Patrick Surtain arrived in Miami as a second-round pick out of Southern Miss in 1998 and spent most of his first two seasons coming off the bench. By 2000, he had locked down the starting left cornerback job opposite Sam Madison, and the Dolphins’ secondary became one of the league’s more physical units. Surtain specialized in press coverage, jamming receivers at the line of scrimmage to disrupt timing and using his recovery speed to stay in phase once the route broke. He played aggressive man coverage and rarely dropped off, forcing quarterbacks to look elsewhere or risk a contested throw.

From 2002 through 2004, he made the Pro Bowl three straight times and earned first-team All-Pro in 2002. That year he finished with six interceptions, including a 40-yard pick-six against the Broncos, while posting an Approximate Value of 14 and defending 11 passes. In 2003, he led the Dolphins with seven interceptions and still graded out at a high level, finishing second-team All-Pro. Those three seasons alone produced 17 picks and steady production against opposing quarterbacks, as teams often preferred to throw elsewhere.

After the 2004 season, Miami and Surtain could not agree on a new contract. With the team facing salary-cap pressure, the Dolphins allowed him to seek a trade and eventually dealt him to the Kansas City Chiefs for a second-round pick. He played four more years in Kansas City before retiring.

With the Dolphins, he finished with 29 interceptions and 353 tackles.