Dolphins’ Awards Ceremony Results

Most of the fans have put the 09′ campaign in their rear view mirror, and have fully turned their attention to the upcoming 2010 season. However, tonight the team revisited last season one more time, and honored a couple former Dolphin greats while they were at it.

2009 Awards

Don Shula Leadership Award: Yeremiah Bell and Jason Taylor

Nat Moore Community Service Award: Lousaka Polite

Most Valuable Player: Ricky Williams

Dolphin Honor Roll Inductees

Jake Scott

Bill Stanfill

After an abrupt end to Jason Taylor’s career as a Dolphin, as the front office had no interest in bringing him back, and he decided to bolt to a hated rival, it’s sort of nice to see him go out with nice little award. Then again, it’s sort of hard to get sentimental when you think of Taylor putting on that nasty green. But one day, when his playing days are over, no one is going to question the impact Taylor had on this great franchise, and 09′ was no different.

It’s also nice to see Yeremiah Bell get honored, coming off his first ever Pro Bowl season. Bell held a struggling secondary together the best he could all year long, and he led the entire team with 114 tackles, while also contributing 3 picks, 8 defensed passes, and 1.5 sacks. Now if only a quality starting free safety could emerge next to him.

With all the negativity surrounding the Dolphins off the field this offseason, it’s always refreshing to hear of a guy who does things the right way. Lousaka Polite had about as much of an impact a fullback can have nowadays on the field for the Dolphins a year ago, and apparently he has been just as impressive working in the community. Let’s just hope the rest of the team can follow Polite’s example, and get their act together.

The Ricky Williams MVP award comes as no surprise, as he almost single handily got the Dolphins into the thick of the playoff race with three games left in the season. With a first year starter under center, no legitimate number one wideout to work with, and Ronnie Brown out for the year, to go along with a struggling defense, Ricky really put the team on his back for a few weeks there.

And finally, a big congratulations to Jake Scott and Bill Stanfill, who starred on the Dolphins’ No-Name Defense in the 1970’s that famously produced the undefeated 1972 team and won the franchises only other Super Bowl in 1973.

Stanfill was an All-Pro defensive end who recorded 10 sacks for the 72′ team, and totaled 67 1/2 sacks over his career, which previously stood as a team record before Jason Taylor came along.

Safety Jake Scott meanwhile, put up 49 interceptions in nine seasons, making it to the Pro Bowl in five of those nine years. Perhaps more importantly, he made huge plays in both Super Bowl wins, picking off two passes in Super Bowl VII, and recovering a fumble in Super Bowl VIII.

Both Scott and Standiff will officially be inducted to the Honor Roll on November 18th, a Thursday night game versus the Bears.