New Miami Dolphins safety Jordan Poyer has accomplished more than most would’ve expected of him during his time at Oregon State, which included an All-American final season in 2012.
It was after that final season that he was passed over time and time again before finally being selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the seventh round of the 2013 NFL draft.
Since then, he’s made a Pro Bowl (2022) and was named First-team All-Pro (2021) while playing for the team that won the division in each of the last four seasons – the Buffalo Bills.
However, with Poyer being cut by the team that allowed him to flourish into a star, he’s signed with Miami, allowing him to work in the same state he lives in, in the offseason.
Despite his success, Poyer still plays with a chip on his shoulder to this day.
“Seventh round, 218th (overall pick) coming out of Oregon State as a consensus All-American, getting cut by Philadelphia, going to Cleveland and playing there for three and a half years, having a pretty bad injury then them not wanting to bring me back, then playing in Buffalo for seven years, getting cut with a year left on my contract,” Poyer told the South Florida media. “This is just another one of those opportunities, like I said, another one of those great opportunities to go out there and prove to myself really, and to everyone else around me, that I can still play and play at a high level. I can still help win games. I have a lot of experience in this game, a lot of experience within this division, of a lot of people that I’ve seen over the years and played over the years. I’m going to bring all that knowledge here to ultimately help the Dolphins win football games. Like I said, I’m here with an open mind, open heart, open arms, to learn, to grow, to evolve as a person and as a player, and just bring the best version of myself that I can to help this team win football games.”
Miami is looking to get over the hump and win some postseason games for the first time in two decades, and Poyer’s attitude might just be exactly what they need to accomplish that goal.
