Randy McMichael

Did You Know?

• McMichael was named to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Top 50 in the state of Georgia at Peach County High School in Fort Valley, Georgia.
• He was voted his high school team's best offensive lineman as a senior.
• He also lettered in basketball and track during his prep career.

College career

McMichael played for Georgia from 1999 to 2001, earning three varsity letters. He was sidelined for all but one game in 1997 due to a thumb injury and missed the entire 1998 season with a knee injury. As a freshman in 1999, he made 34 catches for 357 yards and three touchdowns, which earned him First-team Freshman All-American honors from The Sporting News and SEC coaches. The following year, he had 32 receptions for 475 yards and one score, receiving an honorable mention All-conference nod. In his final season, 2001, he started nine of ten games, recording 24 catches for 281 yards and a touchdown, and was named First-team All-SEC by the Associated Press and SEC coaches. Over his career, he started 21 of 33 games, totaling 90 receptions for 1,213 yards and five touchdowns, ranking ninth in school history for career receiving yards.

Professional career

McMichael was taken 114th overall in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins, using a pick originally acquired from the New Orleans Saints in the trade that sent Ricky Williams to Miami. He debuted as a starter against the Detroit Lions on September 8, tying for the team lead with four receptions and leading the team with 73 yards, and scored his first NFL touchdown on a 16-yard pass from Jay Fiedler. Starting all 16 games as a rookie, he caught 39 passes for 485 yards and four touchdowns, leading the team in receiving scores and ranking third in receptions and yards.

He became the first Dolphins rookie tight end to start every regular season game, and his four touchdown catches were the most by a Dolphins rookie tight end, surpassing Ferrell Edmunds's three in 1988. Among all NFL rookie tight ends in 2002, his receiving totals ranked second behind Jeremy Shockey, and his touchdown total led the league's rookie tight ends. In his second season he started all 16 games, posting 49 receptions for 598 yards and two touchdowns, plus a touchdown on a fumble recovery.

He ranked third on the team in receptions and second in receiving yards, and led or shared the team lead in receptions four times and in receiving yards five times. He ranked fourth among AFC tight ends in both receptions and receiving yards.