Sam Madison came out of Louisville as a second-round pick by the Miami Dolphins in 1997. He started only three games as a rookie and spent much of that first year on special teams, but the following season he took over as the full-time right cornerback. Once he got the job, he held onto it for most of the next decade.

The best years showed up in a hurry. Madison posted eight interceptions in 1998 and earned second-team All-Pro. Over the next couple of seasons, he reached first-team All-Pro and made the Pro Bowl, including a year in which he co-led the league with seven picks. From 1999 through 2002, he went to four straight Pro Bowls and ranked among the better cover corners in the league. Paired with Patrick Surtain on the other side, he gave the Dolphins a secondary that could take away the outside and force quarterbacks to look elsewhere. Miami made the playoffs regularly during that stretch, and the defense’s ability to limit big plays was a big reason why.

What stood out in those years was a mix of speed, technique, and ball skills. Madison was not the biggest corner, but he stayed close in man coverage, jumped routes, and turned potential completions into interceptions. Opposing receivers rarely got free releases against him, and when the ball was in the air, he was often in position to make the play. He also forced fumbles and recovered them, so his impact wasn’t limited to interceptions. Those four Pro Bowl seasons marked the high point of his time in Miami, and the secondary was at its best when he and Surtain were both locked in on the outside.

Madison stayed with the Dolphins through 2005. The team released him in 2006, and he signed with the New York Giants, where he played three more seasons and won a Super Bowl. The Dolphins later added him to their Walk of Fame. With Miami, he had 31 interceptions and 487 interception return yards, and would later be added to their Walk of Fame.