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Jakeem Grant is named the AFC special teams player of the week.
Named special teams player of the week
DAVIE — Dolphins wide receiver Jakeem Grant was named AFC special teams player of the week on Wednesday after returning a kickoff 102 yards for a touchdown in Miami’s season-opening win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
“It means a lot — it truly does,” Grant said. “I actually didn’t know I was named [player of the week] until everybody started walking around saying, ‘Congrats.’ I’m like, ‘What are y’all talking about?’ ... All credit goes to the blocking unit on my kickoff return.”
“It’s just a stepping stone. I want to go out and make a big play like that every Sunday.”
Grant’s touchdown, a 75-yard touchdown reception by receiver Kenny Stills and two interceptions from safety Reshad Jones were instrumental factors in the Dolphins’ 27-20 victory at Hard Rock Stadium.
The game, at 7 hours and 8 minutes, was the longest in NFL history thanks to two lengthy lightning delays.
Grant’s kickoff return touchdown was the first of his career. It was the Dolphins’ first kickoff returned for a score since running back Kenyan Drake had a 96-yard return against the New York Jets on Nov. 6, 2016.
“I wasn’t even running full speed,” Grant said. “I was actually three-quarters speed. When I looked up the speed later and it said 20.9, I was hurt. That’s slow. I tried to tell everyone else — ‘Jakeem, that’s all you got?’ I was like, ‘No, I wasn’t running.’ I didn’t have to do anything, I didn’t get touched and I didn’t have to run for my life, because I could just use 75 percent to run past those guys.”
It was also the secondlongest return in Dolphins history, behind a 105-yard return by Mercury Morris against the Bengals in 1969.
Up next for Miami, the Dolphins will visit the New York Jets on Sunday at 1 p.m. at MetLife Stadium.
Fitzpatrick impresses in debut
The 11th overall pick in April’s NFL draft, expectations are naturally high for Minkah Fitzpatrick.
While the sample size is limited, the Miami Dolphins safety/nickel cornerback flashed loads of potential in his NFL debut.
In Miami’s 27-20 win over the Tennessee, Fitzpatrick notched six tackles, including a big fourthdown stop to keep Tennessee out of the end zone in the first quarter.
“It was awesome,” Fitzpatrick said. “Made my first big play in the NFL. You dream about those moments. Seeing all my teammates and the whole crowd go crazy — it was awesome. It’s something I’m not going to forget.”
While playing in fervent environments is nothing new after starring at Alabama the past three years, last Sunday proved to be something different for the rookie. Despite being a football fan from a young age, Fitzpatrick said it was the first NFL game he ever attended.
“I’m definitely not going to forget it,” Fitzpatrick said. “Guys out there having fun — yelling at the crowd in a good way. Just enjoying the whole moment. It was a great first experience and really made me look forward to the rest of my career.”
Despite making a strong first impression, the safety was still thinking back to a missed opportunity from Sunday, when he dropped a potential interception late in the game.
“I was real upset about the [dropped] pick,” Fitzpatrick said. “I try not to think about it. I didn’t even watch the play when I was going through the film. I skipped over it.”
Fitzpatrick’s overall performance drew the eye of longtime Dolphins defensive end Cameron Wake, who had a huge grin when asked about Fitzpatrick following Sunday’s contest.
“He’s definitely a tremendous asset,” said Wake. “We [told] the guys that were going to play — the rookies — [at the end of training camp]: ‘We expect you to play at a high level, we expect you to play like a veteran football player.’
“He’s going out there, and he’s making plays every time he’s on the field, and he’s getting better every day.”
Team signs long snapper
The Miami Dolphins added long snapper Lucas Gravelle to their practice squad on Tuesday, a move that could help the team brace for the possibility of a lingering shoulder injury longtime long snapper John Denney has.
Dolphins coach Adam Gase said Denney — who was limited in practice Wednesday after suffering a shoulder injury in the season opener — will play in Miami’s Week 2 matchup against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
Denney has appeared in an NFL-record 209 consecutive games since signing as a rookie in 2005 (by far a team record and an NFL record among active players).
The 6-foot-5, 242-pound Denney was replaced in Sunday’s lineup by reserve tight end Durham Smythe, the Dolphins’ third option at long snapper with linebacker Mike Hull sidelined on injured reserve.
Denney, a 14-year veteran, is one of the oldest players in the NFL at 39. Denney, whose salary is $1 million this season, turns 40 in December.
Gravelle, a rookie from TCU, participated in all four of Miami’s preseason games and was cut from the Dolphins’ 53-man roster on Sept. 1.
The Dolphins cut defensive end Cameron Malveaux to make room on the roster for Gravelle.