Miami Dolphins Walk of Fame 2018: Who is Jon Giesler?

The Miami Dolphins on Tuesday announced the 2018 class for induction into the team’s Walk of Fame. This is the first class to be added to the Walk of Fame, which was founded in 2011, since 2014, with the remodeling of Hard Rock Stadium pushing off additions to the area for a few years. Going into the Walk this season are five members of the team’s Ring of Honor, some of the legendary players top have ever worn aqua: Jason Taylor, Dick Anderson, Mark Clayton, Mark Duper, and John Offerdahl.

And then there was one other member of the class. While those players all received Pro Bowl accolades, Ring of Honor status, and, in one case, even the Hall of Fame, the sixth member of this class was a player who quietly did his job for ten years and started in two Super Bowls. Jon Giesler is definitely a player who deserves some recognition from the Dolphins and the fans, and he will finally get it this season.

Giesler was selected in the first round of the 1979 NFL Draft. He started his career as a special teams player and the backup tackle behind Mike Current and Bob Kuechenberg. In 1980, Giesler moved to the starting left tackle role for the Dolphins, a position he held through 1988.

Dave Hyde wrote an article about Giesler yesterday that included an incredible stat. Giesler had a stretch of 38 straight games without allowing a sack. In the 1980s, left tackle was not seen as a sexy position and a stat like 38 game without allowing a sack was not a widely publicized event, so even as quarterback Dan Marino was setting passing records in 1984, Giesler’s streak was so unnoticed, Giesler did not even realize it was happening at the time until someone told him.

During Giesler’s career, the Dolphins allowed the fewest sacks - either outright or tied for the league lead in that category - seven straight years, from 1982 to 1988. He was relegated to just seven games played in 1986 due to knee injuries, then returned in 1987 to be named the Dolphins’ Ed Block Courage Award recipient. He was a member of the Dolphins’ Silver Anniversary Team.

Giesler locked down Marino’s blind side before it was even considered an important role. He was a part of some great offensive lines, and he was protecting Marino during some of the greatest passing years in league history. Yet, no one really knew of Giesler, and even now, as he was announced as a member of this class, he was missed. Giesler could not be at the announcement due to a prior family engagement, and so the player who is finally going to get the recognition he deserves, was not there for the first part of that recognition.

Congratulations to all six members of the 2018 Walk of Fame class, and they are all worthy. Just one of them, however, has had to wait a long time to be recognized for the greatness he brought the Dolphins.