Too often fans of the game forget that the players on the field are no more than people with incredible physical gifts and undeniable work ethics. The players, from afar, can be figures with helmet and little more — but there’s story to each player and their journey to the NFL. For Dolphins linebacker Sam Eguavoen, the journey was an emotional one; he recollected as such for The Rod Pedersen Show earlier this week. And in recollecting his emotions from his debut with the Dolphins, Eguavoen got emotional again.
You can never say that the game and the journey don’t mean anything to him:
NFL VIDEO: Dolphins LB & CFL alum @SamEguavoen13 got emotional in his first game in Miami. And got emotional with us today! ⬇️🐬🏈😭 pic.twitter.com/gitZv1RSdK
— The Rod Pedersen Show (@RodPedersenShow) February 17, 2021
Eguavoen, who signed with the Dolphins in 2019 ahead of their rebuilding effort, has been a two-year member of the Dolphins and served a valuable role as a special teamer and depth option for Brian Flores’ defense. Over the past two seasons, Eguavoen has logged 704 snaps on defense (although 620 of them came in 2019 before Miami’s roster reinforcements came this past offseason) and 547 snaps on special teams. He’s been apart of the kick coverage units and figures to provide the team with plenty more “dirty work” reps in 2021 as he enters into a contract year.
Whether or not Eguavoen is a part of the Dolphins long-term plans or not is still to be determined, but hearing him talk about his NFL journey makes it absolutely clear that he meets one of Brian Flores’ key criteria: the game matters to him. And in Miami, with the team who gave him a shot after an extended stay in the CFL, he’s found a role that allows him to provide considerable value to the team on a week by week basis.