The Miami Dolphins staple podcast “The Fish Tank,” had a current player dive in their show, which aired Friday morning in the team’s longest-tenured player – cornerback Xavien Howard.
Back in 2016, the Dolphins drafted Howard in the second round out of Baylor after trading up to select him. He’s been a Dolphins’ staple and current captain, and over his seven NFL seasons, he’s earned a trip to four Pro Bowls and was named an All-Pro after his 2020 season. That 2020 campaign saw him lead the NFL in interceptions, as well as pass defended.
Howard even tied the Dolphins’ single-season interceptions record in 2020 with 10, matching Dick Westmoreland’s mark from back in 1967. He tied another Miami record in that season, having gone five straight games with an interception, matching Westmoreland again.
The former Bear talked about his early days as a Dolphin, and prior to becoming a football sensation, he shared a humbling tale about why basketball wasn’t the road for him to travel down. Though he did say he mirrored his game after Derrick Rose, but, at 5-foot-11, he was advised by a coach that basketball may not be it for him.
Luckily for Howard and Miami, he listened to his coach and focused on football. Howard, who played wide receiver as a youth football player, talked about how that helped his ball-hawking style.
Reminiscing about his rookie year, he referenced a former Dolphins legend, safety Reshad Jones, who told Howard, “Just make plays on the ball,” as a young “X” was adjusting to the pros. There was even a fun reference to Dolphin sack sensation Cam Wake, who waited a bit until Howard proved himself before fully welcoming him to the team.
“The Fish Tank” hosts, Seth Levit and O.J. McDuffie, spoke with Howard about his sports life, with basketball being that initial goal, as well as his charitable efforts with his Make ‘Em Believe foundation. In addition, Howard will be hosting a South Florida charity softball game that’ll feature teammates Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Tua Tagovailoa and more. The game will take place this Saturday, June 17 at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.
Who’s going to win the Home Run Derby at my celebrity softball game this Saturday? 👀
The only way to watch is at the park – no streams or TV. Get your tickets: https://t.co/vy7ucWLChS pic.twitter.com/Kh163nsEpO
— Xavien Howard (@Iamxavienhoward) June 15, 2023
In discussing the softball event with Levit and McDuffie, Howard mentioned that he’ll be roaming the outfield, utilizing his defensive back skills. When asked if Howard has the same baseball skills as his football and basketball prowess, the veteran cornerback replied honestly, “No, I don’t.”
The baseball talk gave McDuffie a chance to reminisce about his own diamond history, as the former Miami wide receiver was also a draftee of the then-California Angels. McDuffie and Levit rocked Fish Tank-themed baseball jerseys, much to the approval and delight of Howard, and a perfect segue to discussing the softball event.
Howard also mentioned that some of his Dolphin teammates will be entering this softball game going for nothing but the win.
“Tyreek going full speed,” Howard said. The cornerback says that Hill always is at that pace in everything he does. Howard did mention the teammate that he believes will hit a home run and another that he’s confident will strike out.
The cornerback went on to talk about the importance of doing an event like this.
“I thought it would be fun doing something for the community,” Howard said.
Going into more detail about the reasoning behind this event, Howard spoke more about the Make ‘Em Believe foundation, and the inception of that idea from a Dolphins business combine event from 2019.
Howard said that he’s always doing football events in his hometown in Houston, so he wanted to bring that locally to Miami and South Florida. Choosing a West Palm Beach location for the game, Howard wanted to reach fans both in and around the 305 area code, as the Dolphins base extends far beyond the Miami city limits.
The conversation shifted to 2023, and the hype around the current pod of Dolphins.
“This is going to be a special year,” Howard said. “You got to speak it into existence… We’re in a win now…”
There’s plenty more from this interview as Howard becomes the latest in an expanding list of current Dolphins to join Levit and McDuffie on “The Fish Tank.”
