The media heard today from Tyler Huntley, the Dolphins’ new quarterback — the local product and former Utah Ute who was signed from Baltimore’s practice squad to provide depth with Tua Tagovailoa out.

Here’s a transcript of his comments:

(Welcome back to South Florida. What’s it like playing in this building?) – “Man, it’s just like a dream come true. As a little kid, you’re looking up seeing the NFL and your home team being right there, you just want to be a part of it. I get the chance to be a part of it.”

(What was the moment you got the call that you’d be heading here to South Florida?) – “I had just got done working out at the Ravens facility and my agent called me and was like, ‘Man, it’s time to head home.’ I just had to get ready, take a shower, start packing my things that I could and come on down.”

(You’re smiling ear to ear. Is that the reaction you had? It’s got to be a little bit of a whirlwind.) – “Definitely. I’m telling you, I’m still in the stars a little bit being able to be home.”

(Were the Dolphins your team growing up?) – “I wouldn’t say team, but grew up watching the Dolphins because we’re right here at home.”

(Your high school Hallandale is not far from here. How does it feel to just really be in that proximity?) – “That means a lot. You got all of my people that I grew up with still down here. They’re able to get a chance to come out to the games if they can, it will be a nice thing.”

(How many people are going?) – “Oh, I don’t even know yet. (laughter)”

(What was your first reaction when you got your hands on the Head Coach Mike McDaniel playbook?) – “I was like he’s utilizing his weapons. I think it’s great what he’s doing over here. I can’t wait to get into it into it and be able to do some things with the things he’s got going on.”

(Why do you think that this is a good fit for you, this system?) – “You get to throw to some weapons and then we’re going to score a lot of points. I’m ready to contribute.”

(What is it like knowing if you were to get into a game, you have WR Tyreek Hill and WR Jaylen Waddle in this offense?) – “It’s kind of like playing Madden. (laughter) You got a lot of weapons out there. You just got to go out there and play ball.”

(What was today like?) – “It was nice just getting out there. I’m watching the plays from a distance in the back trying to get the footwork down. It’s just amazing to see that speed out there. They’re running every play, it’s amazing to see.”

(How tough do you think it will be to get on timing? There is so much timing in this offense.) – “I got a good feel of it today. I was doing footwork from the time we stepped on the field. Coach (Mike McDaniel) is doing a great job of having me back there, going through the footwork. I’m trying to get it down, but I’m a quick learner and I should be ready.”

(How big of a hug you got from Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver?) – “Ah, it was a big hug. That’s my boy. It’s good to see familiar faces. It’s all love.”

(Do you think he advocated for you to be here?) – “I think he said some good things about me. I would hope my play did a good thing too.”

(What are you most looking forward to being back home?) – “Good weather. Good weather, good food. You know what’s around, those are the main things.”

(What’s your mindset coming into here and your understanding of what your role would be? Are you here to be someone who gives QB Skylar Thompson the assistance that he needs? What is your role going to be?) – “Definitely to be here for Skylar (Thompson) and when Tua (Tagovailoa) gets back, be there for Tua. Definitely get a grasp of this offense so whenever my time is called, I’ll be able to contribute.”

(What has surprised you most about learning this offense in the very early stages of it?) – “Just the different terminologies I got to get used to. All of the pre snap stuff, I just got to get in tune with it. It’s nothing – football is football. I should be able to do it.”

(What do you think an athletic quarterback can do in this system?) – “There is so much speed on the outside, a couple of QB runs up the middle and stuff, get the defense to play honest. There’s no way they could stick all of that speed at once.”

(Do you prefer Tyler or ‘Snoop?’) – “My momma would prefer Tyler. But everybody tends to call me ‘Snoop,’ so you can call me ‘Snoop.’”

(Have you ever met Snoop Dogg?) – ‘Yeah. Definitely, I met him at the Pro Bowl, and then I met him last year when we went out to L.A. for the game.”

(Do you think you look like him now? Or not so much?) – “(laughter) No, but back in the day I had long hair, so I kind of had a similar look to him.”

(Do you feel like this is kind of a career reset for you? A chance to kind of get things going in the right direction?) – “I think so. And just being in a great place like this, everything is new to me. I used to see the facility in Davie, so the facility being right next to the Hard Rock, practicing and seeing Hard Rock right there, it’s an amazing sight. So it’s a breath of fresh air and getting ready to work.”

(It’s obviously tough to learn a whole playbook in a week, but do you think you’ll have a package early on where you can just focus on one thing to learn?) – “No, I don’t think I would want to look at it like that, because in the heat of the battle, something pops up out of nowhere and you want to be on top of it rather than sitting out there just thinking ‘what is this?’ So I’m going to try to learn the whole thing and be ready to go.”

(What was your meeting with Snoop Dogg like? Did he know that your nickname was ‘Snoop?’) – “(laughter) Yeah, he called me ‘Lil’ Snoop.’ So when I threw a couple of touchdowns in the Pro Bowl he was like, ‘There you go Lil’ Snoop,’ so he was on me about that. But yeah, it was pretty cool.”

(Had you hoped Miami would call you when you saw the unfortunate thing that happened with QB Tua Tagovailoa? Had you started thinking about Miami? Had you hoped they would call?) – “I was thinking about it a lot. I was really thinking about it coming out of the draft and I was hoping Miami would have come and got me. But you know, God’s plan and we’re here now.”

(What are one or two of the things that you’ve learned from playing behind Lamar Jackson?) – “Oh man, he’s a gamer. He’s just a playmaker and great quarterback and a leader. He just shows you the great aspects of winning games and handling everything that’s going on – on the field and off the field. He’s great to learn from.”

(I know you’ve only been here a minute, but what are your first impressions of QB Skylar Thompson and how he’s handling this situation being thrown into this?) – “I think he’s taking it all in, he’s doing a good job. I remember seeing him when I had gone in playing against Cincinnati, he was playing against the Bills that same day when he came in the playoffs. So I think he’s going to do a great job, and he’s just got to stick to it.”

(You had to go all the way to Utah for college football coming out of Hallandale as a recruit, did you want to go to one of the Florida schools?) – “I did leading up to it was time to sign, I was ready to get out of Florida and explore. I hadn’t been too far from Florida prior so going to Utah, it was a great thing for me.”

(Did that leave a chip on your shoulder – not attending one of the state schools?) – “Yeah, definitely. Definitely. (laughter)”

(You mentioned you wanted to know the entire playbook, but you have a unique set of skills we haven’t really seen right here – your speed, your ability to be elusive. Are you going to lobby maybe for a ‘Snoop’ package that we see in games, kind of change in pace with QB Skylar Thompson?) – “(laughter) If Coach needs me to come in and step in a little bit, then I’m willing to do it. But I’m really just ready for – to step in and to win the game.”

(How much time did you spend with QB Tua Tagovailoa? How helpful has he been?) – “Man, I’ve been here 24 hours; I’ve probably spent a good little hour or two with Tua (Tagovailoa) in the meeting rooms a little bit and then walkthrough. I’ve just been talking to him and trying to get his grasp of the offense. He’s great. He’s great.”

The Miami Dolphins apparently have their hopefully temporary replacement for Tua Tagovailoa in their quarterback room.

With Tagovailoa ailing due to another concussion, but reportedly not ready to retire, the Dolphins are signing Tyler Huntley, 26,  to back up elevated starter Skylar Thompson.

Huntley, who was on the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad, brings some mobility to the position, as well as some starting experience — though he has been inconsistent in his appearances.

The University of Utah product is 3-6 as a starter in his career, all when Lamar Jackson was sidelined with injury.

His skill set is more similar to Jackson’s than Tagovailoa’s. Huntley has rushed for 509 yards in his 20 appearances, while throwing for 1,957. He’s not tall (6-foot-1) but is strong and elusive. He, like Thompson, is right-handed, unlike Tagovailoa… which could cause some changes to the blocking schemes.

He likely won’t be ready to start for the Dolphins next Sunday in Seattle, but if Thompson struggles and Tagovailoa’s absence lingers — it could be four weeks or longer — Huntley could get an opportunity to try to keep the Dolphins’ season afloat. Maybe down the line he will even get to team again with Odell Beckham, Jr., the Dolphins’ offseason receiver acquisition (also from Baltimore), who has been out of action and is currently on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.

If nothing else, Huntley has a strange distinction: the only quarterback to be chosen for the Pro Bowl even though he wasn’t a starter, because few would or could go.

Here’s what Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said after Huntley was added to the mix:

“In lieu of the fact that if you’re not going to adhere to timelines based upon what the science tells us and how we want to approach individual situations and player injuries; with that unknown, that was something that – ever since he’s – it’s been apparent from afar and then having some coaches that have been around him, shoot, he was replacing the league MVP and you could tell from far away that he was a guy that the team absolutely believed could lead them to victory. I think that’s a very huge tangible thing for a non-QB1 necessarily, and so for us without knowing exact timelines, we got to learn firsthand a nice reminder of how it only takes one play and what you think your depth is changes abruptly. So that’s a move for moving forward to secure some depth in case of the unforeseen which is timelines for us as it relates to Tua.”

And what does this mean for Skylar Thompson?

“This was not a move to in any way, shape or form out of anything not that has to do with Skylar (Thompson). Our team going all the way back to his first rep in rookie minicamp as a rookie to down the stretch of the 2022 season to what he was able to do to win the No. 2 job, this is not in any direct reflection to Skylar as Tua’s backup. This is more for the depth. I do think that it helps the dynamics of the room to give another guy with starting history to this team and gives another added addition of a guy that’s a signal-caller that a team can get behind. I was happy adding – what we were able to do in the quarterback room – in adding (Tim) Boyle, but I think this is more directly to back up Skylar and then you always let competition play out when it’s out on the field, but this was a depth move, for sure.”

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The Australian Football League (AFL), originally founded as the Victorian Football League (VFL) in 1897, has grown from a state-based competition into the nation’s premier sporting league. Over its long history, the AFL has produced some of the most thrilling and unforgettable seasons in Australian sports, captivating millions with its blend of athleticism, strategy, and drama. 

From hard-fought rivalries to extraordinary grand final moments, the league has consistently delivered seasons that have solidified players’ reputations and forged legendary AFL teams.

The Fierce Showdown of 1989: Hawthorn vs Geelong

The 1989 AFL season is etched into fans’ memories for its physicality, brilliance, and raw intensity. The Grand Final between Hawthorn and Geelong is often hailed as one of the greatest of all time, primarily due to the dramatic display of resilience from players on both sides.

Hawthorn’s Dermott Brereton’s performance epitomized the toughness of the match. After suffering broken ribs and a ruptured kidney from a brutal collision at the start, Brereton remarkably stayed on the field, kicking three critical goals. This moment remains iconic as it underscored the relentless spirit of the Hawks, who ultimately triumphed by just six points (144-138).

Adding to the legend of this season was Geelong’s Gary Ablett Sr., whose nine-goal performance is still revered today. Despite losing the match, Ablett’s heroics solidified his status as one of the AFL’s greatest players. The 1989 season wasn’t just about the brutality; it was about the clash of sheer willpower, skill, and drama. Hawthorn’s victory cemented their dominance of the era, winning back-to-back premierships and leaving an indelible mark on AFL history.

2010: The Grand Final That Refused to End

The 2010 AFL season will be remembered for its dramatic conclusion— a drawn Grand Final, the first since 1977, between Collingwood and St Kilda. The tension was palpable throughout the game, and the ending was unlike anything the AFL had seen in decades. 

When the final siren rang, the scores were locked at 68-68, and confusion rippled through the 100,000 fans at the MCG. There was no extra time—the two teams would have to face off again the following week, a scenario no one had anticipated.

Collingwood, the dominant team during the regular season, struggled to pull away in the first match. However, the replay a week later was a different story. The Magpies dismantled St Kilda with a 56-point victory (108-52), securing their first premiership since 1990. The 2010 season showcased the beauty and heartbreak of AFL— St Kilda came agonizingly close to ending a decades-long premiership drought, while Collingwood reminded everyone of their formidable presence.

The Thriller That Was 2023: Collingwood’s Narrow Victory

If 2023 is remembered for anything, it’s the nerve-wracking closeness of almost every significant game. The season set a new record with 57 games decided by 10 points or less, surpassing the previous record 49 from 2014. Close finishes became a hallmark of 2023, adding immense drama to each round. However, the crowning moment came in the Grand Final between Collingwood and the Brisbane Lions, which ended with a four-point victory for the Magpies.

Collingwood’s triumph in 2023 wasn’t just about the Grand Final. Under coach Craig McRae, the Magpies displayed a knack for edging out opponents in tight games. Throughout the season, they posted an 8-1 record in matches decided by 10 points or less, underscoring their ability to perform under pressure. This made their eventual premiership victory even sweeter, as they secured a hard-fought victory (90-86) against Brisbane, continuing their tradition of excelling in intense moments.

Summary

The AFL has delivered some of the most memorable seasons in sports, filled with unforgettable moments of tension, triumph, and raw emotion. From the fierce battles of 1989, the nail-biting drama of 2010’s Grand Final replay, to the thrilling finishes of 2023, each season stands out for its unique storylines and incredible feats. These seasons remind fans why they love the game, showcasing the spirit of competition and the making of legendary AFL teams that continue to inspire new generations of players and supporters.