Miami Dolphins cut down on hazing at training camp

In their pursuit of a fresh start after a disastrous and controversial 2013 season, the Miami Dolphins have taken numerous measures to change the culture around their locker room.

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Those measures might start with something simple like a “team credo” t-shirt, but they continue with a more substantive policy that has already been seen in action thus far in training camp. Perhaps predictably so, Joe Philbin and the rest of the Miami coaching staff has cut down significantly, if not altogether, on hazing of any kind.

Armando Salguero writes about the changes he has seen at camp for the Miami Herald, noting that a “line on hazing has been drawn even though Philbin declined at the start of camp to identify where that line actually lies.”

He also spoke with various players about the change, guys like Randy Starks:

"There’s nothing you can do about it,” veteran Randy Starks said with a shrug. “We don’t want to put any wrong ideas out there. We’re just concentrating on football.”"

Resigned but not thrilled, perhaps, is how you would describe Starks. How about a rookie’s perspective?

"“They’ve been very welcoming,” first-round draft pick Ja’Wuan James said of the team’s veterans. “When I got here, everybody was kind of like, ‘Oh rookies, they’re going to get messed with, blah, blah, blah.’ But they just want to win.“Everyone here wants to win so they just want us to be the best we can be. So they’re just trying to teach us, push us. That’s what they keep saying: ‘We’re only going to be as good as you’re going to be.’ They need us to be good, and we need each other.”"

Whether or not the Dolphins can be considered a legit playoff contender on the merits of their roster is debatable, but it sounds like the team is doing everything it can to make sure they do not have another season derailed by off-the-field issues.

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