South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Selfless Wilkins is on a fun run
When Dolphins score, energetic rookie always gets right in the picture
As quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Miami Dolphins offense inches toward the goal line ready to score a touchdown, defensive tackle Christian Wilkins already has his helmet on ready to run onto the field as fast as he can.
Wilkins is a member of the field goal and extra point units so he is supposed to be on the field after every score.
But before lining up for the next play, Wilkins has something important he must do every time the
Dolphins score.
Wilkins must celebrate, sometimes extravagantly, with his Dolphins teammate who just scored.
Whether it’s picking up Fitzpatrick, a simply handshake with tight end Mike Gesicki, or squeezing his way into the crowded group of offensive players celebrating themselves, Wilkins puts himself into the mix, displaying another reason why the Dolphins chose him in the first round of the NFL draft last April.
“He comes in with a bunch of juice, and he’s talking a little smack, and it’s funny as hell,” fellow rookie and offensive lineman Michael Deiter said of Wilkins.
“I think sometimes he just wants to get in there with the photos to look cool,” rookie running back Patrick Laird added with a laugh. “There’s one play against Cleveland, where I’m on the field, and Fitz scrambles for a touchdown. I run to celebrate with them, and suddenly Christian is there before me. I’m like ‘what?’ ”
Wilkins’ rookie season will end Sunday when the Dolphins visit the New England Patriots (12-3) in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Then, a Dolphins (4-11) offseason will begin where the franchise will look to use its 14 draft picks in the 2020 NFL draft in April to find players with Wilkins’ team spirit to fill their roster.
Wilkins’ infectious personality — which followed him to Miami after being a two-time All American and national champion at Clemson — continues shine during his first season with the Dolphins, especially when he’s running onto the field to celebrate with teammates.
“I play with the same excitement, the same fun, the same energy as I did when I first started playing football in the second grade,” Wilkins said. “I feel like seeing my teammates have success not just when touchdowns are scored, but even on defense. … I’m trying to be there for them like, ‘Yeah, keep it going.’ Just try to be there for them just to celebrate the good plays.
“It’s just always something I’ve done, and I know it’s something I’ll continue to do.”
It seems like Wilkins is running faster than his 5.10 second 40-yard dash time after the Dolphins score a touchdown.
Sometimes, like Laird said, Wilkins is already celebrating before Dolphins players who were already on the field get to enjoy the moment with their teammate who scored.
As Wilkins sees the offense getting ready to score, he grabs his helmet, gets a few points from his Dolphins coaches on the sidelines, and he sprints towards the action.
“So as we’re moving the ball, moving the chains and we’re getting into field goal range, I get ready to go. I take my coaching points first from the coaches or whatever and then that excitement slowly builds up,” Wilkins said.
“When we do score, I’m definitely very excited and happy.”
The celebrations also come every time stoic Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders
makes an extra-point kick or a field goal, which has taken Sanders some time to get used to.
“In the first game he wanted to have a celebration, which is his personality, but we never came up with one,” Sanders said. “And about three or four games later, I realized he’s literally picking me up after every kick.”
A week ago, Wilkins became the third NFL player this decade to score a touchdown and record a sack in the same game, joining Vita Vea and J.J. Watt. Coincidentally, Wilkins and Watt both had their touchdown passes thrown by Fitzpatrick.
Wilkins also has 53 tackles this season, which leads all rookie defensive tackles and is a nice indication of his play improving weekly.
As the Dolphins’ rebuild enters another stage after this season, where the players added during the second offseason under coach Brian Flores and general manager Chris Grier could lead to franchise to further success in the future, Wilkins has proven he is a piece the team can build around.
“It just says he’s a team guy, which we knew that when we drafted him,” Flores said of Wilkins’ celebrating touchdowns and field goals. “He selfless. He understands the different roles and how important each guy’s role is.”
Added Dolphins defensive coordinator Patrick Graham: “That’s him, and I love it.”
Along with improving on the field, Wilkins may have to fine-tune his celebrating to get everyone more involved.
As Wilkins galloped in joy toward the Dolphins sideline after his touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals in the final home game of the season last week, he tried to engage Flores in a chest bump. Flores put his arms up to slow Wilkins’ momentum, politely declining but smiling during the moment.
Other teammates have poked fun at Wilkins for celebrating too much or too roughly with them, but they take it all in good fun.
They might as well get used to it.
“They realize I’m there before really a lot of other guys on the offense who’ve been on the field are there so they kind of have fun with it. I think they enjoy it. I don’t know. Probably not because I usually hit them too hard or celebrate too hard,” Wilkins said.
“It’s going to happen as long as I’m their teammate,” he added. “It’s going to be a thing I do.”