Professional Career
The Miami Dolphins selected McDuffie in the first round (25th pick overall) of the 1993 NFL Draft. He returned punts and was a reserve wide receiver before earning the starting spot for the Dolphins. During his formative years with the Dolphins, McDuffie became known as Dan Marino's favorite receiver. His 415 career catches are fourth all-time in Dolphins history. In 1998, McDuffie caught 90 passes, leading the NFL in that category. He is the only Dolphin to achieve this feat. With the exception of Mark Clayton and Mark Duper, McDuffie caught more passes thrown by Dan Marino than any other Miami Dolphin. He played his entire career in Miami, retiring in 2000 because of a nagging toe injury.
Nearly ten years later, McDuffie would win a Medical malpractice lawsuit related to that career-ending toe injury. On May 5, 2010, Miami-Dade County, Florida jurors ordered a former Dolphins team physician, Dr. John Uribe, to pay McDuffie $11.5 million in damages. The lawsuit alleged Uribe told McDuffie he was safe to continue playing football, despite MRIs showing damage to the tendons in his toe. On September 30, 2010, Judge Michael Genden of Miami-Dade County tossed out that verdict due to the improper use of a medical manual as evidence. The judge also ordered a new trial.
Read more about this topic: O. J. Mc Duffie
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