This is part four of a now 100 part series, where I’ll dig into jersey numbers and notable players that wore each number for the Miami Dolphins, from 1-99 and now 0. In this part, we’ll review The History of Jersey #4.
Throughout the storied history of the Miami Dolphins, just 7 players have ever donned the jersey number 4. Today, we’ll focus on three of them in Thomas Morstead, Kaden Kohou and Reggie Roby.
Thomas Morstead, Punter, 2022
Drafted 164th overall in the 2009 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints, Morstead would go on to play 12 seasons for the team before moving on to Atlanta, the Jets and then Miami. During his tenure with the Saints, Morstead punted 692 times for 32,190 yards for an average of 46.5 yards per punt. His average net yards per punt was 41.5 yards. He was also named to the Pro Bowl in 2012 as the punter for the NFC.
Morstead, at age 36, would sign with the Miami Dolphins in 2022 and play just one season for the team. During that one season, Morstead would punt 61 times for an average of 46.4 yards per punt – and a net yards per punt of 40.5, both just barely below his career average. He was absolutely a fan-favorite for how rock solid he was for the Dolphins Special Teams unit.
After the season, the Dolphins signed Jake Bailey and Morstead would take his talents back up north to the division rival New York Jets where his punt totals would skyrocket to a career-high 99 in 2023. Yikes.
Kaden Kohou, DB, 2022-Present (#4 in 2023)
Kohou, or Darth Kader as he’s often referred, joined Miami as an un-drafted college free agent out of Texas A&M-Commerce in the spring of 2022. During his rookie season, Kader would becomes a phenom compared to his draft capital (ie. none) as he would go on to start 13 games, forcing 1 fumble, recording an interception and 72 total tackles, 5 of which were tackles for loss.
What makes Kohou’s story even more powerful is that he and his family are all from the Ivory Coast where he was born and lived until the age of 9. He was only able to come to America when his family quite literally won the lottery – a lottery for the right to a visa. The rest, they say, is history as he takes the field every Sunday as a a rising star in the NFL.
Kader played his rookie season with the number 28 before switching to number 4 in 2023 where he continued on as a starter in 16 out of a possible 17 games for the team.
Reggie Roby, Punter, 1983 to 1992
Over the course of a decade, the Dolphins had one of the greatest punters of all time in Reggie Roby after drafting him in the 6th round of the 1982 NFL draft.
During his 10 year career with the team, Roby would be named to the 1983 all-rookie team, make it to two Pro Bowls, be named to one 1st team all-pro, was named player of the week on four separate occasions, and much more.
Roby would punt 555 times for 24,036 yards in 145 career games with the Miami Dolphins, averaging 43.3 yards per punt and a net average of 36.1 with a career long of 77 yards.
While Roby would go on to play 6 more seasons after leaving the Miami Dolphins, making it to one more Pro Bowl, he’ll always be remembered as one of the best Miami Dolphins special teamers of all-time and for popularizing the modern two-step punt. The more you know!
Conclusion
Going through an diving into the deep end when it comes to the Miami Dolphins is something of a passion project for me. Getting to know players, like Reggie Roby, that I never got a chance to watch on Sundays gives me an even greater appreciation for the team and the sport – my hope is that it does the same for you.
Honorable mentions: Matt Darr (2015-2016), Brandon Fields (2007), Tom Hutton (1999), and George Roberts (1978-1980)
