A two-sport athlete at Dartmouth College, Jay Fiedler set school records for touchdown passes (58), passing yards (6,684), and total offense (7,249) with the Ivy League program while receiving his degree in Mechanical Engineering. His National Football League journey didn’t start quite as smoothly, however, with a five-year quest featuring stints with four different NFL teams, a stop in NFL Europe, and a coaching gig at Hofstra University before signing with the Miami Dolphins prior to the 2000 season. Fiedler battled Damon Huard for the starting quarterback position and ultimately became the successor to Dolphins icon, Dan Marino. Helping to lead the Fins to back-to-back 11-5 seasons in his first two years under center, Fiedler was 36-17 in his first four years with the club. He is also the last Dolphins starting quarterback to win a playoff game. In The Tank, Jay details his unlikely path to Miami, recalls the talented Dolphins squad of the early 2000s, and sheds some light on working with then, and current, offensive coordinator, Chan Gailey. He also shares some of the benefits of being a Jewish quarterback in Miami and reveals his little known connection to current Dolphins Head Coach Brian Flores.
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Larry Izzo overcame long odds as an undersized linebacker from Rice University who landed an opportunity as an undrafted free agent with Jimmy Johnson’s Miami Dolphins in 1996. Izzo not only made the roster that year, but he quickly became a fan favorite and leader of the Dolphins special teams unit over the course of his five-year tenure in South Florida, culminating that run with a Pro Bowl selection following the 2000 season. Free Agency led Izzo to New England in 2001 and he never skipped a beat, earning two more Pro Bowl births and three Super Bowl titles on his way to becoming one of the most prolific special teams performers in league history. His 298 career special teams tackles registered over the course of his 14 seasons are the most in NFL annals. In The Tank, Izzo discusses his unlikely path to Miami, becoming the first player not named Dan Marino to make the Dolphins roster during Johnson’s inaugural campaign, his life-long friendship with Dolphins legend Zach Thomas, and a moment where he and O.J. did not see eye-to-eye. Larry also shares his passion for highbrow films, several examples of how he never backs down from a challenge, and he vividly recalls a time where his unique skill set resulted in a feat Bill Belichick had never witnessed before.
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