Year
Miami, FL – The Miami Dolphins announced Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Assistant Coach Aaron Feis as their George F. Smith High School Coach of the Year. Feis tragically lost his life protecting students during a mass shooting on February 14th. The Dolphins posthumously honored Aaron along with his wife, Melissa, and daughter, Arielle, on the field during their home opener against the Tennessee Titans. The Stoneman Douglas football team also were the Dolphins team of the week and had the opportunity to stand on the sideline during the national anthem.
“It’s an honor for all of us, really, for Coach Feis to get the Coach of the Year Award. If you knew him, you would appreciate that he got that award, because he really was a great man, mentor, friend and dad,” Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Head Football Coach Willis May said. “What a wonderful day for our kids and our program and we had a blast. We loved it and we can’t thank the Miami Dolphins enough for everything they’ve done for us since February 14th. We want to say thank you and how much we appreciate it and what they’ve done for our kids, it’s amazing.”
Feis is now a nominee for the Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year Award, which honors high school football coaches that demonstrate the integrity, achievement, and leadership exemplified by the winningest coach in NFL history, Don Shula. The winner will be announced at the 2019 Pro Bowl in Orlando.
This offseason, the Miami Dolphins have continued to support the Stoneman Douglas community and provide solace through sports. Outreach has included financial support to the victims and families of the shooting, visits with five survivors by Dolphins players, alumni and senior leadership, a free football clinic for Parkland youth, inviting seniors of the Stoneman Douglas football team and members of the Feis family to announce selections on day three of the 2018 NFL draft, an invitation for the Stoneman Douglas soccer teams to attend the Peru vs. Croatia match at Hard Rock Stadium, Stoneman Douglas T shirts worn by Dolphins players and staff that were also given to the Stoneman Douglas football team, inviting the Stoneman Douglas football team to a Miami Dolphins practice and attending the Stoneman Douglas football home opener vs. South Broward High School.
The Junior Dolphins program encourages youth players and coaches to learn, teach and play football in a fun and safe environment. The Junior Dolphins program is designed to give kids access to learn the fundamentals of football using the NFL’s top resources. To grow the game, the Junior Dolphins program will work to educate coaches, parents and youth on the health and safety of football with a strong emphasis on character development. Junior Dolphins is building the next generation of Dolphins Fans.
Miami Dolphins Announce Football Unites: Tailgates Funded by Stephen Ross and Miami Dolphins Players
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September 7, 2018
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#TeamworkAtWork #FootballUnites
Miami Dolphins Announce Football Unites: Tailgates Funded by Stephen Ross and Miami Dolphins Players
MIAMI – For the third consecutive year, Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross and Dolphins players will host Football Unites: Tailgates to strengthen relationships between community leaders, youth and law enforcement. Each tailgate will take place before Dolphins’ regular season home games, beginning this Sunday vs. the Tennessee Titans at Hard Rock Stadium.
The tailgates will feature giveaways, games, food and a live DJ with educational components designed to create dialogue and foster positive relationships and unite groups of different races, genders, sexual orientation and identities to help level the playing field in South Florida.
Organizations from the Football Unites grant program including 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project, Art Detectives, Community Justice Project, Inc., Miami Gardens Police Department, National Organization of Black Law Executives South Florida Chapter (NOBLE), North Miami Police Athletic League, North Miami Beach Police Athletic League, Pridelines, SAVE, Trayvon Martin Foundation, Urban League of Broward County and YWCA Miami will take part in the program.
The tailgate initiative stems from a solution-oriented town hall hosted in the fall of 2016 by the Dolphins and the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE) during which players and local leaders discussed actionable steps that could be taken to address issues of racial inequality and unite the community. Founded and created by Ross in Oct. 2015, RISE harnesses the unifying power of sports to improve race relations and drive social progress. To learn more about RISE, visit risetowin.org.
Miami Dolphins Continue Long-Term Hurricane Irma Recovery Efforts through Grant Recipients
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September 6, 2018
Miami Dolphins Continue Long-Term Hurricane Irma Recovery Efforts through Grant Recipients
MIAMI – In the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, Miami Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross announced a pledge of $1 million to benefit immediate and long-term rebuilding efforts for the region. In addition, the Miami Dolphins announced a series of efforts designed with the goal of helping the region in what will be a longstanding recovery process from the devastating storm.
The long-term recovery efforts continue, as the organization assessed long-term damage and collaborated with local and regional community partners involved with critical relief and rebuilding efforts in Monroe and Collier counties along with the Florida Keys. The Dolphins are proud to support local nonprofit organizations implementing projects within the devastated areas. The team selected 11 grant recipients, including Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Venice, The Education Coalition of Monroe County, Fishermen’s Community Hospital, Florida Keys Children’s Shelter, Florida Keys Healthy Start Coalition, Habitat for Humanity of Key West and Lower Florida Keys, Habitat for Humanity of the Middle Keys, Key Bridge, Reel Relief and Sugarloaf School and Community Park.
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- Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami
- Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami, Inc. is a local non-profit organization that is committed to helping the most vulnerable populations in South Florida by providing quality social services. One hundred percent of the funds from the Miami Dolphins Foundation will provide financial housing assistance as a part of the efforts to help rebuild Monroe County after Hurricane Irma.
- Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Venice
- Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc. is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit providing social services in ten southwest Florida Counties. All funds awarded will be applied to direct assistance to those individuals and families still in a hurricane relief recovery process. Funds will be used for rent, mortgage, utilities and/or deposits. The goal is to serve a minimum of 20 families with no funds from the award used toward operations. All funds will be expended on direct services.
- The Education Coalition of Monroe County (ECMC)
- The Educational Coalition for Monroe County (ECMC) is a nonprofit organization that promotes prevention of destructive behaviors among sixth through twelfth grade students and instills the importance of volunteerism. ECMC teaches volunteerism to youth volunteers by providing basic needs, necessary tools, and support to students living in special circumstances to enable them to reach their goals, achieve success, and help their peers. Funding from this grant will be used to purchase athletic shoes and attire, athletic gear (shin guards, gloves, etc.), and to pay for camps for high school students to seek future opportunities. The funding will be used for students attending Marathon Middle and High School that are currently facing special circumstances. Almost a year following Hurricane Irma families continue to struggle and students are still facing special circumstances.
- Fishermen’s Community Hospital (Baptist Health)
- The generous gift from the Miami Dolphins will support Baptist Health Foundation’s fundraising campaign to build an entirely new Fishermen’s Community Hospital in Marathon. The previous hospital was destroyed by Hurricane Irma in September 2017 and has been closed since then. Baptist Health established a field hospital to care for patients in the region immediately following the devastation, and opened a modular facility in July. The entirely new hospital has an estimated cost of $40 million, of which Baptist Health and the community are committed to raising $15 million through philanthropy.
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- Florida Keys Children’s Shelter
- The Florida Keys Children’s Shelter is the only licensed emergency shelter for unaccompanied youth in Monroe County, providing free services to more than 500 youth annually to keep kids safe and families strong, helping build a healthy community. The Miami Dolphins grant will help fund the salary of a counselor in the Florida Keys for 12 months to assist with the increased number of cases due to Hurricane Irma. The counselor will provide free help to youth who have faced changes in their lives during and after the hurricane.
- Florida Keys Healthy Start Coalition
- The Florida Keys Healthy Start Coalition is the only entity in Monroe County working to improve the health and well-being of women and their families before, during and after pregnancy. It continues to provides ongoing, long-term recovery and rebuilding support to clients by ensuring families and young children have access to replacement baby supplies and items (such as safe cribs, diapers, car seats, formula, clothing), affordable prenatal medical care, therapeutic counseling services to address postpartum depression and challenges compounded by the stress and trauma of Irma, hurricane relief case management, individualized referrals to additional community resources, and in some cases home and appliance repair assistance. The mission is to deliver high quality care and resources for all pregnant women, infants and their families in the resilient community of the Florida Keys. Funding from the Miami Dolphins Foundation will be used to provide care coordination and support services to pregnant women and families with small children; to include providing necessary baby items and supplies along with community building, mental health, and educational programming to families as they continue to build their new normal after the storm.
- Habitat for Humanity of Key West and the Lower Florida Keys
- Habitat for Humanity of Key West and the Lower Florida Keys provides affordable housing to 60 families in the Lower Keys; 70 families by the end of 2018. The organization provides home repairs for seniors allowing them to age in place and is heavily involved in helping those in the Lower Keys with a vast array of home repairs following Hurricane Irma. The Lower Keys were devastated by the hurricane and it will take some time to rebuild. The grant will be utilized to fill an unmet need in the process and purchasing required architectural drawings for hurricane recovery critical home repairs.
- Habitat for Humanity of the Middle Keys
- Habitat for Humanity of the Middle Keys has dedicated 27 years in Marathon Florida to creating affordable home ownership opportunities for the residents. In September 2017, Hurricane Irma caused Habitat to embark on a new journey, providing critical repairs to homes damaged by the Category 4 storm. The repairs completed include replacing damaged shingle roofs with fortified new metal roofs, full interior rebuilds, replacing stairs, walls, flooring and so much more. The support of the Miami Dolphins Hurricane Relief Grant will be instrumental in this work as the grant money will be used to assist with the cost of materials and supplies to complete these repairs.
- Key Bridge
- Key Bridge, Inc. is a nonprofit mental health and substance abuse service provider serving the Florida Keys. Due to the devastation from effects and recovery period after Hurricane Irma hit the Florida Keys, Key Bridge recognized a need to provide additional mental health support to our community. Monroe County is federally designated as having a lack of mental health providers and Key Bridge feels the proposed Bridge to Resiliency Program will strengthen our community by training citizens to be more aware of the needs of others and help link them to the help and support they need through evidence-based tools like Mental Health First Aid; effectively leveraging the support provided by Miami Dolphins Foundation.
- Reef Relief
- Reef Relief’s Discover Coral Reef’s School Program works to foster environmental awareness and stewardship. The program expands upon coral reef conservation activities by other National Governing Organizations and governmental efforts to increase awareness of coral reel resources and to reduce and prevent the impacts from land-based sources of pollution on coral reel ecosystems including efforts in the Florida Keys due to Hurricane Irma. The Discover Coral Reefs School Program introduces elementary and middle school students to the value and importance of coastal ecosystems and the way that students can become an active part in the conservation of these resources. The program is a collaboration between Reef Relief and the Monroe County School District.
- Sugarloaf School and Community Park
- Sugarloaf School and Community Park is used by students, teachers and faculty at Sugarloaf School and is open for community residents outside of school hours. In the wake of Hurricane Irma, Sugarloaf School has become a beacon of hope and support for students, teachers, parents and other community members. With support from the Miami Dolphins Foundation, Sugarloaf School and Community Park will rebuild and upgrade the park to create an outlet for families to exercise and play together.
The Dolphins in the immediate aftermath of the September 2017 storm deployed their Miami Dolphins Special Teams powered by AARP Foundation volunteer program to assist with much needed rebuilding projects in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. This volunteer program was created to enlist, mobilize and support community efforts in times of emergency.
In addition, the Dolphins partnered with AARP Foundation on a dollar for dollar matching campaign, with 100 percent of the money raised going directly into the community. Created to support the victims of the hurricane, especially those who are low-income and age 50-plus, these donations collected through the disaster relief fund will impact those in need.
