Kenyan Drake: Miami Miraculous

Published Sep 24, 2024, 9:00 AM
Kenyan Drake delivered his fair share of big plays in three-plus seasons with the Miami Dolphins, but none was more spectacular than his 69-yard “Miami Miracle” to lift the Fins over the Patriots in 2018. The recently retired Drake dives in to discuss that iconic moment and other great memories during his Dolphins tenure. Contributors to this episode include Sevach Melton and Dolphins Productions. Theme song created and performed by The Honorable SoLo D.

You're now diving.

I have been that.

Who then sitting down with Seth Living Oh, Jay Jew Juice whoa And this is strictly for them true.

Faphins number one.

Of course, y'all, this ain't the other nearest sports talk that might have.

Been that pitch Tank.

Welcome back to the fish Tank, presented by iHeartRadio right here on the Miami Dolphins podcast Network, Seth Levitt and the toughest podcaster Dann Marino ever played with. He is Oj McDuffie, Juice. We're back on your side of the ball. I know you're fired up.

You know I said, you know, while you're taking my thunder Man. You know that's where I was going, big Seth, you know what I mean. Anytime we get to the offense side of the ball, which is obviously the most important side of football because about scoring points, I get I get stoked, man, I get pumped.

Man. And this guy right here, boy, I.

Was, uh, you know, one of his biggest fans when he was here, bro, So it's gonna be fun to talk to him today.

Well, there's definitely some fun things to talk about. Very excited to welcome the newly retired looking refreshed, re energized Kenyon Drake, Welcome to the Fish Tank.

Man, appreciate you for having me on, guys, Man, thanks for the kind words.

Man.

For sure, fans are gonna be fired up.

Jews.

It wasn't that long ago they were cheering for this guy in orange and aqua.

Correct. Correct?

I don't know why you always do orange and aqua? Man, I always go aquaan orange? Man, why do you go back?

Man? You just let's go what Bro? What's going on with Brillion writer and stuff? Seth? But the orange and aqua drives me crazy sometimes.

Bro, Well, I'm wearing them.

I got the orange jersey on today, so you know I'm going orange first.

I'm leading with the orange. I'll try to rephrase that next week.

You don't have to, Man, don't change because of me. Bro. I mean, you do you all right? You do you right?

Sounds good? Sounds good?

Kenyan?

You know I don't think we can You know there's any other way to start this interview off other than going back to December ninth, twenty eighteen. Man, We're hosting New England and Tom Brady and Ryan tanney Hill are going back and forth for bro Trading scores, throwing touchdown passes, just a real battle. But eventually Brady does with you know what Brady's done a lot of and he leads the Patriots on a full minute drive to pull ahead by five points. And there's just seven seconds left on the clock after you know, if they're ensuing kickoff. So now we're down five, ball at our own thirty one, and the game should be over. What happens next is hands down one of the greatest greatest plays in Miami Dolphins history. Walk us through the Miracle in Miami. Bro.

Yeah, man, it's crazy to think about, actually, because the fact that that was a play you know, as you know, being you know, on the office side of the ball, you practice that maybe once a week if so. And it's obviously obviously different plays every time because they are the end of the game plays. So throughout the week, like you said, December ninth is week twelve thirteen. So we've practiced that play maybe twice that season, just on Saturday walking through and every other time we practice in the the play, you know, we never really kind of got it right because it's just like, all right, you look at the script, you try to go out there and remember what you do and sometimes you know, you just mess up it.

Just you know, it is what it is.

So that was the first time that we practice that specific play and got it right the first time the day before. So everybody's cheering. Everybody's all right, cool, you know, let's like, let's not hope we need to use it, you know.

Cool.

We don't want to be in the situation that have to use this lo and behold. Obviously, we go out there and we're down by you know, said amount of points we have to call this play.

So we remind everybody, hey, let's look at the sheet.

Let's go out there and do it. We just practice, you know, the day before, and go out there and get a win.

You know.

Tannehill gets a ball, Kenny catches the ball, pitches it to Davante.

Davante runs, pitches it to me, and.

I kind of get the ball in the situation, and I'm kind of like the end of the script, you know, to say the least, and I'm just like, all right, let's try to at least keep the ball, you know, in a lateral type of situation. I run kind of to my left. As I do that, the defense on the opposite side of the field. They don't can really converge on me. They kind of like back up to kind of see it. I'm gonna throw the ball whatever the case may be. So that kind of creates a lane for me in that sense, I just kind of you know, hit the gas at that point. Uh, Ted Larson, you know, the real hero of that play really ran up, got a you know, a nice seal block on Patrick Chong, and you know, as they say, the rest is history. Because once I saw Grunk and open field, you know, I kind of, you know, like I said, he respectfully, Grunk is gonna be a Hall of Fame tight end first bout, you know, Hall of Fame tight end.

But he wasn't gonna be known for making a tackle on me. And that.

Absolutely not.

So what is that? What is that play called? What was that play called?

It was called Boise in lou to the you know, hook hooking lateral that Boise ran on Oklahoma back in you know. Shoot, I mean I remember because I was a kid, but it was like what mid two thousand, two thousand and eight, so uh yeah, it was called Boise and uh luckily that player that namesake was able to you know, carry us to a win.

Yeah, here's here's my next question. So you got the ball last thing you talked about, it's kind of into the script we talked about. So was that all reason you're playing like you wasn't gonna lot of that thing. Man, you was like, I'm gonna i'm this thing.

Right, Yeah, for sure.

I mean, you know, in the in practice, you know, you get it and you run around and you just you know, trying to have fun with it after the script is over with. But in my head, for sure, I got the ball in my hand. I wanted to end in my hand, you know, if I if it could. You know, of course I'm about to get tackled, you know, I'm about I'm not about to try to be a hero. But at the same time, with all that face around me, you know, that's you know, you grew up in the backyard, you know, junior moments like that. So I just try to go out there and you know, make the play that was there and the player was there to be made nice.

So you ended up being a hero.

Yeah, you feel me.

So you know, there wasn't something necessarily I wouldn't not necessarily ask for it, but you know, when the opportunity posesses of you how to make the most of it.

I'm gonna tell you this too.

For me as a fan, there were so many people that had left that game, and they were.

On the head.

They were only knew even fans were staying because they thought they were about to celebrate a victory.

So a lot of fans and left me.

I was sitting in there kind of almost by myself, watching the game, and when that happened, my wife and son were at home and they were like they couldn't believe it either, man, they were they were watching on TV BRO. So for all the fans that left there, shame on them, man, because you never know what's gonna happen in a big time situation like that.

To be honest, it's funny because you you couldn't put like, you couldn't really put any words better than that. You know, obviously you got to, you know, play to the final whistle literally, But there's so many people that I've kind of run into, uh, since that play has happened. That's you know, have literally told me, man, either I watched it, you know, on TV, or I was literally act the game and I didn't leave and I saw it live, you know what I mean. So that's always pretty cool to share that moment with people.

Yeah, I wonder if more people have said it than like the capacity of the stadium, right, everybody was at the damn game, right exactly that.

Look you couldn't I'm like, all right, Like, I mean, it really wasn't. It was.

It was a good amount of people that was there, but everybody in there, you know what I mean it.

So let's talk about the journey, not just your journey on that play, but the journey that the football, the actual football took. So Travis Swanson's the center, he snaps it to Brian, who throws it to Kenny.

As you said to DeVante, gets it into.

Your hands, and then I don't know what you were thinking, obviously it was exhilarating you throw the damn thing into the stands, and then of all people, I guess she's, like you said, Dolphin fans had left. So a Patriots fan catches the ball and he flips it for five hundred bucks to a Giants fan, like what are you even doing here at the damn game? And then Steiner Sports gets their hands on it. Of course, you know they were gonna come out of the woodworks and they get their hands on.

It, Jos, I don't know if you saw this. It goes up for auction.

And it sells for almost nineteen thousand dollars, It's like eighteen six seventy eight or something.

At what point were you like, damn.

Maybe I should have kept that rock, Like at what point did you have kind of a little remorse for that? And then were you acting where the ball went? And when was the next time that you actually saw that football?

So I guess to even just cut to the end, I actually have not seen that football since I left my hand.

You still haven't seen it.

They still haven't seen it, still haven't grabbed and never had it in my possession at all. But I will tell you the backstory behind it, because I don't know if anybody really knows the story. So what happened was that, of course I've crossed the ad zone in a moment of just kind of like, I don't know, it's almost like I'm him moment. I was just kind of like, man, I'm doing this, you.

Know what I mean? Like I just was like whatever, like cool.

I just thought that was the most boss thing I could do just like throw it in the stand. So I do it, and twenty four hours go by and I actually just recently seen the video.

I don't even know how I saw it on my Twitter. I think somebody liked it.

I don't know how somebody liked it from years ago, but it popped up on my Twitter feed with me in the old facility doing a video pretty much to get it back, you know what I mean. I was offering gloves, tickets to the game, just whatever. So what happened was that the Dolphins pretty much kept me in a loop with the football in general because they were saying, hey, the person who got it who you know, ended up buying it from the buddy, Like literally was like, hey, you know, if Keny wants it back, I want fifty thousand dollars. I'm I pretty much told them kick rocks, like I'm not buying fifty dollars dollars. And I know I knowingly threw in the stands. I don't want it that bad. Like I can go pretend another ball as Miami Miracle ball.

You'll be hones.

So so with that being said, I actually never saw the ball again because it went to auction. But the Dolphins actually bid it on it, Like whoever who bought it was a Dolphins and they kind of actually came to me. It was like, look, you know, we you know, got the ball for you do you you know, do you want this ball? And honestly, at that point for eighteen thousand dollars, I kind of was just like, nah, bro, Like I love the idea of me actually scoring.

The player will live on forever.

You know, people always coming up to me and you know, respect the play, respect you know, how it made them feel.

And that's what I really cared about the end of the day.

And to be honest, I told him, you know, if they wanted to put the ball in you know, some type of case or you know display for people to you know, go and see it for themselves and cool, But like I said, I haven't seen it to this day, and I don't even know if the Dolphins even you know, made out with that type of situation.

I know the photo is on display if you walk into the stadium in that Gaye right juice, there's there's photos of like some of the greatest plays in the history of the franchise, and and that that photo is certainly on display. Yeah, it was an amazing and it was Player of the Year. It wasn't just special to us as Mighty Dolphins fans. You're walking the red carpet and the NFL honors on the ESPN and the whole thing.

It just had to be a wild ride, man.

Yeah, it really was, and I mean to this day still is because honestly, have been a part of a lot of big plays, big team wins, championships have you know in the University of Alabama had a big kickoff return back then. So it was just kind of funny, Like obviously the Dolphins have a rich history and you know the NFL, you know, the only team to go undefeated throughout the regular season, win a Super Bowl, and also playing with you know at Nick Saban during that heyday of you know, Alabama and getting new two national champions up then to be a part of two big franchises and have two big plays in those franchise history, I just couldn't you know, it makes me proud to just have followed this dream and you know, saw it through to where I'm at today.

You should be, man, Yeah, no doubt.

You know, we could probably talk about this play forever in this podcast right now, big set, you know what I mean? And and maybe that except you know, we've done the iconic stories, man, maybe this is an iconic story we can do.

Man, I think it'd be outstanding.

Right, the whole documentary on this play. I like it all right, I'm gonna get to.

Work, work, But you know, where's what I want to do, though, Kenya, I want to go back a little bit. I want to go to He'll Go High School in Power of Springs, Georgia. Man, meaning, if that sounds familiar to our listeners, I mean this is because let me tell you why it sounds familiar. Reading Office media guy, and you notice that a current office linebacker Bradley Tubb, is also from It's also a He'll grow Hawk right exact?

Correct? Yes, sir, he is? Yeah, yeah, you u tel about that far apart. Do you guys play together at though? Yeah, he was a year two younger than me.

I can't remember exactly at the most he was two years younger than me, but yeah, he he came in.

It's funny.

He's always been tall or whatever, and his brother is a year older than me, So I'm pretty sure he's actually two years younger than me.

So his brother, you're older than me.

He went to go play linebacker at wake Forest, Brandon Chubb. I think he kind of like, I don't know if he got drafted, but he played in the league for a little bit, bounced around on you know, practice squads.

A great guy.

And then his younger brother, obviously, Bradley, you know, came into He'll grove you know, tall scronnie, you know what I mean, like outside linebacker or whatever. And then I come back, you know, a couple of years later after you know, leaving to go to Bama, and I mean, he ain't a little Chubb no more, you know what I mean.

Now he's big cub, you know.

So it's just funny seeing him go and you know, carve out his own lane. Obviously he's still doing great things and you know, hopefully continue to you know, carve out you know, the way the way he's been doing, you know, just making the most of his opportunity as well.

You know, you mentioned Bama, but I mean it's you're in Georgia, you know what I mean. If you're growing up and you're being raised in Georgia, you're the Georgia.

DNA Rade Player of the year and you leave the state for Alabama. How does that happen?

Man? Because I didn't trouble back because I'm from Ohio and I left Ohio State to go to Penn State instead, and I still get a lot of flat How did Georgia not get you and let Alabama come and swoop you up?

Let me tell you.

I'll give you one name, and he's actually at Georgia now, and that's Kirby Smart. He was the recruiting coordinator for Georgia, and of course he had Georgia tis, you know, being from Georgia as well, So when he came to recruit us, you know, he was like, man, you know, come to the winning side, you know, to be honest, and I'll give you. I'll give you some numbers just to give you like an idea of like how the state of Georgia was moving versus what they're doing now and where they're actually having success is that they're actually actively recruiting the state of Georgia. Like back then, not that you know, players from Georgia didn't go to Georgia. They did, but like for whatever reason, they were more enamored with going out and getting you know, the big names from other states, which I mean cool, like, you know, they're great players as well. And of course at the time I was there, they when they got Tied Gurley, they got Keith Marshall. You know, they got great backs, you know that came through that program. But what happened really was that, you know, I guess I think they lost sight of recruiting the state and you know, Georgia is a hot bed for talent and numbers show it because I think we had nine, nine or eight out of the top ten players of my class twenty twelve go out of state, and I think seven of them went to Bama. So it's just, you know, that's just a testament to Kurby smart first and foremost and not you see the success that they're having now at Georgia with them actually focusing on the state that you know is as talented and is in their backyard. So yeah, that's that's pretty much all I can say on that. But you know, I mean I can't complain. I definitely you know, it's Roll Todd regardless.

Right right, Well, it worked out for you. Kirby was selling what Nick Saban was selling. Obviously it was a good investment in your future, as you mentioned the two national championships, but it also what's interesting to me, and especially when you get guys who are as talented as you guys were at the high school level. You get you go to school like Bama, and it starts this run of being in some really.

Crowded running back rooms.

And so your first couple of years you got guys like Eddie lacy tj Yeldon, and then those guys go to the league and maybe now it's your time to be the dude. And then oh, wait a minute, this is Derrick Henry sitting next to me, right, you know, King Henry's right there. What was it like for you? Was it frustrating to kind of always have to wait your turn or did that experience maybe help prepare you for some similar circumstances that you would run into when you got to the league.

Yeah, honestly, I thank my youngest self for having like the idea that, man, look, I know, wherever I go, I want to be able to compete. But if I want to compete at the highest level, which eventually, you know, any player with aspirations I'm making to the league has at once. You know, you got to go through some type of adversity. You gotta prepare yourself for the ventuality of being in a crowded backfield around a bunch of talented players in general, and you know, there was no better place in the country than Alabama. Granted when I first got there, you know, they were already, Like you said, Adie Lacy TJ. Yoden came my same class, so we both refreshment at the same time. Of course, you know, he went and you know, carved out his lane, you know, fairly quickly because of the talent that he was. Then we also had another five star, former five star and d Art that came from like Orlando, and also because I think him and uh no, I don't think how I played for the Dolphins, but ha, Clinton Dix was there. He was a five star and they both from the same high school. But long story short, there were already guys there as well. I'm fifth on the depth chart. Two people in front of me get hurt. Now the third of the depth chart my freshman year, and I have to play because I'm one twist and ankle, one broken shoelace from being legitimately on this field as a number two back in my freshman year. But then you know, I'm thinking I'm sitting all you know, how like all right, going to our sophomore year, Eddie leave, It's me and TJ.

You know.

Cool, Like you know, I think this is a really good one two punch. We we was able to eventually call that out, but it was for top ten backs they brought in the next year. I mean, look like, wait a minute, like you know what I mean, Like we're not okay. I guess you're just not gonna hand us the keys, I do.

We have to work for it. Cool.

So they brought in, as you mentioned, Derrick Henry albat Kamal was there for a semester, and they also had Tyron Jones who was a former five star and rest in peace al Ti Timothy. He was also a five star, so four top ten x that they brought in that year.

The next year they brought in Bo Scarborough.

They brought in a bunch of other guys, and then they also brought in Damien Harris my my senior year, so that was his freshman year. He actually just recently retired as well. So I mean just a prefler of talent, not just at the runner back position. Receiver, quarterback, especially defense, you know, that's saving specialty. So he's definitely bringing guys on that side of the ball. So, I mean we majority of the time we playing in practice. The games honestly were easier than practice. That's just how it happened sometimes, especially when we're playing against a team that's you know, not as talented us, you know, a lower ranked team like you know, Conference USA or whatever the case may be. And now those were the games that Saban was on my ass, but way more than he was against LSU R Auburn, because you know, that's just the.

Type of coach that he was.

He was more like, look, I expect you to keep the same level of attention to detail, you know, the process when we're playing these smaller schools. Like I got cussed out more times than not playing against you know, Louis Louisiana Monroe or whatever, rather than you know, when it was LSU. If an LSU player makes a play, I mean he understood that that's the name of the game.

Like they're gonna make plays.

We're gonna make plays, you know, as long as you're you know, I'm not gonna go out here to get the person for out penalty in any type of game. Yeah, I'm gonna I'm gonna heaar regardless. But if a player makes a play, didn't make a play. But you know, fifty fifty to nothing. I was coming off the bench as a freshman. Oh, I go out there and I make one mishap. I'm hearing it.

I love it. Yeah, that's he just kept you.

Yeah, he just kept that that process and that you know, attention to detail at a way higher level when those situations came.

So you know, I had to respect it.

Yeah, And I think that's why playing it, playing that program. Man, the NFL is gonna take me. There's one year talent, but the fact that you're gonna be prepared for sure to be at that at the next level.

Man.

And yeah, even though you didn't get as much burner as you would like at that point, I mean, it's obviously that the talent was there you talk about. I thought the fact that you didn't get a lot of burning Bama was great for you going to the next level. But there's the thing though, I'm reading that you ran a full four five. When I watch you in the field, man, you look like a four to three guy all day. To me, Man, I mean, is that true? Is that accurate?

I mean, that's what I ran.

Now, it's funny that you say that because you know, obviously Adam Gase was the head coach at the time when I got drafted, and you know, he was always quick to tell me when I played faster than my time. But two that you know, the time that is, you know, equated on the combine type of situation that they took was never the time that you know, coaches always sitting up in the press box however, like doing their own time. So he's always like, he never referred to my combine time. He was like, man, yeah, you're running. You run a fourth three. That's what made us draft, you know what I mean, because that's the time that he took, you know what I mean, or you know, the scouts took, or whatever the case was. So I definitely know it's funny because I try to be like, yeah, I am a four to three guy, even though I ran a four to four at the comebine, but my starts were slow both times for whatever reason, and I ran a four four five twice.

So I'm like, damn, maybe I am a.

It might be something to it.

Exactly.

But I tried to just play a little faster than the time per se because I always just felt like, you have to be quick in the phone box, you know what I mean, my phone move, you know what I mean.

You gotta be able to make people miss.

You gotta have reaction, you know, playing on offense being a back is just you know, it comes natural to us. So my natural ability to do that a couple with my speed in a sense and long speed, because I never wanted to get called from behind. You go, it's cool to be quick fast and you know, get out, but if somebody come catch you, you know what I mean, it's almost flashing the pants.

But you know, I try to time you in the sixty and then you know what I mean exactly.

It would have been good then, you know what I mean. So it's all good though.

Yeah, they said you step on that gas like you said before. You know, we've seen him return kicks right juice for touchdowns and obviously the play we talked about was was sixty nine seventy yards great gas?

Yeah, yeah, that was that was good.

Stuff, you know, and then you let's talk about you know when you get here though, can you let's talk about your draft class in general. Man, twenty sixteen, Laramy Tunsel, you know, falls to us in the first round, we grab Zavin Howard in the second round, you and the third King Grant and sixth. I mean, holy shit, man, we this one one hell of a class man. Talk about your your classmates.

Yeah, man, uh, real close knit group of people, man, still talk to a lot of them to this day, even the guys that you know aren't still playing or didn't play as long as I did, or you know, the other or aforementioned people. And that was actually a testament to you know, like we talked before we kind of started recording, Caleb Thornhill player engagement. He did a lot of things for us on and off that field that rarely, you know, build a camaraderie of that team, And honestly, you know, it was a shame that we weren't able to kind of get more out of that class, like in the time that we were there, just because of how close knit and how talented we were as a group. Especially you know, as you remember that that first year we went to the playoffs and that was the first time we went to the playoffs in like eight years. You know, what I mean, and not that it was you know, just our class because we had we were a great mix of youth but also older veteran guys like I think we had the pouncy twin on the line, had some great freaking o' lineman. Obviously Ryan Tannehill was a VET at the time as well, but that class man was was just something that I would always appreciate about being a Miami Dolphin because the camaradie that we shared, you know, just being young guys kind of like trying to lead that organization to a you know, a broader future with something that you know, we all cherished and we you know, to this day, you know, we all kind of laugh about, you know, the times we have, which is kind of crazy.

And I feel like I'm talking like I'm always talk.

We just had We just had Larry little On who talked about the you know, the nineteen seventy two season.

You sound like Larry Man. You just retired in right, Like it.

Wasn't just you know, eight four or five, six years ago, you know what I mean. So it's kind of fun.

I love it.

Yeah, yeah, you know.

What's so crazy to me too, though, Kenyon, is that you know, so have to mention that, you know, you grew behind Derek hear Me for a couple of years and running back, you know a Bama, but then you come to Davy and then you got Jed JII, Aaron Foster and even Damien Williams in there.

Man, I mean, you're back kind of in the same situation, right. What was that like for you? Honestly it was awesome, bro.

Like, I mean, you know, everybody had their days where we all wish we was a man like that's just you know, who we are as human beings, as men, as you know, men with egos.

It just is what it is. Is like, we all want to touch the ball.

We want to go out there, get twenty cares and you know, be the guy, you know what I mean. But at the same time, if you look at any given time that we went out there and individually scored a touchdown, the first people that was running off the bench to come, you know, celebrate with us was you know, the guys in our room. And that's just how we work, That's how we were built already before we got there, and we was trying to carry that through you know, the season that we had together because of just the top of men we were. And that's what I respect the most about those guys in those rumors that they were obviously great players, but there were you know, great men as well. You know that respected each of our body of work to go out there and you know, put the work in and you know, have success for the team, you know most and foremost, first and foremost.

Talking about being a team first guy. Now, now my partner here Kenyon. This is a common theme here. Two hundred plus shows well.

So he was the first round draft choice, right.

Every time, every time.

He tries to tell us how it was special teams that allowed him to make the team, as if they were gonna cut him if he didn't play special team. But he tries to tell us that it was special teams that allowed him to.

Make the team. And he you know, squad.

Right right, absolutely, and you and he was a great teams guy, returned some kicks for touchdowns. So, but Kenya was a third round draft Troy still a good draft position, but special teams, and especially in a room like that, special teams did become a big part.

Of you know, the way you were able to contribute. And so I have two things I want to ask you.

The first one is I'm not used to seeing two and ten pound dudes flying on kicking like like you're you were a larger kick returner than the average. A lot of times we get these guys that are jewe what was your playing height and weight?

So there it is.

There it is.

So you know, you get a guy six one two ten and he's got that lightning fast sixty times as we talked about juice, So just talk about that being a guy your size but still being an effective kick.

Return It's funny that you bring that up because I used to mess with d Will Damian Williams all the time before I got to Miami. I was playing Madden, and you know, d Will is a big dude too. He's like five ten, five eleven, two twenty five, you know what I mean. But he was returning kickoffs as well. But before that, I think he might've been even a little bigger than that when he first got in the league.

Right.

So I was playing Madden, playing with the Dolphins, and I just always distinctly remember who was this big fat full back they got back here returning the kicks.

Damn.

So I go to the Dolphins and I mean, d will you know what I mean? And we're good friends or whatever. But then I had to mention it to him. I'm like, bro, you was returning kicks.

He's like, yes.

I was like, Bro, I thought you was a full back. He looked at me, like, what are you talking about. I'm like, first of all, you're not fast than me, but you're a big guy return to.

Kickoffs as well.

So the fact that you think that I was a big guy, which I mean I am a larger running back, well at least taller wise, because I know, you know, running back to twenty to twenty five, but they're a little shorter, you know what I mean, right, But yeah, it's just I just tried to Especially at Bama. It was always a running joke that, you know, fire stars they go there and they get red shirted at Bama. Just you know, that's just kind of what happens sometimes get lost in the shuffle, especially if you kind of go there and there's already guys in front of you. So if you don't, you know, make an impact on special teams, then more than likely you are going you're gonna get redshirted.

It just is what it is.

Only a number of position that you can play on the field, including special teams. So I wanted to use that as an avenue to help me continue to make a team. Because I actually give you a quick another story. I got drafted third round, seventy third, seventy fourth.

Pick, one of those.

But the guy literally right behind me going into camp got cut because he was a corner back that was a fringe to make the cornerback position on the team, and then didn't play any special teams, right, So it was just like, and I'm actually going into camp, I think I hurt my hamstring, you know what I mean. So that little like that blew me away because I'm like, wait, the guy right behind me like just got cut, you know, and we didn't even finish camp yet, Like he just got drafted by this team. So I was like, wait, I gotta first get this hamstring right, and I need to get on some special teams. I need to do something to you know, make an impact on this team, because like I don't want my dream to in before it even get started, you know what I mean. So yeah, but I just you know, that's something always that I I played specsh teams in the high school college, the league.

So it was just something that came natural to me.

Well, clearly it did.

And I'm going to fast forward to a little later in the actual season, after you made the team and your returning kicks and we're playing the and it's funny enough the way all these things are connected, but it's the Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Led New York Stinking Jets. Late in the fourth quarter, we're trying to hold on to.

A lead, right Juice, we go, we go to that prevent offense and it's like twenty to sixteen, I think is the score, and we have a muffed punt or some I don't know if it was a block pond or muff pond or whatever. Two plays later, fitz has them and now they're ahead and there's only five minutes left in the game. And then they kick it off to the man with the fastest sixty time in the draft, and he goes and I'm going to ride that sixty ninety six yards later.

You make this huge impact as a rookie.

It's great to go watch the video, Juice, Like people pile on top of you, I mean everybody, and there's still five minutes to play and they're acting like it was the Miami Miracle. There's still five minutes left to play, and it had to feel great as a rookie. But what I read was it might have felt great, but it kind of didn't feel great because you got a little you got a little queasy after that long run.

Yeah, so what happened was that I can't remember if I returned to kick before or if it was ja Kim that returned to kick. We were both back there, obviously, both great dynamic return as in him in his own right, but a penalty happened. So that's what really kind of helped us be able to make that big splash again because they had to run down the field again to cover another kick. And like I said, I can't remember if I returned the kick first time or if m I think ja Qem returned it. But I mean we're still out there running around you know, summer, like not summer, but it's still Miami, you know, September October.

It's still hot, you know what I mean.

Like, so we're still tired, but yeah, we that was our second kick return. So you know, luckily I called at that time and was able to kind of you know, shoot straight down the middle and return it. But yeah, I think within a two play span we had ran like damn there.

Two hundred yards, you know what I mean? You know what I mean.

So I was just blessed to kind of be in that situation to make that play. Like I said, when the opportunity is there, you gotta take advantage of it. But yeah, I feel it. I definitely paid for it. Afterwards.

The article said that you had to like step aside.

It said you blew chunks.

Yeah, yeah, I was, Yeah, I was.

I'm trying to think like if we even had to go, well, we probably had never We didn't have to go back on offense to like really sustain a drive. We probably just have to go out there and play for a minute. But you know, Josh Jay JII was a lead back, so I have to worry about that.

But I was definitely. I was definitely tired as hell.

I'm glad I didn't have to go out there and actually try to run the ball again.

You know, it sounds like, you know, can you It sounds like like conditioning test, like you know what I mean, Yeah, this test, but they take it to that brink of you know what I mean, blowing tips all the time.

Bro. It's crazy sometimes. Yeah, man, especially down there.

Man, it's no better conditioning than to have full guarded pants on and paths and everything in Miami's freaking humidity.

Yeah. Yeah, you know, we talked about this a little bit. Man.

You begin the twenty seventeen season, you know, behind Jay, Jay and Danny Williams, and then they way through the season, Jay gets traded, Damien gets hurt a couple of weeks after that, and now you're just started. All you do is go is rested back to back on hundred yard games. Man, were like thinking, like, man, that's trying to tell y'all what.

I can do here. Man.

Yeah, it's just it's funny because it wasn't my first time running running for one hundred yards in a football game ever. But it's almost like, you know, you get to the league, you want to prove yourself. You want to you know, show the world and most importantly show yourself that you could be productive on this level and his high level. And I just always remember something that my dad told me, you know, growing up, or even you know, back then, when I was kind of you know, of course, you know, it was hard to kind of you know, sit back and you know, just be a special teams guy when you know you feel like you can, you know, make an impact, but it is what it is.

You can't make you know, you can't cry about it, but.

You know, having an opportunity to finally come it just kind of made me really realize, Like, man, I've been playing against these same people since I was six, you know what I mean, and I've always gone out and I've always dominated or at least, you know, showed my talent. So now that I'm as high level, as long as I put the work in and continue to be who I am and showcase my skills, my skills should continue to rise and you know, I should be able to play and you know, make the most of it.

Again.

So I wasn't necessarily surprised, but it was more like a relief like okay, cool, Like I know I can go out here and I can play at a high level and consistently do it, you know what I mean.

Yeah, that's what's up, man. I mean, well, I mean we boy, do we appreciate it? Bro. I promise you that. I promise you that, you know, as we mentioned.

At the top of the show, though, too though you literally just retired a couple of months ago, so congrats on that. Again, I've been retired now twenty three years, big Seth. As you always want to bring up my old as everybody talks about my age, but.

I don't do that. I just talked about your draft stad.

But you know, but in your eight years though, Man, by far, your longest stint was right here in Miami, in the Aqua and Orange, Big Seth, not you know, not the Orange and Aqua. But now you have the time to look back, man, I mean, what does it all mean to you been a Dolphin?

And and by the way, take this out.

And I'm on the advisory board for the alumni group, so we're gonna need you back down here so we can pitt you up for your blazer, right you blazer right?

Look that that's that that that don't mean the world to me, man for shure, So I appreciate that.

It really will well, Juice, when you do that, can you find out where that Miami Miracle ball is as well?

Research?

Wait, Juice, I just got a confirmation text that the ball is indeed kept safely inside the Miami Dolphins archives.

So even if we can look at it through the glass, you know.

Yeah, so so so tell us KD. Man, what's what's the meaning you would be to have been a dolphin?

Bro?

Uh?

And the mental worlds to me?

Man, I still remember where I was and you know, what I was doing and who was around me when I, you know, got that call from you know, Chris Greer. You know, I actually I didn't know that nine five four was, you know, the area code for for a lot of deal, So I thought somebody was playing on my phone when they called me, and I had like three or five exactly. I'm just like, you know, three or five, you know what I mean, you know, respectfully, I just, you know, I'm just a young, you know, twenty one year old kid. I ain't never really had no spend no time in South Florida, you know what I mean. So I just wasn't sure. But I remember getting that call, you know, and honestly just being in shock because growing up I've always loved tropical weather. Actually, the first my National championship game against Notre Dame was in Miami. We stayed at the Found Blue, you know what I mean. I don't know if that was the best decision for us to stay at the Found Blue. But we were with the Found Blue and I was eight and I was eighteen, you know what I mean. And that was my first time getting to experience Miami. The you know, the Heat were playing, you know, Lebron was there, you know what I mean. Like the city was jumping, and I was just like, man, like this lifestyle just being here.

I feel like I would just flourish here. I love the city.

I love the culture, you know, I love the food, you know, just everything that comes.

With Miami, you know what I mean. Like I just feel like I would like I would love it there. You know.

Granted, I don't know if I would have been mature enough to handle it at eighteen, which I'm glad I went to University of Alabama.

You know, I was.

Able to get my feet wet there, you know, keep the main thing, the main thing. But once I got drafted to the Dolphins, man, it was it was just like a match made of heaven for me.

I love being in Davy, love being in you know, Fort Lauderdal.

Just the camaraderie of the city, especially when they get behind you. Man, it's nothing like Miami Dolphins fans. Man, just seeing that stadium packed out weekend and week out. You know, when the guys are rolling, you know, Miami Dolphins number one, you know, blaring over the over the louds, you know, the loud speaker man after scoring touchdowns. You know, the pageantry and the fanfare of the Miami Dolphins. Man, is something that I hold close to my heart. So you know, I love my time there.

Yeah.

You know what's crazy, Big Steff, is that you know I got I played a Bowl game in Miami too, right before I got drafted by the Dolphins. But I wasn't playing for national championship though I was in the Blockbuster Bowl. You know the number you know, number twenty two and number twenty three in the country. At that point, you know, it was it was an to jump each other, you know what I mean. So the same way, bro, first time Petting was down in Miami, and then next thing, you know, you drafted down here.

Man. It's like a dream come true.

Yeah too, col There's no better city in the world. Man, It's just it's awesome.

Well, I can't wait till you're back here.

Because another thing that happens that we talk about all the time on the show Kenyan is that well, it's actually we also do postgame radio, and Juice comes in and talks to me and Travis Winfield about how he sits in the alumni suite and who he's sitting with, and he's with this Hall.

Of famer I.

Was sitting here with him, well, Mark Duper and Mark Clayton, and he's given us receiver analysis and I'm like, all right, well great, so you can hang out with Juice in the alumni suite. I can't wait till it happens. We're gonna let you out of here in a minute. But we end every episode of the fish Tank Podcast.

With our two minute drill.

We have established that there are probably not many players that we could have on this show Juice that have had a better two minute or seven seconds.

This could be.

Yeah, we want to get a little more than seven seconds out of these answers, but we're gonna have some throw some quick questions out.

You have a little fun, wrap this thing up, and then let you get back to whatever Klob's got for you there with Pat.

Cool perfect all right, ready, you're ready, I got the first one here.

All right.

So when the Dolphins selected you in twenty sixteen, it broke a streak of eleven consecutive drafts without them taking any player from Alabama. The last guy before that was Derrick Pope in two thousand and four. But then the seal was broken and you were the first of five Alabama guys who Miami drafted. Since then, can you name the other four Crimson Tie guys that turned Dolphins after you?

Uh so, I think the guy right after me, I mean I think he might have been That might have been Minka.

Yep.

Then we had uh uh ray Kwan yep. I'm getting a little sticky now.

Uh No, Xavier.

Mckinn got drafted by the Giants. I don't know if I could get it out quick enough.

Well, this guy could get it out quick enough. The first round picked it.

I don't know why I'm drawing a blank. I know obviously Mika and ray Kwon.

He's left handed and he throws the rock.

Oh what I was thinking? Of course, tour wide receiver. Oh Jal, of course.

You're gonna get this.

We know you're I guess I'm just like disassociated once I left, Like I was like, wait, who got drafted by him?

Yeah, that's too funny. Well, you you started a trend. All right, we're gonna keep it moving. Do you know how your hometown of Powder Springs actually got the name Powder Springs?

I have a zero clue.

Oh man, Well, i'll give you a quick education. We'll keep it moving.

So apparently there's seven springs in the city limits, and the water in these springs have twenty six minerals that I read all this juice a little history here. The sand around them is apparently black like unpowder, and so it was originally gun powdered springs and they shortened the powdered springs.

There you go, a little hometown history. All right, we'll keep it moving through. He's like, yeah, alright, I missed that class.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure, for sure.

You on participated in a five pound eating barbecue eating contest for charity.

Remember that I do.

How do work out for you? Well, I know I didn't e five pounds. I'll tell you that. I'm trying to think the charity, the charity that will represented. But I mean I love doing charity in general. I actually have a couple of charities that I represent Domesically. I'd always love to go to Boys and Girls Club. They did a lot of Boys and Girls Club down in the Miami for Lauderdale area. And then also I also do Smile Train that benefits kids with cleft and cleft lip and cleft palette. Uh so I've gone to like Mexico City, I've gone to Rio. A lot of fans down to Mexico City in Rio, Argentina. So yeah, I don't remember the exact one that I did for the five pound challenge, but I love, you know, represent the community.

Hopefully you love.

Found man.

Yeah, you know that's what it's all about for sure.

Yeah, absolutely, all right, last question got to ask you this was it a case of Gronkowski not having the angle?

Did you just take it away from his big ass?

Oh?

Yeah, probably a little bit of both, to be honest. I mean, it's I feel bad that, you know, well, I really don't feel that bad.

I'm gonna be all right, will be just fine.

But it's just hilarious that he was put in that scenario. First of all, with Tannehill having a bum inchle that game. I don't even know if Tannehill, you know, being a bionic man, could you know throw the ball seven the yards in the air, you know what I mean. So it's just the fact that they played that type of defense or prevent defense in that's a one with uh, you know, jump ball with drunken there. You know, you could have left mccaordy back there and it probably have been a much harder, you know, situation for me to try to, you know, navigate.

But hey, make it easy for me. I love it. I'm gonna I want to. I'm gonna answer that question for him, big s. He did have the angle.

Then then he gave a little stutter and that that that killed him at that and then blew by.

I mean that was the basketball stuff right there. He went aheasy and then.

He blew by like that to the n he was chipping over.

I think he was leaning with that big old arm brace and everything already all killed it.

I just I just helped him out a little bit. It was like, go ahead, just like that's a soft spot for the lay down right there too.

Funny, Well, that is a two minute drill.

We're glad that he was back there, regardless of the decision making, and even more glad that you were able to give us the Miami miracle.

And this interview has been nothing short of spectacular. So's so appreciative.

I appreciate in a blast man, thank you, hey, thanks for diving in kidding sir, appreciate.

Y'all you're now diving into the tank.

Just like Jew said.

Thanks for diving into the fish Tank presented by iHeartRadio. Be sure to follow us on whatever streaming platform you're using, and don't be afraid to rate the show or leave us a comment. We love your feedback, and remember you can find us, as well as Drive Time with Travis Wingfield and all of our international partners, on Miami Dolphins dot com

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