Miami Dolphins' facility becomes land of opportunity for underdogs

Q: What opportunities are available for players at the Miami Dolphins facility?

The Miami Dolphins facility offers players a chance to revitalize their careers, with a focus on embracing new beginnings and overcoming past challenges.

Q: Who is Kader Kohou and what is his story with the Miami Dolphins?

Kader Kohou is an undrafted defensive back who joined the Dolphins four years ago, having moved to the U.S. from the Ivory Coast after winning a lottery, and is now set to earn $6.5 million in the NFL.

Q: How many NFL teams has the defensive back mentioned in the article played for?

The defensive back discussed in the article is hoping to find success with his sixth NFL team.

Q: What challenges do players face when starting fresh with the Miami Dolphins?

Players face the challenge of proving themselves in a new environment, often coming from diverse backgrounds and needing to adapt to the team's culture and expectations.

One by one, they hopped on Zoom for a meeting with reporters, coming from backgrounds covering as much of the spectrum as humanly possible. The tight end whose career is finally beginning to blossom. The linebacker from Nigeria who once dreamed of playing football, only not this kind of football. And the defensive back drafted with elite status but now hoping his career clicks with his sixth NFL team.

They all embraced one word to explain why they’re now Miami Dolphins: opportunity. To us, it’s just a word. To them, it’s everything.

The cynics among us might even point out that opportunities are plentiful with these Dolphins because they’ve cleaned house and are starting from scratch. There’s no arguing that. But even in lean times, let’s not lose sight of what it looks like to come out on the other side.

More Dolphins: NFL mock draft: Projecting all 11 Miami Dolphins picks | Schad

Kader Kohou. Remember him? An undrafted defensive back who arrived four years ago looking for an opportunity. If anybody knew the meaning of the word, he did. He was 9 when his family won a lottery enabling them to move to the United States from the Ivory Coast. When he finishes this coming season with the Kansas City Chiefs, he will have earned $6.5 million in the NFL.

Jan 4, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Joshua Uche (0) against the Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Sep 4, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Joshua Uche (0) reacts after a play against the Dallas Cowboys during the first quarter of the game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Oct 26, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Joshua Uche (0) reacts after a defensive stop against the New York Giants during the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Oct 26, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles linebackers Jalyx Hunt (58) and Joshua Uche (0) react after a victory against the New York Giants at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Oct 26, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Joshua Uche (0) and linebacker Jihaad Campbell (30) tackle New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) in the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Aug 16, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Joshua Uche (0) in a game against the Cleveland Browns at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Joshua Uche #0 of the Philadelphia Eagles pressures Jaxson Dart #6 of the New York Giants during the fourth quarter in the game at Lincoln Financial Field on October 26, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - AUGUST 7: Joshua Uche #0 of the Philadelphia Eagles rushes the passer against Devin Cochran #76 of the Cincinnati Bengals in the first half of the NFL Preseason 2025 game at Lincoln Financial Field on August 7, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Eagles defeated the Bengals 34-27. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

Nov 4, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White (1) runs the ball against Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Joshua Uche (55) during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Joshua Uche recovers a fumble by Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen during first half action against the Philadelphia Eagles at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Dec. 28, 2025. Tyring to also get to the ball was Buffalo Bills guard O'Cyrus Torrence.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - AUGUST 16: Kaden Davis #89 of the Cleveland Browns carries the ball in the first quarter as Joshua Uche #0 of the Philadelphia Eagles defends during the NFL Preseason 2025 game between Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on August 16, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Jan 5, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) scrambles under pressure from Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Joshua Uche (55) as guard Quinn Meinerz (77) defends against defensive end Malik Herring (94) in the second quarter at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

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Meet new Miami Dolphins LB Joshua Uche

Jan 4, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Joshua Uche (0) against the Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

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Meet new Miami Dolphins LB Joshua Uche

Jan 4, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Joshua Uche (0) against the Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

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Meet new Miami Dolphins LB Joshua Uche

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Meet new Miami Dolphins LB Joshua Uche

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Meet new Miami Dolphins LB Joshua Uche

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Meet new Miami Dolphins LB Joshua Uche

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Meet new Miami Dolphins LB Joshua Uche

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Meet new Miami Dolphins LB Joshua Uche

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Meet new Miami Dolphins LB Joshua Uche

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Meet new Miami Dolphins LB Joshua Uche

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Meet new Miami Dolphins LB Joshua Uche

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Meet new Miami Dolphins LB Joshua Uche

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Meet new Miami Dolphins LB Joshua Uche

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Meet new Miami Dolphins LB Joshua Uche

The rest of us profit in a different way. Who doesn’t love a good underdog story? They may not come along every year, but it’s a virtual lock that in this start-from-scratch transition the Dolphins are going through, it’s going to happen this season. Maybe for a guy who in the hours after not getting drafted agreed to a free-agent contract with a chip on his shoulder ballooning to boulder size. Maybe for the Zach Sielers of the world, kicked to the curb by a team but still not taking no for an answer.

“All we need is an opportunity, right?” said linebacker David Ojabo, 25, the Nigeria native who became a second-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2022.

Not only have injuries taken a major chunk out of his career, they’ve struck at the worst possible time, such as the Achilles tear suffered just before the draft and the ACL tear his rookie season.

“I mean, opportunity, man,” Ojabo said. “You know, when you’re out for so long, they can’t see you, can’t really evaluate you.”

Here’s what teams can do: forget about you. Out of sight, as the saying goes.

Oct 5, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) is tackled by Baltimore Ravens linebacker David Ojabo (90) during the fourth quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

“Some things you don’t prepare for, but it’s just how you react,” Ojabo said. “It’s how you bounce back. For me, I went straight to work. I had surgery the next day (after the Achilles tear) and I worked my tail off to get back. And yeah, that’s life, honestly.”

It’s life in the NFL. Sieler grew to become a Dolphins MVP. A rare success story, yes, but not even the most extreme underdog story. The Super Bowl-winning Dolphins featured one of the great offensive lines in NFL history. It included Hall of Famers Larry Little and Jim Langer. Nobody drafted them. And the draft in those days went 17 rounds.

That’s for Dolfans of a certain age. More recently, there are plenty of examples of guys who realized there actually is life (and a locker) after cut-down day. Nik Needham. Julian Hill. Chris Brooks. Let’s not forget Raheem Mostert and Alec Ingold, which in no way is to suggest this is a complete list of players who beat odds one way or another.

Greg Dulcich's path in the NFL has been bumpy

Dec 28, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins tight end Greg Dulcich (85) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Tight end Greg Dulcich, 26, took a different path, getting drafted in the third round by Denver in 2022. Even then, he couldn’t avoid a bumpy road. Put his 2023 and 2024 seasons together and you get 53 receiving yards. There were shrugs last year when the Dolphins signed him off the street.

Maybe you first noticed him for his flowing locks, but when footballs started coming his way, a few things happened:

1. He caught them.
1. He made plays.
1. You may have taken the trouble to learn his name is pronounced dull-SITCH. Today, there’s nothing dull about his situation. General manager Jon-Eric Sullivan includes Dulcich in his list of guys he’s counting on — and backing that up with a $3.2 million contract.

“Loved my time here last season and I’m excited to continue loving things down here in Southern Florida,” Dulcich said.

The other player to meet with reporters was defensive back Lonnie Johnson Jr., the oldest at 30, whose career has taken him to Houston, Tennessee, New Orleans, Carolina and Las Vegas.

Asked if the journey has been upsetting or frustrating, he said, “It’s been all those things. … Been hurt by it. My emotions kind of been everywhere with transitions, obviously because of myself and my family. Just a lot of bouncing around. People don’t understand it’s a lot of moving pieces in it, especially when you have kids and a wife that you’ve got to move around from place to place. You’ve just got to try to find a team that really cares about you.”

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Somewhere in Miami Dolphins' midst lurks next good underdog story