One player earned his first career Pro Bowl berth after anchoring a young and untested secondary; another was as automatic as they come in short yardage situations and more importantly when it came to answering the call out in the community; the third returned after a one-year stint in the NFC East to make his presence known and the fourth is closing in some hallowed Miami Dolphins records while seemingly getting younger with age.
Strong safety Yeremiah Bell, fullback Lousaka Polite and running back Ricky Williams carried home the impressive hardware for the Don Shula Leadership Award, Nat Moore Community Service Award and Dan Marino Most Valuable Player Award at tonight’s FinsWeekend Kickoff Pairings Party and Team Awards Ceremony Presented by Sun Life Financial. Bell was a co-winner along with outside linebacker Jason Taylor.
Williams surpassed 1,000 yards for the first time since 2003 (1,121 yards), breaking the NFL record for the longest span between 1,000-yard seasons. This is the second time Williams has won the MVP (2002) as he filled in admirably as the starting running back after Ronnie Brown went down with a season-ending foot injury against Tampa Bay in the middle of November. His 11 rushing touchdowns were the second highest of his career behind the 16 he compiled in 2002.
Bell worked with two rookie cornerbacks for most of the 2009 season after veteran Will Allen suffered a season-ending knee injury against New Orleans in Week 5 and helped further the development of Vontae Davis and Sean Smith. At the same time he maintained his status as the best tackling safety by leading the team with 113 tackles and finished second in interceptions with three. He also added 1.5 sacks; nine passes defensed and led the team in tackles 10 times during the 16-game regular season.
There was a strong push for Polite to make the Pro Bowl near the end of the season as he was a perfect 16-for-16 on 3rd-and-1 and 4th-and-1 situations. His quiet, workman-like demeanor made him a popular player inside the locker room and he carried that demeanor out into the community by showing up for just about every team function. Polite has been polite that way since joining the team in 2008, having participated in last year’s Miami Dolphins Foundation, the Kids and Fins Publix Shopping Spree and the team’s Thanksgiving meal giveaway. He also bought holiday toys for a family serviced through the Cooperative Feeding Program, planted trees for the NFL Environmental Program and participated in the team’s blood drive, reading and Haiti collection relief programs.
Taylor, who is the active sack leader in the NFL, tied for second on the team with seven last year and added 42 tackles. He signed with the New York Jets as a free agent during the offseason.
AK
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