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Fast facts

© St. Petersburg Times, published September 3, 1998

EASY TO READ: It took two full seasons, but Jimmy Johnson finally broke from the Dolphins’ long-standing offensive playbook. The Dolphins had one of the league’s fattest playbooks, one that Johnson allowed former offensive coordinator Gary Stevens to keep from the Don Shula days. But, after two seasons of no running game, Johnson put his foot down in the off-season and did two things. First, he fired Stevens; second, he cut back drastically on the playbook, something he did in Dallas. The goal is to have an offense in which the players are less confused and can better carry out their assignments.

COACHING CHANGES: Dismissing Stevens wasn’t easy to do. Stevens served under Johnson at the University of Miami and for two years with the Dolphins. Johnson elevated running backs coach Kippy Brown to offensive coordinator. Other new faces: Receivers coach Robert Ford, who spent the past seven years in Dallas; defensive assistant Randy Shannon, a former UM linebacker and assistant coach. Longtime receivers coach Larry Seiple will coach quarterbacks, and Joel Collier, a defensive assistant the past four seasons, will switch to running backs coach.

MR. TOUGH GUY: One of the biggest off-season moves was the signing of guard Kevin Donnalley from the Steelers. Donnalley was brought in to add toughness to the offensive line. Veterans call Donnalley “Heller Junior,” a reference to former tackle Ron Heller, who was known for his nastiness. Donnalley denies he’s a dirty player, but admits to an aggressive style. “I don’t believe that I can make this offensive line tougher or better by myself, but I can help,” he said. “What happens with us is more of a reflection of the coaches, and they’re of the mindset that we are going to be better.”

HALF A NAME: Running back Karim Abdul-Jabbar now goes by “Abdul” on his jersey, the outcome of a legal challenge over the name by former NBA star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The Dolphins’ Abdul-Jabbar was Sharmon Shah before legally changing his name in college. That’s when the controversy and confusion began, as both Abdul-Jabbars played at UCLA and wore No. 33, although in different sports.

HOW ‘BOUT THEM EX-COWBOYS!: Coach Jimmy Johnson built a championship defense in Dallas, and he’s relying on a few ex-Cowboys to give the Dolphins a boost. The Dolphins added linebacker Robert Jones and safety Brock Marion in the off-season to help a defense that might lack just one or two impact players. Jones, who played under Johnson in 1992 and ‘93, was waived in a salary cap-driven move by the Rams after last season. He gives the Dolphins depth at all three linebacker spots. “If I wasn’t the player Jimmy thought I was, he wouldn’t have called me back,” Jones said.

-- CHARLES MULLING