Before the Miami Dolphins played against the New York Giants in a preseason game on Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium, they made a transaction on Friday, signing linebacker Stephen Dix Jr. and giving them 10 total linebackers on the roster.
While Dix was brought in as a depth option, the Dolphins didn’t have Jordyn Brooks and Tyrel Dodson available for the matchup. Then, just two defensive snaps into the game, they lost fifth-round pick Trey Moore.
So, later on, Dix had to play a ton, and Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley was very impressed with what he was able to do given the circumstances.
“Shoot, we had a linebacker who I met this morning in my office – Steve came in, met him, and he started the whole second half where we had to tell him the call, he had to give the call, then we had to tell him what to do on every single play,” Hafley said after the game. “So we were able to play only like two calls in the second half, which has never happened to me in my life. So I just give him credit for going out and fighting. That’s what the preseason is all about: to find out who those guys are.”
The 24-year-old ended up playing 34 snaps on defense for Miami on Saturday, and he finished with three tackles. Obviously, it would be tough for him to make the roster at the Dolphins’ deepest position at this point, but this is a great start to earning a spot on the practice squad.
“That’s how our league works,” Hafley said. “It’s like calling in a linebacker, walking to my office saying, ‘Hey, how you doing? My name is Jeff, and you’re going to play real football for us today.’ Where else in the world does that happen? I mean, the guy literally showed up this morning, didn’t know his team and was giving calls in the huddle. That is a story. I respect that, though, man. That guy played hard.”
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Jeff Hafley details incredible story about new Dolphins LB
Reporting by Mike Masala, Dolphins Wire / Dolphins Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Mike Masala, Dolphins Wire | USA TODAY Network
