Zach will always be a Dolphin to me too
You become a fan of a team, and get attached to some players. Zach was almost in a class all by himself in this regard. For me only Dan Marino, Bob Greise, John Offerdahl, Jason Taylor and Larry Czonka command that kind of loyalty from me as a Dolphins fan.
Zach was the heart and soul of a very good Miami Dolphins defense for over 10 years. His accomplishments on the field are legendary (he has more solo tackles than any other Middle Linebacker already enshrined in the NFL Hall of Fame), but it was also what he represented off the field, and the way he carried himself with class, like very few men I have seen in professional sports. He was always friendly to fans, reporters, and never a problem in the police blotters either. Not even a hint of a malcontent was he. Always the company man, touting the line given to him to speak from the front office or head coach. He always was a company man to the max.
I am very sad, but yet a little bit of me always will root for Zach to finally win a Super Bowl ring. I will really cringe if it is the New England Patriots, and something inside of me wants it to be the Indianapolis Colts or San Diego Chargers so I can actually root for him.
God Bless you Zach, and thanks for the memories bro, you said it best when quoted in the Miami Herald this morning, "I am healthy and look forward to playing in 2008, but will always consider myself a Miami Dolphin"
Love ya Zach, you will always be a Miami Dolphin to me too.