Miami Dolphins Become First NFL Franchise To Host Multiple International Cheerleader Auditions
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January 21, 2016
Miami Dolphins Become First NFL Franchise To Host Multiple International Cheerleader Auditions
Miami, Fla. – The Miami Dolphins will host cheerleader auditions in Bogota, Colombia; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Mexico City, Mexico and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Dolphins also will continue to host auditions in South Florida. The team will canvas Latin America in search of adding enthusiastic, charismatic and talented women to represent one of the most prestigious brands in the NFL.
“Miami is the gateway to Latin America and the Miami Dolphins are a global brand. We are excited to combine the beauty we have in South Florida with the ladies we meet in Latin America in hopes of forming a truly international squad,” Miami Dolphins Senior Director of Entertainment & Brand Impact Dorie Grogan said.
One of the most visible entertainment groups in all of professional sports, the Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders have traveled to more than 30 countries on five continents over the past decade and continue to be an iconic and international face of NFL Cheerleaders. The cheerleaders are on the sidelines for all home games and are extremely active in the community; visiting schools and hospitals, as well as charity and corporate events.
Ladies at least 18 years old by May 1, 2016 and high school graduates by June 1, 2016 with a valid passport for travel are welcome to register for auditions. The following are the dates and locations for auditions:
| Date |
Venue |
Location |
| March 3 |
JW Marriott Copacabana |
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| March 6 |
Sheraton Buenos Aires Hotel y Centro de Convenciones |
Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| March 12 |
Location to be announced |
Mexico City, Mexico |
| April 2 |
Four Points by Sheraton |
Bogota, Colombia |
| April 23 |
Doctors Hospital Training Facility |
South Florida |
A select few ladies will make it to Final Auditions, scheduled for May 1 at Nova Southeastern University.
For further information or to register for auditions, please visit DolphinsCheerleaders.com
LANDRY AND ALBERT NAMED TO PRO BOWL
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January 20, 2016
LANDRY AND ALBERT NAMED TO PRO BOWL
NEW YORK – The National Football League today announced that Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jarvis Landry and tackle Branden Albert have been selected to participate in the 2016 Pro Bowl. The annual contest will be played on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2016 and televised live on ESPN at 7 p.m. ET from Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Landry had one of the most productive seasons in Dolphins history in 2015, totaling a franchise-record 110 receptions. His 1,157 receiving yards were sixth-most in a single-season in team history. Landry totaled 1,947 combined yards (1,157 receiving, 113 rushing and 667 return yards), placing him fifth in club annals. For his career, Landry has caught more passes (194) than any player has ever amassed in his first two NFL seasons. He was named a co-recipient of the team’s Dan Marino Most Valuable Player Award on Dec. 31, 2015.
Landry becomes just the eighth wide receiver to be selected to a Pro Bowl, joining Paul Warfield (1970-74), Nat Moore (1977), Mark Duper (1983-84, 1986), Mark Clayton (1984-86, 1988, 1991), Irving Fryar (1993-94), Chris Chambers (2005) and Brandon Marshall (2011).
This is Landry’s first Pro Bowl selection and he earned it following his second NFL season, joining Duper (1983) and Clayton (1984) as the only wide receivers in team history to accomplish that feat.
Albert was named to the Pro Bowl for his second time overall and first as a member of the Dolphins. Albert was also selected to the 2013 Pro Bowl as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs and becomes the only offensive tackle in Dolphins history to earn Pro Bowl recognition with two franchises.
Albert started 14 games at left tackle in 2015 and earned the team’s Ed Block Courage Award after overcoming a significant right knee injury on Nov. 9, 2014. Protecting quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s blind side, Albert helped the signal-caller pass for 4,208 yards in 2015, the ninth-best mark in the NFL and the most in Tannehill’s career. He also paved the way for running back Lamar Miller to tie his career high with eight rushing touchdowns.
Albert becomes the fifth Dolphins offensive tackle selected to the Pro Bowl and first since Jake Long in 2011. He joins Norm Evans (1972, 1974), Wayne Moore (1973), Richmond Webb (1990-96) and Long (2008-11) on the list. Along with center Mike Pouncey, this marks the eight consecutive season that a Dolphins offensive lineman has been selected to the Pro Bowl.
Landry and Albert join Pouncey as the three Dolphins selected for the game. Miami has had at least one representative in the Pro Bowl in all but two seasons. The only seasons in which the Dolphins did not have a Pro Bowl representative were following the 1980 and 1997 campaigns.
Landry will replace Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown and Albert will replace Washington Redskins tackle Trent Williams.
For the third consecutive year, the Pro Bowl will be “unconferenced.” Players will be assigned to teams through the Pro Bowl Draft, which will air on Wednesday, Jan. 27 on ESPN2 (7:30 p.m. ET). Two Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receivers — Michael Irvin and Jerry Rice — will serve as NFL Legends captains for the 2016 Pro Bowl. Irvin and Rice return for the second time after being the winning captains during the previous two Pro Bowls.
MIAMI DOLPHINS ADD THREE ASSISTANTS TO COACHING STAFF
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January 20, 2016
MIAMI DOLPHINS ADD THREE ASSISTANTS TO COACHING STAFF
MIAMI – The Miami Dolphins today announced that Clyde Christensen has been named offensive coordinator, Bo Hardegree quarterbacks coach and Jeremiah Washburn assistant offensive line coach.
Christensen has been an offensive coach for more than 35 years, including 20 in the NFL, and brings three seasons of NFL offensive coordinator experience to the Dolphins. He spent the past 14 seasons (2002-15) with the Indianapolis Colts, where he was the offensive coordinator for two years (2010-11) and, most recently, the quarterbacks coach (2012-15).
At Indianapolis, Christensen worked closely with quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck. In his four seasons as quarterbacks coach, the Colts went 41-23 (.641), advanced to the playoffs three times and won the AFC South twice. From 2012-14, Luck recorded the most passing yards (12,957), the second-most passing touchdowns (86) and tied for the second-most regular season victories (33) by any NFL quarterback in his first three seasons.
As offensive coordinator for the Colts (2010-11), Christensen helped Manning set an NFL record with 450 completions in 2010. Manning posted his 13th consecutive 25-plus touchdown season and 11th 4,000-plus yards passing season in 2010 and set then-career highs for completions (450), attempts (679) and yards (4,700). Those numbers were also single-season franchise records.
Christensen worked with the Colts’ wide receivers from 2002-09 and added assistant head coach responsibilities in 2008. The Colts had at least one wide out selected for the Pro Bowl in all eight seasons he worked with the unit. Wide receivers Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne played the majority of their NFL careers with Christensen as their position coach and currently rank first and second in team history in nearly every career receiving category, including receptions, receiving yards, touchdowns and 100-yard receiving games. Christensen also helped Indianapolis win Super Bowl XLI in February 2007.
Prior to Indianapolis, Christensen spent six seasons (1996-2001) on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers staff (1996-2001). He served as tight ends coach (1996-98), quarterbacks coach (1999-2000) and was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2001, where he helped the Buccaneers reach the NFC playoffs after a 9-7 regular-season finish. Under Christensen in 2001, wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson set the franchise record with 106 receptions and quarterback Brad Johnson set the club single-season mark with 340 completions.
Hardegree brings eight years of coaching experience to Miami and spent the 2015 season as an offensive assistant with the Chicago Bears, where he worked under current Dolphins Head Coach Adam Gase, who was then the Bears’ offensive coordinator. In Hardegree’s lone season in Chicago, he helped the Bears’ rushing attack improve from No. 27 to No. 11 in the NFL as the unit averaged 25.6 more rushing yards per game. Bears quarterback Jay Cutler finished the 2015 season with the highest passer rating (92.3) of his career and threw seven fewer interceptions than the prior year. He also posted the best interception rate (2.3) of his career in a season where he played at least 12 games. Running back Jeremy Langford rushed for 537 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie. His 537 rushing yards ranked seventh among NFL rookies and his six touchdowns were tied for fourth amongst rookie rushers.
In 2014, Hardegree was an offensive quality control coach for the Denver Broncos, also working with Gase. Hardegree helped the Broncos finish 12-4, earn an AFC West title and first-round bye in the playoffs. Denver ranked second in the NFL in scoring, averaging 30.1 points per contest. Quarterback Peyton Manning completed 66.2 percent of his passes for 4,727 yards and 39 touchdowns and set the NFL’s career passing touchdown record on Oct. 19, 2014 against San Francisco. Wide receiver Demaryius Thomas recorded 1,619 receiving yards, breaking the team record for most receiving yards in a season. Thomas’ 111 receptions were a career high and ranked second in the NFL. Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders also set career highs in both receptions (101) and receiving yards (1,404) and ranked fifth in the NFL in both categories. Running back C.J. Anderson, who entered the 2014 season with just seven career carries, rushed for 648 yards on 140 carries (4.6 avg.) and eight touchdowns over the final seven games of the regular season, helping the Broncos win five of their final seven contests. Anderson was the first Denver running back since 2004 to rush for 150 yards in back-to-back games.
Prior to Denver, Hardegree spent three years (2011-13) as an intern at Louisiana State, working with the offense in 2012-13 and the defense in 2011. During his three seasons, LSU went 33-7 overall, winning the SEC in 2011 and advancing to the 2012 BCS National Championship Game. In 2013, LSU ranked 23rd out of 124 FBS teams in scoring, averaging 35.8 points per game. Current Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jarvis Landry was the team’s leading receiver, hauling in 77 receptions for 1,193 yards and 10 touchdowns. At LSU, Hardegree also coached New York Giants wide out Odell Beckham, a two-time Pro Bowl selection and the 2014 Associated Press NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, and Cincinnati Bengals’ RB Jeremy Hill, who rushed for 1,124 yards as a rookie in 2014.
Washburn spent the past seven years (2009-15) working with the offensive line for the Detroit Lions. He joined the Lions staff in 2009 as an assistant offensive line coach and was promoted to offensive line coach in 2013.
The 2014 Detroit Lions won 11 games, the most in a single season for the franchise since 1991. Washburn’s offensive line helped protect quarterback Matthew Stafford, who earned Pro Bowl honors by directing the No. 12 passing offense in the NFL (251.9 yards per game). The offensive line was forced to use seven different starting lineup combinations due to injuries and Washburn helped two rookie offensive linemen, tackle Cornelius Lucas and guard Travis Swanson, develop. Swanson started four games and was voted the team’s Rookie of the Year by the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association.
In 2013, Washburn’s first year as the Lions’ offensive line coach, he helped a unit that returned just two starters rank second in the league in fewest sacks allowed (23). Detroit also finished second in sacks per pass play (3.5 percent) and tied for first in percentage of negative offensive plays (6.9 percent). The unit allowed zero or one sacks in 11 games and allowed two or fewer sacks in 14 games. On Nov. 28, 2013, the Lions rushed for 241 yards against Green Bay, the club’s most in a single game since Oct. 12, 1997.
Prior to Detroit, Washburn worked six seasons (2003-08) with the Baltimore Ravens in personnel and scouting. He spent two years as a player personnel assistant (2003-04) and four as an area scout (2005-08), where he was responsible for scouting the southwest area. As a player personnel assistant, he assisted in pro scouting, including some advance scouting of opponents, unrestricted free agents, NFL Europe and other free agents. He also assisted the college scouting director in preparation for the NFL draft.
MIAMI DOLPHINS SIGN TWO TO RESERVE/FUTURE CONTRACTS
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January 19, 2016
MIAMI DOLPHINS SIGN TWO TO RESERVE/FUTURE CONTRACTS
MIAMI – The Miami Dolphins today announced that the team has signed quarterback Zac Dysert and tight end Dominique Jones to reserve/future contracts.
Dysert was a seventh-round selection (234th overall) by the Denver Broncos in the 2013 NFL draft. He was on the Broncos’ active roster for the entire 2013 season. Dysert was a member of Denver’s practice squad in 2014 and spent time on Houston and Buffalo’s practice squads in 2015. He played collegiately at Miami (Ohio) and became the school’s all-time leading passer with 12,013 career passing yards, surpassing former Redhawk and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
Jones entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the Indianapolis Colts in 2012, playing in four games that season. He played in eight NFL games in 2013, six with Indianapolis and two with the Kansas City Chiefs, and appeared in one contest for the Broncos in 2014. For his career, Jones has played in 13 games, starting three, and has three receptions for 42 yards (14.0 avg.) and two first-down catches. He was briefly on Miami’s practice squad in 2012.
Dolphins Cancer Challenge 2016 Save The Date
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January 19, 2016
Dolphins Cancer Challenge 2016 Save The Date
The Miami Dolphins will hold the 6th Annual Dolphins Cancer Challenge (DCC) on February 20, 2016.
On February 20, 2016, all routes for DCC VI will lead to Sun Life Stadium. Participants can choose between seven options: from a 5k walk/run to rides 13-100 miles. In addition, there are volunteer opportunities available for anyone who interested in being a cancer fighter.
The DCC will culminate in a Finish Line Celebration with Grammy-Award winners Sheryl Crow and Melissa Etheridge to headline the festivities at Sun Life Stadium. The concert will be a celebration of DCC participants’ hard work and fundraising efforts for cancer research. All members of the community are invited to join in the celebration.
The DCC is dedicated to improving people’s lives through the financial support of innovative cancer research at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. This is done through a fun, safe and exceptional bike ride with routes in Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale and Miami and 5k run/walk at Sun Life Stadium, with 100% of participant-raised funds going directly to Sylvester. Founded by the Miami Dolphins in 2010, the DCC has already raised more than $11 million for cancer research in the South Florida community.
More information on all of the activities associated with the DCC, along with fundraising requirements for each event and information on the concert, including purchasing tickets, can be found at DolphinsCancerChallenge.com.
The Dolphins Cancer Challenge (DCC) was founded in 2010 by the Miami Dolphins organization as the signature initiative of the Foundation’s health pillar. In part inspired by Dolphins alumnus and long-time radio voice Jim “Mad Dog” Mandich’s courageous battle with cancer, the DCC’s mission is to improve people’s lives through financial support for innovative cancer research at South Florida’s only academic-based cancer center –Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami. Since its inception, the DCC has raised over $11.55 million, donating 100% of participant-raised funds to Sylvester. Every person, fan and age can fight cancer! For additional information, call (305) 943-6799 or visit www. DolphinsCancerChallenge.com. DCC can be found on Facebook at facebook.com/RideDCC and on Twitter at @TackleCancer.
MIAMI DOLPHINS SIGN TUAAU TO RESERVE/FUTURE CONTRACT
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January 14, 2016
MIAMI DOLPHINS SIGN TUAAU TO RESERVE/FUTURE CONTRACT
MIAMI – The Miami Dolphins today announced that the team has signed defensive tackle Charles Tuaau to a reserve/future contract.
Tuaau (pronounced TWO-au) spent the 2015 training camp with the Kansas City Chiefs. He entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Chiefs on May 15, 2015.
Tuaau played collegiately at Texas A&M-Commerce where he recorded 86 tackles and 34 tackles for loss in his two-year career and helped the Lions win the 2014 Lone Star Conference Championship.
In 2014, Tuaau was named a finalist for the Cliff Harris Award, given annually to the best defensive small college player in the country after he accounted for 27 total tackles, including nine tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. As a junior in 2013, Tuaau earned American Football Coaches Association All-America first team honors and was named the Lone Star Conference Defensive Player of the Year with 59 total tackles (31 solo), 25.5 tackles for loss and 12.5 sacks.
MIAMI DOLPHINS ANNOUNCE UPDATES TO COACHING AND PERSONNEL DEPARTMENTS
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January 12, 2016
MIAMI DOLPHINS ANNOUNCE UPDATES TO COACHING AND PERSONNEL DEPARTMENTS
MIAMI – The Miami Dolphins announced that Vance Joseph has been named defensive coordinator, Matt Burke linebackers coach, Shane Day tight ends coach, Chris Foerster offensive line coach and Shawn Jefferson wide receivers coach. In addition, Eric Stokes will now serve as senior personnel executive.
A former NFL cornerback, Vance Joseph brings 11 years of experience coaching defensive backs at the NFL level. He spent the past two seasons (2014-15) as the defensive backs coach for the Cincinnati Bengals, where he helped the team lead the league with 41 interceptions and limit opposing passers to the lowest passer rating (77.4) in the NFL during those two seasons. During Joseph’s tenure in Cincinnati, the Bengals were the only team to have more interceptions (41) than passing touchdowns allowed (36). Cincinnati also led the league in interception percentage (3.3 percent) and touchdown percentage (2.9) and ranked fifth in fewest yards allowed per attempt (6.60) during that span. In 2015, the Bengals ranked second in the league in fewest points allowed, surrendering just 17.4 points per contest. The defense intercepted 21 passes, the third-best mark in the league.
As the defensive backs coach for the Houston Texans from 2011-13, Joseph helped make major improvement to Houston’s secondary. He inherited the NFL’s worst pass defense (267.5 yards allowed per game) and, in one season, improved the unit to No. 3 (189.7 yards allowed per game) in the NFL. The Texans led the league in opponent completion percentage (51.9) by nearly two points and were second in opponent passer rating (69.0). Prior to Houston, Joseph spent six seasons (2005-10) on the San Francisco 49ers coaching staff, including five years as the team’s defensive backs coach. He also coached defensive backs at Wyoming, Colorado and Bowling Green. Joseph was a three-year letterman at Colorado where he played quarterback and running back for the Buffaloes. He signed with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 1995 and played defensive back for two years with the Jets (1995) and Indianapolis Colts (1996), starting six games and recording two interceptions.
Matt Burke spent the past seven years as an NFL linebackers coach, working with the position group in Cincinnati (2014-15) and Detroit (2009-13). He also spent five years with the Tennessee Titans where he served as an administrative assistant (2004-05) and defensive assistant/quality control coach (2006-08). Burke came to Cincinnati from the Lions, where he spent five seasons as the linebackers coach. In 2013, he helped lead a Lions defense that ranked sixth in the NFL against the run. Burke spent five years with the Tennessee Titans as an administrative assistant and defensive assistant. He was working primarily with linebackers in 2008 when the Titans posted a 13-3 mark, the best record in the NFL and tied for the winningest season in franchise history. Burke also spent time coaching at Harvard, Boston College and Bridgton Academy in Maine.
Shane Day arrives in Miami after two seasons (2014-15) as the assistant offensive line coach with the Washington Redskins where he worked with Dolphins offensive line coach Chris Foerster in 2014. Prior to Washington, Day was the quarterbacks coach at Connecticut for two seasons and coached quarterbacks for the Chicago Bears from 2010-11. Day also spent three seasons on the offensive staff with the San Francisco 49ers (2007-09) as an offensive quality control coach. He worked with the team’s quarterbacks in 2007, running backs in 2008 and offensive line in 2009. Previous coaching stops for Day include the University of Michigan and Auburn Riverside High School in Auburn, Wash. A wide receiver at Rhode College in Memphis, Tenn., Day was a two-sport athlete, also playing baseball. He graduated from Kansas State in 1999 with a degree in English.
Chris Foerster (pronounced FURR-stir) brings 23 years of NFL experience to Miami, including 20 years as an NFL offensive line coach. He spent one season as the Dolphins’ offensive coordinator in 2004 and returns to Miami from San Francisco, where he was the 49ers’ offensive line coach in 2015. Throughout his lengthy coaching career, Foerster has mentored six players that were selected to 15 Pro Bowls – center Jeff Christy (2000), center Tony Mayberry (1996-99), guard Randall McDaniel (1993, 1995, 2000), tackle Jonathan Ogden (2005-07), tackle Joe Staley (2015) and tackle Trent Williams (2012-14). Foerster came to San Francisco after spending five seasons (2010-14) as the offensive line coach for the Washington Redskins. Foerster worked for the 49ers (2008-09) and the Baltimore Ravens (2005-07) where he oversaw the offensive line for each team. In Baltimore, he also held assistant head coach responsibilities. Foerster was the Miami Dolphins’ offensive coordinator in 2004. He has also held coaching positions with the Indianapolis Colts (2002-03), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1996-2001), Minnesota Vikings (1993-95), University of Minnesota (1992), Stanford (1988-91) and his alma mater, Colorado State (1982-87). Foerster played center at Colorado State, beginning his career as a walk-on before earning a scholarship as a sophomore.
Shawn Jefferson played wide receiver for 13 seasons in the NFL and spent the past 11 years coaching for the Detroit Lions (2005-12) and the Tennessee Titans (2013-15). As the wide receivers coach for the Titans the past three seasons, Jefferson mentored wide receiver Kendall Wright, who ranked 12th among AFC wide receivers in receptions (187) and receiving yards (2,202) from 2013-15. Prior to Tennessee, Jefferson spent eight seasons on the Detroit Lions’ coaching staff. As wide receiver Calvin Johnson’s position coach, Johnson led the NFL in receiving yards (7,080), receiving touchdowns (5) and receptions of 25 yards or more (70). A Jacksonville, Fla. native, Jefferson played at Central Florida from 1988-90.
Eric Stokes served as the team’s assistant general manager for the past two seasons (2014-15). He originally joined the Dolphins on May 15, 2014 after spending two seasons (2012-13) with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the director of college scouting. He was responsible for coordinating and compiling the evaluations of all draft-eligible players, while overseeing the entire college scouting staff. Stokes came to the Buccaneers after 14 seasons of playing and scouting experience in the NFL. He worked 12 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks as assistant director of college scouting (2010-11), area scout (2000-01, 2005-09) and as an assistant in the pro personnel department (2002-04). Stokes played two seasons as a safety for the Seahawks after being selected in the fifth round (121st overall) of the 1997 NFL draft. He also was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the 1999 expansion draft. Stokes graduated from the University of Nebraska with a degree in sociology.
MIAMI DOLPHINS WAIVE FOX
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January 12, 2016
MIAMI DOLPHINS WAIVE FOX
MIAMI – The Miami Dolphins today announced tackle Jason Fox has been waived.
Fox played in 24 games over the past two seasons for Miami. He started 13 total games, 11 at right tackle and two at left tackle after originally signing with the Dolphins on April 2, 2014 as an unrestricted free agent.
During his six-year NFL career, Fox played 37 career games and made 16 starts. He entered the league as a fourth-round selection (128th overall) by the Detroit Lions in the 2010 NFL draft after completing his collegiate career at the University of Miami.
