I'm 36. I think I qualify as 'old' among the modern era. I hardly have any recollections from before the Leon Lett FG block/fumble/touchdown/deadball/ FG win incident, though. I was like 8 at the time.
I have tried watching some of the older stuff just so I can honor the teams and players that made us into the proud franchise Marino was willing to go down as a cokehead to play for but it still feels like watching black and white overly dramatic cinema.
Other than Brian Cox, Troy Vincent and Terrence Buckley I can't recall any pre-JJ defensive players.
On offense other than Marino, I recall McDuffie, Fryar and Drayton pre-JJ but that's it.
I came to love Lamar Smith, Abdul Jabbar, Ricky, Chambers, Gadsden, McMichael, Taylor, Bowens, Thomas, Madison and Surtain.
My opinion on players stretches only as far back as 1991 or so.
I remember Shula besting the all-time win record on one of the first few games I watched. It's like I watched all the decadence of the Dolphins glory but none of its climax. I was literally born in 1984 and can't say I felt that excitement we had a bright future ahead when Marino made the SB. I did get to watch Ace Ventura on the big screen to get a taste of the bitterness it was all for naught...