The Seattle Seahawks head to South Florida to visit with the Miami Dolphins this weekend. There are always connections between teams, whether it is players who were previously teammates in college or elsewhere in the NFL, players who previously played on the other club, coaches who have moved teams, or players who grew up or played in college in the other state. There are always connections, and they can be fun to explore.

This week, the Dolphins will welcome a familiar face back to South Florida. Seattle assistant special teams coach and interim special teams coordinator Larry Izzo played for the Dolphins from 1996 through 2000 as a stud special teams player and a depth linebacker. Izzo also played for the New England Patriots and the New York Jets, nearly completing the AFC East tour. WIth Miami, he played four sesasons, missing the 1997 season with an Achilles injury, recording 43 tackles on defense. He holds the record for most special teams tackles in NFL history with 204.

The Dolhins will also see former training camp safety Nick Sorensen (2001), who is now the Seahawks secondary and nickel specialist coach. Seahawks defensive end Damontre Moore played in three games for the Dolphins in 2015, while cornerback Linden Stephens was on the Dolphins in 2019, appearing in three games.

On the other side, Dolphins’ tackle Jesse Davis was in the Seahawks’ training camp in 2015.

Davis also played for the New York Jets in 2016, along with Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (2015-2016), Seahawks tackle Brandon Shell (2016-2019) and Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (2013-2016). Fitzpatrick played for the Houston Texans in 2014, where he was a teammate with Seahawks tackle Duane Brown (2008-2017); Brown was still there when Dolphins tackle Julien Davenport (2017-2018) played with the Texans.

Dolphins guard Ereck Flowers spent time with the Washington Football Team (2019), where he was a teammate with Seahawks cornerback Quinton Dunbar. Flowers was with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2018, where he was a teammate of Seahawks running back Carlos Hyde (2018). Flowes also played for the New York Giants (2015-2018), sharing a locker room with Seahawks defensive end Damontre Moore (2013-2015), Seahawks long snapper Tyler Ott (2015), and Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (2017).

The 2019 Philadelphia Eagles’ roster included Dolphins wide receiver Mack Hollins (2017-2019) and Seahawks defensive tackle Anthony Rush (20119). The 2018 Cleveland Browns’ roster included Dolphins defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah (2016-2018) and Seahawks running back Carlos Hyde (2018).

Dolphins safety Clayton Fejedelem (2016-2019) played for the Cincinnati Bengals, where he was a teammate of Seahawks tackle Cedric Ogbuehi (2015-2017) and Seahawks long snapper Tyler Ott (2016). Two players from each team overlapped playing time with the Dallas Cowboys, with cornerback Byron Jones (2015-2019) and safety Kavon Frazier (2016-2019) now with the Dolphins and defensive ends Benson Mayowa (2016-2017) and Damontre Moore (2017) now playing for Seattle.

Seattle tight end Jacob Hollister (2017-2018) played for the New England Patriots, sharing a roster with five different Dolphins players, center Ted Karras (2016-2019), cornerback Jamal Perry (2017-2018), linebacker Elandon Roberts (2016-2019), safety Eric Rowe (2016-2018), and linebacker Kyle Van Noy (2016-2019), as well as coaches, including Dolphins head coach Brian Flores, who worked as the Patriots linebackers coach in those years and defensive coordinator Josh Boyer, who was the Patriots cornerbacks coach then.

As for college teammates, Dolphins running back played at Washington from 2015-2018, where he was teammates with Seahawks linebacker Ben Burr-Kirven (2015-2018) and Seahawks tight end Will Dissly (2014-2017). Dolphins guard Solomon Kindley (2016-2019) played with Seahawks outside linebacker D’Andre Walker (2015-2018) at Georgia. Dolphins safety Brandon Jones (2016-2019), Seahawks punter Michael Dickson (2015-2017), and Seahawks defensive tackle Poona Ford (2014-2017) were all Texas teammates. Dolphins linebacker Jerome Baker (2015-2017) played for Ohio State along with Seahawks tackle Jamarco Jones (2014-2016). Dolphins tackle Adam Pankey (2012-2016) and Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (2009-2012) were teammates at West Virginia.

Dolphins long snapper (2015-2019), Dolphins defensive tackle Davon Godchaux (2014-2016), Seahawks safety Jamal Adams (2014-2016), Seahawks guard Damien Lewis (2018-2019), and Seahawks center/guard Ethan Pocic (2013-2016) all spent time at LSU.

Local connections for the Seahawks include cornerback Quinton Dunbar, who attended Booker T. Washington Senior High School in Miami; running back Travis Homer, who attended Oxbridge Academ in West Palm Beach and the University of Miami; quarterback Geno Smith, who attended Miramar High School; running back DeeJay Dallas, who attended the University of Miami; tight end Greg Olsen, who attended the University of Miami; running game coordinator Breenan Carroll, who worked as the national scouting coordinator, tight end coach, and wide receiver coach at the University of Miami; assistant head coach and defensive line coach Clint Hurtt, who played at the University of Miami before injury forced him into coaching at the University of Miami where he served as a voluteer strength and conditioning coach, and graduate assistant, recruiting coordinator/defensive line coach; and defensive assistant/defensive line coach Damione Lewis, who played at the University of Miami from 1997-2000.

The Dolphins’ local connections include running back Myles Gaskin, who atended O’Dea High School in Lynnwood, Washington, and the University of Washington; running back Salvon Ahmed, who attended University of Washington; and tackle Jesse Davis, who attended Asotin High School.