Miami Dolphins: How Retired Legends Shape the Present and Fans Keep Their Legacies Alive

The Miami Dolphins’ legacy isn’t just preserved by the team—it’s actively nurtured by the legends who retire but never truly leave the franchise. For many former Dolphins players, stepping away from the field doesn’t mean cutting ties with Miami; it means taking on new roles that bridge the gap between the team’s glory days and its current pursuit of greatness. This ongoing involvement is unique in the NFL, where many retired players move on to broadcasting or private life. For the Dolphins, however, legends become part of the organization’s fabric, serving as mentors, advisors, and ambassadors who keep the team’s core values alive. Take Don Shula Jr., son of the late Hall of Fame coach Don Shula, who now works as a special advisor to the Dolphins’ front office. Shula Jr. doesn’t just share stories of his father’s 1972 “Perfect Season”—he translates those lessons into modern strategies, helping head coach Mike McDaniel refine game plans that honor the team’s tough, disciplined roots while adapting to today’s fast-paced NFL. “My dad always said, ‘Championships are won with attention to detail,’” Shula Jr. said in a recent team meeting. “That still applies—whether you’re running a 1970s power run or a 2020s spread offense.” Another key figure is Jason Taylor, the Hall of Fame defensive end who spent 15 of his 17 NFL seasons with the Dolphins. Taylor now serves as the team’s official “Legacy Coordinator,” a role he created to formalize the connection between retired players and the current roster. His days are filled with tasks: organizing weekly dinners where legends like Larry Csonka and Nat Moore eat with rookies, leading film sessions that break down classic Dolphins plays alongside modern highlights, and even joining practice to teach young defensive ends like Jaelan Phillips how to perfect a spin move he used to sack quarterbacks. Miami Dolphins: How Retired Legends Shape the Present and Fans Keep Their Legacies Alive captures this symbiotic relationship. Taylor’s impact is tangible: Phillips, who struggled with consistency in his rookie year, recorded 10 sacks in his second season after working with Taylor, citing their film sessions as a turning point. “Jason doesn’t just teach you how to play—he teaches you how to be a Dolphin,” Phillips said. “He’ll show me a clip of him sacking Tom Brady, then compare it to a play I made last week, and say, ‘Same effort, same focus—now do it every down.’” This level of engagement isn’t just for star players; even role players from the past contribute. Jim Kiick, a running back on the 1972 team, now visits the Dolphins’ training facility once a month to talk to the special teams unit about the importance of hustle—something he learned while blocking for Csonka. “You don’t have to be a Hall of Famer to make a difference,” Kiick said. “You just have to care about the team’s legacy.” For the Dolphins, this ongoing involvement of retired legends isn’t just nostalgia—it’s a strategic advantage. It gives current players a sense of belonging, a understanding that they’re part of something bigger than a single season, and a roadmap for success that’s been tested by time.

While retired legends play an active role in the Dolphins’ organization, the team’s fans have taken it upon themselves to create a culture of remembrance that extends far beyond the stadium. In Miami, honoring Dolphins greats isn’t just a gameday tradition—it’s a way of life, visible in everything from local businesses to neighborhood parks. Walk through Little Havana, and you’ll find a Cuban restaurant called “Marino’s Café,” where the walls are covered in signed jerseys and the menu features “Dan’s Favorite Media Noche” (a nod to the quarterback’s love for Cuban food). The owner, Carlos Rodriguez, a lifelong Dolphins fan, opened the restaurant in 2005 as a way to combine his two passions: Miami’s Latinx culture and the Dolphins. “Marino wasn’t just a quarterback—he was a Miami icon,” Rodriguez said. “Every weekend, fans come in to talk about his 1984 season, when he threw 48 touchdowns. It’s like a museum, but with better coffee.” In Overtown, a historic Black neighborhood in Miami, there’s a park named after Nat Moore, the former wide receiver who spent his entire 13-year career with the Dolphins and later became a community activist. The park features a football field where local kids play, a mural of Moore catching a touchdown pass, and a plaque that lists his off-field accomplishments—including the $2 million he raised for Miami’s homeless shelters. The park isn’t just a tribute; it’s a living legacy. Every summer, Moore himself hosts a free football camp there, teaching kids not just how to catch and throw, but how to be leaders in their community. “When the city named this park after me, I told them it couldn’t just be a place to play,” Moore said. “It had to be a place to grow. That’s what the Dolphins stand for—more than football.” Miami Dolphins: How Retired Legends Shape the Present and Fans Keep Their Legacies Alive highlights how these fan-driven tributes create a sense of continuity. They turn legends from distant figures into part of daily life, ensuring that even kids who never saw Marino play or Moore catch a pass grow up knowing their names and their impact. This is especially true for the 1972 “Perfect Season” team. Every year, a group of fans called the “1972 Faithful” organizes a weekend-long celebration in Miami, featuring a tailgate where former players sign autographs, a charity run that follows the route of the team’s 1973 Super Bowl parade, and a screening of the documentary “Perfect: The Making of a Super Bowl Champion.” The event draws fans from across the country—some as young as 10, others in their 80s—and raises money for the Dolphins Foundation. “We started this because we didn’t want that team to be forgotten,” said Lisa Martinez, founder of the “1972 Faithful.” “My dad took me to my first Dolphins game in 1972, and he always said that team was about more than winning. It was about Miami coming together. We want to keep that spirit alive.”

The Miami Dolphins organization has leaned into fan-led legacy efforts, creating official programs that amplify the work of supporters while adding structure to how legends are honored. One of the most successful initiatives is the “Dolphins Legacy Partner Program,” which pairs local businesses with retired players to create co-branded products and events that benefit charity. For example, a Miami-based brewery partnered with Larry Csonka to release “Csonka’s Crusher,” a craft beer with a label featuring the running back’s iconic 1972 touchdown run. A portion of every sale goes to the Larry Csonka Foundation, which supports youth sports in rural Florida—where Csonka grew up. “I never thought I’d have a beer named after me, but it’s not about the beer,” Csonka said. “It’s about giving back to kids who love football as much as I did. And the fact that fans buy it because it’s connected to the Dolphins? That’s just the cherry on top.” The team also launched the “Legends in the Community” series, which brings retired players to local schools, hospitals, and community centers for events organized by fans. For instance, when a group of teachers at a Miami elementary school wrote to the Dolphins asking for a visit from a legend to motivate their students, the team arranged for Jim Langer— the Hall of Fame center from the 1972 team—to speak. Langer talked to the kids about overcoming adversity (he was undrafted out of college) and even brought his Super Bowl ring for them to hold. “One little boy told me he wanted to be an NFL player,” Langer said. “I told him, ‘You don’t have to be a player to be great—just work hard and help others.’ That’s the message we want to send.” Miami Dolphins: How Retired Legends Shape the Present and Fans Keep Their Legacies Alive underscores how these programs turn fan enthusiasm into tangible good. They don’t just celebrate the past—they use it to improve the present, linking the Dolphins’ legacy to Miami’s community needs. This is especially evident in the team’s annual “Legacy Game,” a home game where the Dolphins wear throwback uniforms (usually from the 1970s or 1980s) and honor a different legend each year. The 2024 Legacy Game honored Dan Marino, and the team went all out: Marino tossed the coin before kickoff, his highlights played on the jumbotron during breaks, and fans received replica Marino jerseys. But the most meaningful part was the “Marino’s Kids” program, where 50 children from the Dan Marino Children’s Hospital were invited to watch the game from the end zone and meet Marino after. “Seeing those kids smile— that’s why I do this,” Marino said. “The Dolphins gave me so much, and being able to give back through this team? It’s a dream come true.” The Legacy Game isn’t just a hit with fans—it’s a financial success, too. Ticket sales for the game are consistently 20% higher than other home games, and merchandise sales of throwback gear generate hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Dolphins Foundation. For the team, this is proof that honoring the past isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s good for business. But more than that, it’s a way to keep the Dolphins’ legacy relevant for new generations.

The legend-engaged Miami Dolphins have also found innovative ways to use technology to preserve and share their legacy, making it accessible to fans who may never have seen a legend play in person. In 2023, the team launched the “Dolphins Legacy App,” a mobile platform that lets users explore the franchise’s history through interactive content: 360-degree views of game-worn jerseys, audio clips of legendary plays (like Marino’s 1984 touchdown pass to Mark Clayton), and even virtual reality (VR) experiences that let fans “sit” on the 1972 team’s bench during a game. The app’s most popular feature is “Legends Live,” a monthly video series where retired players answer fan questions in real time. During a recent episode, Jason Taylor and Larry Csonka discussed what it was like to play in different eras, with Taylor joking about how much easier it is to train now with modern equipment. “Back in my day, we didn’t have GPS trackers or recovery boots,” Csonka said. “We just ran until we couldn’t anymore.” The app has been downloaded over 150,000 times, with 70% of users under the age of 30—proof that young fans are eager to connect with the Dolphins’ past. “I never saw Marino play, but the VR experience of his Super Bowl run made me feel like I was there,” said 18-year-old fan Mia Rodriguez, who uses the app daily. “Now I talk to my grandpa about him—we bond over the Dolphins’ history.” The team has also partnered with the NFL’s “Legacy Films” project to produce short documentaries about lesser-known Dolphins legends, like Mercury Morris, the running back who was part of the 1972 team’s “Three Amigos” backfield but whose off-field activism often gets overshadowed by his on-field success. The documentary, titled “Mercury: More Than a Runner,” premiered at a Miami theater and is now available on the team’s YouTube channel, where it has over 500,000 views. “I always felt like my story wasn’t just about football,” Morris said. “It was about fighting for justice—for my teammates, for my community. The Dolphins gave me a platform to tell that story, and that means more than any touchdown.” Miami Dolphins: How Retired Legends Shape the Present and Fans Keep Their Legacies Alive showcases how technology has become a bridge between past and present. It lets the legend-engaged Miami Dolphins reach fans who grew up with social media and streaming, making the team’s history feel fresh and relevant. This is crucial for a franchise that wants to build a long-term fanbase—one that doesn’t just cheer for the current team, but understands and appreciates the legends who made it great.

While the Miami Dolphins’ organization and legends work to preserve the past, fans have taken their love for the team’s legacy to social media, creating a global community that celebrates Dolphins greats 24/7. On TikTok, the hashtag #DolphinsLegends has over 100 million views, with fans sharing clips of Marino’s best throws, Taylor’s sacks, and the 1972 team’s championship parade. Many of these videos are made by young fans who weren’t alive during those eras but have fallen in love with the team’s history through their parents or the internet. “I made a TikTok of me reacting to Marino’s 48-touchdown season, and it got 2 million views,” said 21-year-old fan Jake Wilson. “So many people commented, ‘I forgot how good he was’ or ‘My dad used to talk about this.’ It’s cool to be part of a community that loves the past as much as the present.” Twitter is another hub for Dolphins legacy talk, with fan accounts like @DolphinsLegends1972 posting daily facts about retired players (e.g., “Did you know Jim Langer once played an entire game with a broken rib?”) and organizing virtual watch parties of classic Dolphins games. During the 2024 NFL playoffs, the account hosted a watch party of the 1985 AFC Championship Game, where the Dolphins beat the New England Patriots to reach Super Bowl XIX. Over 5,000 fans joined, tweeting along with the game and sharing memories. “My mom was at that game, so I watched with her and tweeted about it,” said fan Sarah Lopez. “It was like we were there together again. That’s the power of these online communities—they bring people together through shared history.” Miami Dolphins: How Retired Legends Shape the Present and Fans Keep Their Legacies Alive highlights how social media has turned local legacy into a global phenomenon. Fans in countries like Brazil, England, and Japan now follow Dolphins legends, sharing their own stories of how they became fans (many through NFL Game Pass or YouTube highlights). The team has even noticed this international interest: when Jason Taylor traveled to London for an NFL event in 2024, he was surprised by how many fans asked him to sign memorabilia from his playing days. “I thought people in London would only know current players, but they were talking about my 2006 Defensive Player of the Year season,” Taylor said. “That’s because of social media—they can watch my highlights anytime, anywhere.” For the fan-powered Miami Dolphins legacy, social media isn’t just about sharing content—it’s about building a worldwide family that honors the team’s past while cheering for its future. This global community has even influenced the team: when fans online campaigned for the Dolphins to retire Mercury Morris’ jersey, the team listened, announcing a retirement ceremony for Morris in 2025. “Fans have always been the heart of this franchise,” Morris said. “Now, with social media, their voices are louder than ever—and that’s a beautiful thing.”

As the Miami Dolphins look to the future, the relationship between retired legends, the team, and fans continues to evolve—but one thing remains constant: the legacy of greatness is a shared responsibility. It’s not just the organization’s job to honor the past, or the legends’ job to shape the present, or the fans’ job to keep memories alive—it’s a collaboration that makes the Dolphins’ legacy stronger than any single group could create on its own. This collaboration was on full display during the 2024 season, when the Dolphins faced the Buffalo Bills in a crucial AFC East matchup. Before the game, retired legends like Dan Marino, Larry Csonka, and Jason Taylor gathered in the locker room to speak to the current roster. Marino talked about the pressure of big games, Csonka about toughness, and Taylor about seizing the moment. Then, fans in the stands held up signs that read “For the Legends” and chanted the names of past greats during key plays. The Dolphins won the game 24-17, with Tua Tagovailoa throwing a game-winning touchdown pass to Tyreek Hill in the fourth quarter. After the game, Hill ran to the stands to hug a fan wearing a Mark Clayton jersey, and Tagovailoa thanked Marino for his pregame speech. “This win wasn’t just for us,” Tagovailoa said. “It was for everyone who’s ever worn a Dolphins uniform, and everyone who’s ever cheered for this team.” Miami Dolphins: How Retired Legends Shape the Present and Fans Keep Their Legacies Alive captures this magic—the moment when past, present, and future collide to create something bigger than football. It’s a moment that happens every time a legend teaches a rookie a new move, every time a fan hangs a Marino jersey in their restaurant, every time a kid watches a VR clip of the 1972 team and dreams of playing for the Dolphins. For the Miami Dolphins, legacy isn’t a static thing—it’s a living, growing force that connects generations. It’s the reason a fan in Miami can bond with a fan in Tokyo over a shared love for Jason Taylor. It’s the reason a rookie can feel like part of a 50-year tradition on their first day of practice. And it’s the reason the Dolphins will always be more than a football team—they’ll be a symbol of Miami’s spirit, kept alive by the legends who built it, the players who carry it on, and the fans who love it. As long as this collaboration continues, the Miami Dolphins’ legacy will never fade—it will only grow stronger.