| No. 57 | |||||||||
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| Position | Center | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (1957-11-20)November 20, 1957 (age 68) Murfreesboro, North Carolina, U.S. | ||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 255 lb (116 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Hampton (Hampton, Virginia) | ||||||||
| College | Alabama | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1980: 2nd round, 48th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Dwight Eugene Stephenson (born November 20, 1957) is an American former professionalfootball player who was acenter for theMiami Dolphins of theNational Football League (NFL) from 1980 to 1987. He playedcollege football for theAlabama Crimson Tide. Stephenson was inducted into thePro Football Hall of Fame in 1998.[2][3]
Stephenson was born inMurfreesboro, North Carolina. He played college football at theUniversity of Alabama under coachBear Bryant. Bryant called Stephenson the best center he ever coached, and described him as "a man among children".[4] He was theCrimson Tide's starting center from 1977 to 1979, and was a member of Alabama's back-to-back national championship teams of 1978 and 1979.[5] He was a two-time second-teamAll-American; in 1978 byUnited Press International (UPI)[6] and 1979 by theAssociated Press (AP) and UPI.[7][8] "His speed, his foot quickness, was off the chart," said Mike Brock, a former Alabama lineman. "You couldn't compare it to other people who played at that time. There was no way for defenses to deal with him."[5]
Stephenson was drafted byDon Shula and theMiami Dolphins in the second round of the1980 NFL draft. He was used onspecial teams only until late in the1981 season, when starting centerMark Dennard was injured. A few seasons later, Stephenson was "universally recognized as the premier center in the NFL".[9]
With the exceptionally explosive Stephenson as offensive captain, the Dolphins offensive line gave up the fewest sacks in the NFL for a record six straight seasons, from 1982 to 1987,[9] which doubled the length of the previous record. He retired from pro football in 1987, after sustaining a severe left knee injury in a play involvingNew York JetsMarty Lyons andJoe Klecko on Monday Night Football.
Stephenson was voted as an All-Pro five consecutive times from 1983 to 1987. He was selected to play on fivePro Bowl squads over the same span. He was named AFC Offensive Lineman of the Year by theNFLPA five consecutive times (1983–87) and voted theSeagram's Seven Crowns of Sports Offensive Lineman of the Year three consecutive times (1983–85). He started at center in theAFC Championship Game three times, in1982,1984, and1985. He was the starting center in the Dolphins' two most recentSuper Bowl appearances:Super Bowl XVII andSuper Bowl XIX. In 1985, Stephenson was the recipient of theNFL Man of the Year Award for "outstanding community service and playing excellence."[10]
On December 12, 1994, Stephenson was added to theMiami Dolphins Honor Roll.
Despite the brevity of his career, in1999, Stephenson was ranked number 84 onThe Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players. Also in 1999, he was inducted into theVirginia Sports Hall of Fame, and in 2011, Stephenson was inducted into the Hampton Roads Sports Hall of Fame, for his contributions to sports in southeastern Virginia.
In 1998, Stephenson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was quoted as saying that "I know I’m not going to make every block, but I don’t like to ever get beat. That’s what keeps me motivated. There’s always the next play to get ready for.”[2]
In 2005, Stephenson was named theWalter Camp Man of the Year.
He is the namesake ofPro Football Focus' annual Dwight Stephenson Award, honoring the player the website considers best in the NFL regardless of position.[11]
After retiring from football, as of 2013, Stephenson had worked as a construction manager and general contractor in Florida. He remains a strong supporter of the University of Alabama's football team.[12]