As Head Coach Adam Gase was wrapping up nearly an hour of answering questions at the coaches breakfast at the 2018 NFL meetings in Orlando, a reporter decided to have a little fun.
So this was his question: "As you go through every corner of your roster evaluating, are you worried at all that John Denney has lost a step?"
The question drew laughter from just about everyone seated at Gase's table, if for no other reason than long-snappers seldom, if ever, come up when head coaches are talking to the media.
Actually, pretty much the only time long-snappers ever are discussed is after an errant snap ends up costing a game.
Dolphins fans haven't heard Denney's name mentioned often because he's done his job so well for so long. And he's going to continue doing it after re-signing as an unrestricted free agent for a 14th season with the Dolphins.
Denney's consistency and dependability has been no joke, which is why he continues to endure in Miami.
"I'll tell you what, he did a great job for us last year," Gase said. "I'm glad that he's back. He looks way better than I do. I know that. I think he's older than me. Is he older than me, or am I older than him? It's close, right?"
For the record, Gase is older than Denney — but barely. Denney turned 39 last December, while Gase turned 40 on March 29.
Denney became last season the third player to play 200 games for the Dolphins when he joined Dan Marino and Jason Taylor in the Sunday night game against Oakland.
It was quite an accomplishment for somebody who initially made the Dolphins roster in 2005 as an undrafted rookie free agent.
"It's amazing," Denney said. "It's surreal. Even to this day, I know it's been over a decade that I've been here, but every time I have a chance to go out there on the field and you look back at the building and you see the Dolphins emblem … I remember my first day walking on that field, I remember just thinking this is crazy to think I'm here at the professional level. And I still appreciate it to this day."
Denney has played 208 consecutive games since joining the Dolphins and fans would be hard-pressed to come up with an errant snap, whether it be on punts, field goals or extra points.
Bottom line, there's a reason Denney has lasted so long.
"There's definitely being in the right place, right time," he said. "There's a lot of factors you can't control and on top of that you gotta do everything you can and I try to do that. I pride myself in trying to be one of the guys downstairs working as hard as I can to leave it all out there and have no regrets."
Gase and Associate Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Darren Rizzi both praised Denney last season for his leadership and the example he sets for the younger players.
Even as he approaches 40 himself, Denney's drive and determination haven't diminished one bit.
"As soon as the season ends, as soon as the last season is over, you're sitting there on your couch watching the playoffs and you want to get going," he said. "You want another chance at it and here we are getting ready for another season. It's exciting."
