Just the other day we had the chance to celebrate the first of the “Marks Brothers”, Mark Duper. Today, 83 days away from the kickoff of the Miami Dolphins’ 2019 season, we pay homage to the other half of the Marks — Mark Clayton. Clayton rocked #83 for a decade in South Florida, powering his way to the top shelf of every receiving category in Miami Dolphins history.
During his heyday, he — along with Duper — proved to be a nightmare to contain. Dan Marino’s best seasons came with super production from Clayton — including 18 touchdown receptions and 1,300 receiving yards in Marino’s record setting 1984 season.
Perhaps the most fun part about the super-duo of Clayton and Duper — aside of all the explosive touchdowns (they combined for 140 touchdowns in 10 years together) — is their stature. Both were listed at 5-foot-9, meaning they had to break some stereotypes along the way in order to thrive at the pro level. Clayton was a less highly regarded prospect than Duper coming out of college, sliding all the way to the 8th round of the 1983 NFL Draft before the Dolphins scooped him up.
From there, the rest is history.
