The Miami Dolphins selected wide receiver O.J. McDuffie with the No. 25 overall pick of the 1993 NFL Draft. The Penn State alum posted a combined 56 receptions, 685 yards, and three touchdowns across his first two seasons, but broke out in year three by recording 62 catches for 819 yards and eight scores.
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By then, the WR had become Dan Marino’s favorite weapon during the final stage of the Hall of Fame signal-caller’s NFL career. McDuffie’s arrival on the scene came under head coach Don Shula, and he played for Jimmy Johnson during his peak years.
With those two Hall of Fame head coaches and Marino throwing him the ball, you’d think he’d have very few things to complain about looking back at his playing days. However, despite producing for Johnson, McDuffie’s time with him was anything but joyous. In an exclusive interview with The SportsRush’s Shubham Bhargava, the WR spoke about the issues he had with the head coach.
“Going from Don Shula to Jimmy Johnson was truly a letdown because I went from one great coach to just an alright coach,” the eight-year wideout told The SportsRush. And McDuffie is certain he’s not the only Dolphin who feels that way.
“I’m not a big Jimmy Johnson fan. We both know that. He knows that. He’s not a fan of mine [and] I’m not a fan of his, so the transition [from Shula to Johnson] was tough,” said McDuffie.
“A couple [of] guys on the team — myself, [Dan] Marino [and] other guys — had to go back and prove ourselves to him that we could play football at a high level. Fortunately, I was able to prove that to him,” he added.
McDuffie spent the best seasons of his career with Johnson leading Miami’s charge. In 1998, the 29-year-old receiver posted career highs in yards (1,050) and receptions (90). He led the NFL in receptions that year. Unfortunately, his career slowed down following an ailment, stopping him from further climbing up the receiving ranks.
McDuffie speaks of his career-ending ailment
On Nov. 21, 1999, in a Week 11 matchup versus the New England Patriots, O.J. McDuffie injured his toe. He missed the Dolphins’ next three contests because of the injury and returned in Week 15. He played Week 16, too, but never felt quite right.
The reason? The ailment that plagued him was much more serious. It wasn’t just a toe injury; it was turf toe, which is painful, aggravating, and debilitating. Football players far and wide have spoken about the mental anguish it can cause.
Turf toe finished Hall of Fame linebacker Jack Lambert’s career in 1985. A decade-and-a-half later, it brought the same wretched end to McDuffie’s football life. It was the first and last big injury he ever suffered. Unsurprisingly, it wasn’t easy to get through.
“It impacted me a lot. Physically, obviously, and mentally as well. I went through my whole football career, from Pee Wees to junior high, high school to college, and then most of my pro career without any major injuries. For me to get hurt… it was devastating. It really was… it weighed on me, it weighed on my family, and it weighed on my teammates as well,” narrated McDuffie.
At the time, McDuffie didn’t know his ailment was what ESPN, in an Oct. 2021 article, labeled as “one of the most dreaded and debilitating injuries in the NFL.” After his retirement in 2000, he filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against former Miami team physician Dr. John Uribe.
McDuffie alleged that the doctor’s actions — or lack thereof — caused the premature end to his career. He initially won his lawsuit, but the ruling was later overturned.
When McDuffie hauled in his 90th catch in 1998, he became the first Dolphin to ever crack that reception threshold. He’s believed to be the first player in NFL history to make at least 90 receptions and return at least 10 punts without a fumble. You can hear more stories about his time in the NFL on The Fish Tank podcast.
