Miami Dolphins make roster moves
Download PDF version
November 28, 2018
Miami Dolphins make roster moves
MIAMI – The Miami Dolphins today announced they have promoted wide receiver Isaiah Ford to the active roster and placed wide receiver Jakeem Grant on injured reserve.
Ford was a seventh-round pick (237th overall) by Miami in the 2017 NFL draft but missed the entire 2017 season after he was placed on injured reserve on Aug. 19. He’s spent the entire 2018 season on Miami’s practice squad. Ford was a three-year starter (2014-16) at Virginia Tech where he became the only player in ACC history to hold sole possession of his school’s career records for receptions (210), receiving yards (2,967) and receiving touchdowns (24). He earned first-team All-ACC honors as a sophomore in 2015.
Grant played in 10 games with two starts for the Dolphins this year and led the NFL with 535 kickoff return yards. He’s the only player in the NFL this season to have two kick return touchdowns – a punt return touchdown in Week 5 at Cincinnati and a kickoff return touchdown in Week 1 vs. Tennessee. Grant totaled 21 receptions for 268 yards (12.8 avg.) and two receiving touchdowns. He originally entered the NFL as a sixth-round pick (186th overall) by Miami in the 2016 NFL draft.
| Name |
Pos. |
Hgt. |
Wgt. |
Birthdate |
Exp. |
College |
Hometown |
Acq. |
| Isaiah Ford |
WR |
6-2 |
189 |
2/9/96 |
2 |
Virginia Tech ’17 |
Jacksonville, Fla. |
D7, ‘17 |
Miami Dolphins Partner with Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE), Miami-Dade Schools Police Department and North Miami Police Department for FOOTBALL UNITES™ Community Building and Ride-Along
Download PDF version
November 28, 2018
Image Credit: Miami Dolphins
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/n4vmp14uer5vbnr/AAAD8-LRq2tgJ86wBD1kd_ica?dl=0
Miami Dolphins Partner with Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE), Miami-Dade Schools Police Department and North Miami Police Department for FOOTBALL UNITES™ Community Building and Ride-Along
MIAMI – As part of the Miami Dolphins FOOTBALL UNITES™ program, Miami Dolphins players, cheerleaders and staff spent the day with the Miami-Dade Schools Police Department and the North Miami Police Department to discuss community policing and take part in youth engagement activities.
The Dolphins worked with RISE, the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality—a non-profit created by Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross dedicated to harnessing the unifying power of sports to improve race relations— on a series of facilitated discussions with high school students and law enforcement designed to break barriers and strengthen communities. To learn more about RISE, visit www.RISEtoWIN.org.
“What FOOTBALL UNITES™ and RISE has done is bring people together using sports as that unifier,” RISE Vice President of Leadership and Education of Programs Kim Miller said. “We need to have relationships between communities and law enforcement to make progress. We hope people can stop and think, ‘what is it that I can do’? We each can be a leader whether you’re a 15-year-old or a 40-year-old officer, so we hope that we gave people that sense of empowerment that they can truly be change agents.”
Jerome Baker, Raekwon McMillan and cheerleaders began their morning with the Miami-Dade Schools Police Department (MDSPD) and visited Hialeah (Fla.) High School to participate in a RISE-led workshop with officers and the students of Coral Gables, Hialeah and Norland High Schools on the perceptions of law enforcement and teens and how together they can work to improve them and build a stronger community. The group later visited Madison Middle School to further spread the message of unity and togetherness.
“It’s an awesome opportunity when actual players that live in the community can take time out of their busy schedules and foster that relationship with kids and build that relationship as well,” Miami-Dade Schools Chief of Police Edwin Lopez said. “It’s a great opportunity for kids to see not only law enforcement but the commonalities and similarities between themselves and the players who were once them at their age. I think that the players of the Miami Dolphins are able to hear firsthand from law enforcement and from kids and I believe that law enforcement can hear from kids as well and their perspectives so it’s just an information sharing opportunity to highlight social issues that happen in the community. We all see the news and we are able to see one perspective but here we are able to ask certain questions face to face and really get to the root of certain issues and improve. We can improve as law enforcement. I’m sure the students can improve in some way as well and then we have the Miami Dolphins players that are there to serve in many capacities and share personal insight and make them part of a team.”
“With FOOTBALL UNITES™ we brought together law enforcement and people within the community and we talked about how we can bridge the gap between each other because us as people have a fear for law enforcement and try to stay away from them,” Miami Dolphins linebacker Raekwon McMillan said. “I learned some perspective on how law enforcement works, how they think and how we can help ourselves be in a better relationship with them. It’s always good to get around the youth and to just change their perspective on how they see police officers as well. They are our tomorrow. They are the future so it is us coming out to see them and letting them know that law enforcement is positive and not a negative and can help them in the long run. That is what the sport of football is for.”
Later in the day, Walt Aikens, Kalen Ballage, MarQueis Gray, Kenny Stills and cheerleaders met with the North Miami Police Department (NMPD) and their Police Athletic League (PAL) program to take part in a similar RISE-led session. After the session, the Dolphins took part in a ride along with NMPD where they stopped to see their new PAL center, partially funded through the FOOTBALL UNITES™ program and visited the Center Court Apartments in a surprise meet and greet with residents.
“Although we have different perspectives on things throughout life and throughout the community, just because they’re different doesn’t mean they are wrong,” North Miami Chief of Police Larry Juriga said. “We can have an understanding now after talking with the kids and talking with the players and we might not always agree but we can certainly understand better. If we show that we are unified in trying to engage and trying to make things better then it will lead to a better community for all of us.”
“It was all about perspective; I didn’t know that these kids viewed the officers this way and we have to change that as adults,” Miami Dolphins cornerback Walt Aiken said. “For the officers, they see the same things that we see in the youth and they know that they are our future and we have to positively influence them to better ourselves and the future.”
Miami Dolphins Selects UltiPro to Help Manage Sports Industry Challenges
Download PDF version
November 28, 2018
Miami Dolphins Selects UltiPro to Help Manage Sports Industry Challenges
Weston, FL, November 28, 2018 — Ultimate Software, a leading provider of human capital management (HCM) solutions in the cloud, announced today that the Miami Dolphins, a U.S. professional football team and a member club of the National Football League, has selected UltiPro as its HCM solution to meet industry challenges related to a fluctuating payroll and dispersed workforce.
The complexity of the Miami Dolphins organization includes 350 front-office and training staff, scouts across the country, players who earn income in many states, and thousands of gameday and part-time employees including parking attendants, housekeeping staff, and ushers. The Dolphins organization hosts not only NFL games at its Hard Rock Stadium, but also collegiate sports events, international soccer matches, concerts, and parking lot festivals, as well as smaller corporate events that use the stadium as an international entertainment destination. The Dolphins sought an HCM solution that could provide a world-class user experience, easily accessible real-time reporting, and customer service that could serve the organization’s complex needs, and selected UltiPro in July 2018.
“We chose UltiPro because the solution addresses our needs as a provider of sports and entertainment services,” said Sam Coghill, vice president of human resources and performance management for the Miami Dolphins. “We have to onboard and employ thousands of employees each year, as well as handle the taxes for players and staff who work in dozens of jurisdictions. UltiPro’s reputation within the professional sports industry made our choice easy.”
The Miami Dolphins is eager to use UltiPro’s single suite application to simplify its HR infrastructure and maximize department resources. Additionally, the Miami Dolphins and Ultimate have an established community relationship that has served and strengthened South Florida.
“UltiPro is designed with the flexibility to handle the special challenges faced by hospitality services providers,” said Greg Swick, chief enterprise sales officer at Ultimate. “We are excited to partner with our longtime friends and community advocates at the Miami Dolphins and continue our shared work on behalf of the residents of South Florida.”
About Ultimate Software
Ultimate is a leading provider of cloud-based human capital management solutions, with more than 40 million people records in the Ultimate cloud. Our award-winning UltiPro delivers HR, payroll, talent, and time and labor management solutions that connect people with the information they need to work more effectively. Founded in 1990, Ultimate is headquartered in Weston, Florida, and employs approximately 5,000 professionals. In 2018, Ultimate ranked #3 on Fortune’s prestigious 100 Best Companies to Work For list, our seventh consecutive year in the top 25; #1 on its Best Workplaces in Technology list for the third year in a row; #1 on its 100 Best Workplaces for Millennials list, our second year at the top; and #1 on its 100 Best Workplaces for Women list. Also in 2018, Customer Sales and Service World Awards identified Ultimate as having the #1 Customer Service Department of the Year, and PEOPLE magazine ranked Ultimate #3 on its 50 Companies That Care list. In 2017, Forbes ranked Ultimate #7 on its list of 100 Most Innovative Growth Companies. Ultimate has approximately 4,500 customers with employees in 160 countries, including Bloomin’ Brands, Culligan International, Feeding America, Red Roof Inn, SUBWAY, Texas Roadhouse, and Yamaha Corporation of America. More information on Ultimate’s products and services for people management can be found at www.ultimatesoftware.com.
UltiPro is a registered trademark of The Ultimate Software Group, Inc. All other trademarks referenced are the property of their respective owners.
Follow Ultimate Software on Twitter: www.twitter.com/UltimateHCM and on LinkedIn: https://ulti.pro/LinkedIn
Miami Dolphins FOOTBALL UNITES™ In Partnership With Israeli Consulate in Miami and Miami Lighthouse for the Blind Provide Wearable Artificial Intelligence for the Holiday Season
Download PDF version
November 27, 2018
Image Credit: Miami Dolphins
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/a1earw660ekwamv/AADvQmY0rXc5i6PnVOH55q8ia?dl=0
Miami Dolphins FOOTBALL UNITES™ In Partnership With Israeli Consulate in Miami and Miami Lighthouse for the Blind Provide Wearable Artificial Intelligence for the Holiday Season
MIAMI – In spirit of the holiday season, Miami Dolphins player TJ McDonald, staff and FOOTBALL UNITES™ community partners visited the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind to deliver four wearable artificial intelligence devices to selected recipients on Monday, Nov. 26. Purchased by the Israeli Consulate in Miami, the OrCam Technologies are designed to improve the lives of individuals who are blind, visually impaired and have reading difficulties.
“These OrCam devices help these children who are having trouble seeing, it helps them read, helps them recognize faces and it will help level the playing field for them,” Miami Dolphins Safety TJ McDonald said. “Talking to them, they all had similar interests as me growing up. I think that it will be able to eliminate some of the challenges they might have and be able to keep pushing forward and achieve their goals. It feels awesome, it’s exciting to be able to see the looks on their faces it definitely makes me feel good and I am excited for their futures.”
“Because of the Miami Dolphins and Israeli Consulate in Miami, Miami Lighthouse is having a transformational day for our blind and visually impaired students who can succeed successfully academically because of the OrCam device,” President and CEO of Miami Lighthouse for the Blind Virginia Jacko added.
The individuals selected to receive the artificial intelligence devices include:
- Emily Bejerano – A freshman at Coral Park High School who wants to become a teacher for the visually impaired when she grows up. She has hearing and visual impairments. Emily enjoys dancing in her spare time and is currently learning braille.
- Diandre Incera – A student in his last year at Fienberg Fisher K-8 center middle school and is blind. His goal is to become a lawyer. In his free time, Diandre likes to study law and even knows all the bill of rights by heart.
- Marnel Jean – A senior at Michael Krop Senior High School who would like to pursue a law degree. He plays the trombone and is part of the Miami Youth Orchestra. He comes from a single parent home.
- Sebastian Torres – A transgendered client who lost his vision due to diabetic retinopathy. He is a trained cello player and wants to pursue music training once he competes his rehabilitation.
“I was shocked when I first heard that I am going to get an OrCam,” Incera said. “I feel like it’s an honor. I think it is going to help me pursue my career in law because if there is an assignment or a test that I need to take I think this OrCam is going to be extremely useful. I thank the Dolphins and everyone involved. I thank them for being here and for giving us this gift because it is honestly one of the best gifts I’ve ever received. It is literally life changing.”
“We want to help level the playing field for these students so that they may have just as much of an opportunity not only in the classroom but in life,” Miami Dolphins Senior Vice President of Communications and Community Affairs Jason Jenkins said. “Our goal with FOOTBALL UNITES™ is to be inclusive and aware of the diversity that make up South Florida by uniting groups of different races, genders, sexual orientations, identities and disabilities through power of football and I think we did that here today.”
Miami Dolphins Feed More Than 1,500 Families Throughout South Florida With Thanksgiving Meals
Download PDF version
November 21, 2018
***Image Credit: Miami Dolphins***
Images: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ioxyh71h1ysdl95/AADWkzflANyLodDANZXeMeyma?dl=0
Miami Dolphins Feed More Than 1,500 Families Throughout South Florida With Thanksgiving Meals
Miami, FL – The Miami Dolphins continued their longstanding tradition of assisting the community and those in need during the 2018 season. Players, cheerleaders, alumni and staff collaborated to feed more than 1,500 families in South Florida throughout November.
“We are proud to be active and engaged community partners of South Florida and we want to give back with what will hopefully make the holiday season a little easier for families and those less fortunate,” Miami Dolphins Senior Vice President of Communications and Community Affairs Jason Jenkins said. “Football is synonymous with family and teamwork and by working together we hope to make this Thanksgiving enjoyable for everyone.”
Miami Dolphins Thanksgiving distribution events included:
- In partnership with Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez and Miami-Dade Comissioners, the Miami Dolphins distributed turkeys and gift cards to more than 500 families throughout Miami-Dade County just in time for Thanksgiving. Together with Dolphins alumni Donald Brown, Troy Drayton and Twan Russell and cheerleaders, the Dolphins delivered 60 turkeys to the students of Hialeah Gardens Elementary with Commissioner Jose Diaz, 60 turkeys to Commissioner Rebeca Sosa’s District Office in West Miami and 60 turkeys to the Leadership Learning Center at St. John Bosco in Miami on Friday, Nov. 16 with Commissioner Eileen Higgins.
- Miami Dolphins alumni Lorenzo Hampton and Twan Russell, cheerleaders and staff followed up by picking up and delivering 60 turkeys to an event hosted by Commissioner Barbara J. Jordan at the Landmark Community Center in Miami Gardens on Monday Nov. 19. Furthermore, Dolphins alumni Sean Clancy, OJ McDuffie, Bryant Salter and Shawn Wooden and cheerleaders joined Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez later that afternoon to distribute 100 additional turkeys to Curly’s House of Style in Liberty City, Miami. In addition, the team joined forces with Miami-Dade Commissioners Sally Heyman, Audrey Edmonson, Jean Monestime, Daniella Levine Cava, and City of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez to provide gift cards and turkeys to underserved constituents within their respective communities.
- As the Dolphins bye week came to an end, Miami Dolphins Running Back Kenyan Drake spent his day off working with the Miami Dolphins and Publix to host a Thanksgiving Dinner for 50 kids of the Broward Boys & Girls Club on Sunday, Nov. 18. The youth had the opportunity to spend an evening with Drake, meet Dolphins cheerleaders, tour Hard Rock Stadium, and enjoy a Thanksgiving Meal provided by Publix and Dolphins staff. Additionally, each child went home with a Publix Meal Kit capable of feeding 4-6 people for their families to enjoy on Thanksgiving Day.
- Miami Dolphins players Stephone Anthony, John Denney, Matt Haack, Ted Larsen, Quentin Poling, Jason Sanders and Kenny Stills, along with T.D., staff and Miami Gardens Mayor Oliver G. Gilbert in collaboration with Hyundai Motor America lined up to distribute 500 Thanksgiving meals from Publix to local families in the South Florida area on Tuesday, Nov. 19. Purchased by players, coaching staff and Hyundai Motor America, the traditional meal kits were capable of feeding a household of 6-8 people and consisted of a turkey, mash potatoes and gravy, dressing, cranberry sauce, and marshmallow delight. The families, pre-selected by Feeding South Florida from 50 nonprofit partner agencies throughout Palm Beach, Broward and Miami Dade-Counties, also had the opportunity to take photos and get autographs from the players.
“Hyundai is proud to again partner with the Miami Dolphins Thanksgiving outreach program,” Hyundai Regional Merchandising Manager Mike Donahoo said. “Giving back in the communities our team members live and work in is a big part of who we are; it’s very rewarding and we have looked forward to participating.”
- With the support of the Miami Dolphins, Defensive Tackle Davon Godchaux and Wide Receiver Albert Wilson hosted additional turkey distributions to the South Florida community with Godchaux‘s event providing 152 turkeys and Wilson’s event with 100 turkeys.
- Dolphins Kids Cook-Off presented by Publix in which Dolphins players, staff, and local police officers provided 19 students with an interactive cooking class and $100 Publix gift card to help with groceries for the upcoming holiday season.
The Miami Dolphins and Dairy Council of Florida Celebrate Continued Commitment to Youth Health & Wellness
Download PDF version
November 16, 2018
***Image Credit: Miami Dolphins***
Images: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/sqwp0cjyf923pfw/AAABGsDVTNPUgedmBeeEPcQ1a?dl=0
The Miami Dolphins and Dairy Council of Florida Celebrate Continued Commitment to Youth Health & Wellness
Palm Beach, FL – The Miami Dolphins along with alumni Sam Madison, Twan Russell, cheerleaders and T.D. in partnership with the Dairy Council of Florida surprised the students of Lake Park Elementary with a $10,000 grant as part of the partnership’s renewed commitment to the Hometown Grant Program in an effort to improve youth health and wellness.
“The Miami Dolphins are happy to partner with the Dairy Council of Florida to provide much needed funds that will help make a difference for the overall wellbeing of the community,” said Miami Dolphins Senior Vice President of Communications & Community Affairs Jason Jenkins. “Our goal is to level the playing field and we hope that this grant will give Lake Park Elementary students the opportunity to live healthier and more active lifestyles.”
Funding from the grant was used for the school to purchase an open air cooler to provide students with easier access to the different milk options available to them during lunch. The other portion of the grant will be used to purchase sneakers for all 378 students. In this way, the grant can promote both nutrition and physical activity.
“Lake Park Elementary is beyond grateful to be the recipient of the 2018-2019 Hometown Grant,” said Principal of Lake Park Elementary Michelle Fleming,. “Thank you to the Miami Dolphins organization and the Dairy Council of Florida for this tremendous opportunity for my 378 Lake Park Students. We have been keeping this secret for a while now and I just loved seeing their faces light up. As a proud principal I live for moments like this to be able to celebrate with all the students at once.”
Developed by the NFL and Fuel Up to Play 60 in 2014, the initiative provides grants to support physical activity and nutrition programs in school districts in all 32 NFL markets.
“We are so excited to partner with Lake Park Elementary and the Miami Dolphins to teach children the importance of not only getting in 60 minutes of physical activity per day but also fueling their bodies the right way,” said Director of Youth Wellness of the Dairy Council of Florida Teresa Moran-Wiebe. “Implementing change now will make sure these kids make healthier choices in the future.”
Through the Hometown Grants program, NFL teams and state/regional dairy organizations identify deserving schools in their communities to receive funding to help facilitate sustainable physical activity and healthy eating programs for students. Since 2014, the program has provided more than 700 schools nationwide with funds and resources, resulting in more than one million students staying physically active and making healthier food choices. This year, Lake Park Elementary in Palm Beach County was selected to receive the funding. The school also made the commitment to actively participate in Fuel Up to Play 60, which is a nutrition and physical activity program that empowers youth to take action for their own health by implementing long-term, positive changes for themselves and their school.
Miami Dolphins Donate Weight Room Equipment to Glades Central Community High School as Part of the Junior Dolphins Donation Program
Download PDF version
November 15, 2018
Image Credit: Miami Dolphins
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/se16z4hq1n735ru/AACclu6CEtSKam9Sl9DyAUACa?dl=0
#TeamWorkAtWork #JuniorDolphins #LetsPlayFootball
Miami Dolphins Donate Weight Room Equipment to Glades Central Community High School as Part of the Junior Dolphins Donation Program
Belle Glade, Fla. – The Miami Dolphins donated new weight room equipment to the Glades Central Community High School football team. The donated equipment included Junior Dolphins t-shirts, cleats, weight benches, dumbbell sets, boxes and barbell clips. Dolphins and Glades Central alum Louis Oliver Oliver also made a surprise $5,000 donation to the program and the team had the opportunity to hear from Dolphins alum and Youth Programs Ambassador Twan Russell about overcoming adversity.
“It warms my heart to come back here to be able to give and hopefully help some of the young men come up and be productive and good citizens,” Oliver said.
“It was extremely awesome to have the Miami Dolphins and Louis Oliver come out and do a weight room reveal to the kids to really give them something to be prideful of,” Glades Central Community High School Head Football Coach Jessie Hester said. “It’s just amazing to see the smiles on their faces and see the joy in their hearts to have a weight room of this nature.”
“We don’t have much here, so it meant a lot for the Dolphins to come out,” Glades Central Community High School senior wide receiver Odieu Hilaire said. “The message that Twan gave us was that we have to press on, fight through adversity so we can come out victorious.”
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 Key West High School, Marathon High School and Coral Shores 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.
Miami Dolphins sign Butler
Download PDF version
November 14, 2018
Miami Dolphins sign Butler
MIAMI – The Miami Dolphins today announced they have signed wide receiver Brice Butler.
Butler is a six-year NFL veteran who played two seasons with Oakland (2013-14) and the past four with Dallas (2015-18). He’s appeared in 63 NFL games and made seven starts, totaling 73 receptions for 1,177 yards (16.1 avg.) and eight touchdowns. Butler played in two games for Dallas this season but was released on Oct. 22, 2018. He originally entered the NFL as a seventh-round pick (209th overall) by Oakland in the 2013 NFL draft.
| Name |
Pos. |
Hgt. |
Wgt. |
Birthdate |
Exp. |
College |
Hometown |
Acq. |
| Brice Butler |
WR |
6-3 |
220 |
1/29/90 |
6 |
San Diego State ’13 |
Norcross, Ga. |
FA, ‘18 |
