In an off-season filled with godawful
personnel moves, add dissing former first-round pick Vernon Carey to
the list of Miami Dolphins blunders. During eight seasons with the
Dolphins, Carey started 105 of 112 regular-season games
ping-ponging between the left tackle, right tackle, and right guard on the offensive line. Not only is he is a solid player, but also Carey has never forgotten his 305 roots, donating his time and money
to help underprivileged kids in Miami. He is the kind of stand-up
player an organization desperately seeking positive news should keep
around. Yet as of today, the free agent is still waiting for a contract from the Fins.
On Friday, Carey was on hand at his alma mater for the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the new weight room for the Miami Northwestern Senior High School athletic program. Despite being a perennial powerhouse in high school football, Miami Northwestern student athletes have been working out with tattered benches, rusty barbells, and crumbling weight stands. So when new football head coach Stephen Fields called Carey for help, the 6'5", 340-pound lineman ponied up the $20,000 to buy and install the new gym equipment.
Everything in the new weight room is bathed in blue-and-gold, the colors of Miami Northwestern, from the padding on the benches to the weight stands. The walls now feature floor-to-ceiling mirrors and a mural of a ripped bull -- the school's mascot -- working on his biceps. "To give back to my high school is a great feeling," Carey said. "To be able to play in this town and be around my family was a huge blessing."
Too bad Miami Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland and owner Stephen Ross don't see it that way. Here's Carey talking to Riptide about giving back to the Bulls and waiting for a call from the Fins:
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