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Signing Polite Proving To Be A Smart Move
By ALAIN POUPART
Dolphin Digest Associate Editor
The Dolphins' talent at running back is pretty well known, but it wasn't Ronnie Brown or Ricky Williams who was called upon on two crucial fourth-and-1 plays the last two games.
Rather, it was Lousaka Polite. And he delivered both times, getting first downs on drives against Denver and Seattle that ended with touchdowns.
That's pretty heady stuff for a fullback whose season high for rushing attempts is seven. It's even more impressive when you consider Polite wasn't even on the team a month ago.
But while Polite was unfamiliar to most, if not all, Dolphins fans, he was someone the Dolphins coaching staff knew well - and liked - after being around him for his first three seasons in the NFL from 2004-06.
"I don't remember this guy ever, since the time I met this guy, (getting) hurt," Sparano said. "He's a guy that shows up every single day, he gives you the most at practice (and) he's a very intelligent player. I mean, you're talking about a guy who, if I'm correct, I think he's got a 39 (Wonderlic) test score. I think it's one of the highest on the team, if not the highest.
"He's a brilliant guy, plays very aware. And when I say aware, when things happen fast, for Lou, they kind of happen slow. And that's a good thing for a fullback, because he's a little bit of the trash collector out there. All of a sudden, something breaks down and he's got to make it right. He does a good job with those kinds of things."
What Dolphins fans know about Polite, though, is pretty much limited to those two fourth-down plays.
The first came at Denver, which was Polite's third game with the Dolphins. The fourth-and-1 helped keep alive a drive that increased the Dolphins' lead to 26-17.
When the call came in from the sideline, Polite's reaction was simple: "I better get it."
The fourth-and-1 conversion against Seattle also came in the fourth quarter and it preceded the Ronnie Brown touchdown that gave the Dolphins a 21-13 lead.
In his four games, Polite has carried the ball a total of four times for 8 yards while also catching two passes for 17 yards.
One of his receptions came against Seattle and his forward progress stopped when he was tackled by safety Jordan Babineaux, the same guy who earlier had returned an interception return for a touchdown.
But this was an unfortunate encounter for Babineaux, who got the worse of the collision and was shaken up on the play.
At 6 feet, 245 pounds, Polite clearly has the physical dimensions the fullback position demands. And he's also a leader, as evidenced by the fact he became the University of Pittsburgh's first three-time captain during his collegiate career.
Yet Polite couldn't find any work in the NFL after being released during training camp by the Chicago Bears, for whom he had played the last five games of the 2007 season.
While he waited for a call, Polite split his time between Pittsburgh and Naples working out 4-5 hours practically every day.
Polite also watched as much football as he could to stay on top of developments in the league, particularly at fullback. The only two Dolphins games he was able to catch in the first six weeks of the season were the victories over New England and San Diego.
"It's hard, but I've been around and I know how it works," Polite said of waiting for the phone call from a team. "So I knew I'd better stay ready."
Because he had enough money saved up, Polite didn't have to get a regular job.
His philosophy was simple.
"Save your money," Polite said. "Don't go out there and live beyond your means. All you need is for one team to like you."
The Dolphins liked Polite but didn't have a need for a fullback because they also liked Casey Cramer a lot. But that all changed when Cramer sustained an ankle injury that forced him to miss three games.
The Dolphins' feelings about Polite became evident when they kept him even after Cramer returned to action. Not only that, but it was Polite and not Cramer who started at fullback against Seattle.
By all appearances, Polite appears to have a little more quickness than Cramer and maybe can do more offensively. He's already proven to be a dependable short-yardage back.
Not that Polite is ready to anoint himself the team's fourth-down specialist.
"I like to do whatever it takes," he said. "It's all about winning games."
The Dolphins have done that a lot better this season than in recent years, and the former Dallas players brought in by the new regime certainly have helped.
Clearly, there have been big contributions made by the likes of Jason Ferguson, Anthony Fasano and Akin Ayodele. And now you can add Lousaka Polite to the list.
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