Amendola no longer hated among secondary
DAVIE — A change in uniform has receiver Danny Amendola in the good graces of the Dolphins defensive backs.
In a few weeks, he’s gone from hated to beloved since being acquired in March from the rival New England Patriots during free agency.
“We hope to bring a championship to this city and with him being in New England, he’s got a couple piled up,” Dolphins cornerback Bobby McCain said. “At the end of the day, he is here, and we’re ready to go get it.”
Those were encouraging words from McCain, considering he once thought of Amendola as his No. 2 most-hated player in the NFL behind Tom Brady. Last year, McCain and Amendola got into an on-field skirmish. McCain was fined $9,000 for throwing a forearm.
The incident is in the rearview mirror now that they are teammates.
“I have a lot of respect for Bobby,” Amendola said. “We’re teammates. It’s nothing personal … We’re good.”
The players can now appreciate their similarities. Both are considered undersized and praised for their effort and energy.
“He and I are cut from the same cloth,” Amendola said. “We like to compete. It brings the best out of both of us. He’s made me better. I’m competing my tail off against him.”
The Dolphins are already starting to benefit from Amendola’s presence. He won two Super Bowls in New England as one of the key receivers. It has only taken a few offseason practices for teammates to notice his work ethic.
“You want to create an atmosphere that’s conducive to winning and practice at a championship level,” Amendola said. “You want to be perfect. You want to practice with great fundamentals and continue to sharpen up. That’s what it’s about.”
At 32, Amendola is easily the Dolphins’ oldest and most experienced receiver. He’s been able to develop relationships with Kenny Stills and Jakeem Grant because they all played at Big 12 schools. Amendola and Grant attended Texas Tech while Stills was at Oklahoma.
“I’ve known some of the young guys in this room for a while now,” Amendola said. “Kenny and Jakeem, both Big 12 guys, guys I’ve been watching playing football for a long time. Whatever I can do to help, whether it be on the field or off the field, I’m always willing to help teammates.”
What has excited Amendola the most is new offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains’ plans to put the receivers in position for mismatches. With the departure of Jarvis Landry, who is now with the Cleveland Browns, the Dolphins hope to explore more no-huddle opportunities. They have failed in recent attempts, but feel they have the receivers unit to finally make it work.
Amendola was often successful when it was utilized with the Patriots.
“You’ve got to be in shape to do it,” Amendola said. “It really wears down the defense. It really can trap the defenses on the field if they get tired. It limits them to substitutions. It’s a huge weapon for us. We’re excited to get out there and work it.” out my
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