O.J. McDuffie talks Making History with Dan Marino, How Joe Paterno & Penn. St. Shaped Him, How Friendships Helped Ease His NFL Transition
NFL: Good Morning Football
iHeartPodcasts and NFL
4.3 • 655 Ratings
🗓️ 21 January 2026
⏱️ 49 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
On the latest NFL Players: Second Acts podcast, former Miami Dolphins receiver OJ McDuffie joins Peanut Tillman and Roman Harper for a wide-ranging conversation about football, baseball, legendary coaches, and life after the game.
OJ shares being named after OJ Simpson, those they don’t have the same exact names, his original passion for baseball at Penn State, and how Joe Paterno’s unique approach allowed him to play both sports. He reflects on his place in the Penn State baseball record books, and his “Welcome to the NFL” moment.
The conversation dives deep into OJ’s NFL career with the Dolphins, including his experience playing for Don Shula, the stark transition to Jimmy Johnson, and what made Dan Marino one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. OJ also shares the incredible story of catching Marino’s 399th, 400th, and 401st career touchdown passes in the same game.
OJ gets candid about the foot injury that ended his career, the difficult transition away from football, and how leaning on friends helped him find his footing. Today, he’s found a second act in media through The Fish Tank podcast, continuing to stay connected to the game and the city of Miami.
It’s an honest, funny, and insightful look at a career shaped by legends—and what comes next when the game ends.
The NFL Players: Second Acts podcast is a production of the NFL in partnership with iHeart Media.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is an I-Heart podcast. |
| 0:02.6 | Guaranteed Human. Dan Marino, let's talk about that. Danny Boy, how was it catching passes from him? Because when you got here, you quickly became his favorite target. But I always joke about Danny and I always had a problem with each other because, you know, he went to pit. I went to Penn State. And we just didn't. I said, Danny, man, we're on the same team now, man. you got to let that stuff go. |
| 0:23.6 | You know, you got to pit. I went to Penn State. We just didn't. I said, Danny, man, we're on the same team now, man. You got to let that stuff go. You know, you got |
| 0:24.1 | start throwing me to rock a little bit. And so halfway through my rookie season, I got a little bit of opportunities with the team. And then that second year, man, it was just like we were clicking. And that was always a lot of fun. |
| 0:35.2 | Dan, you know, |
| 0:36.2 | Dan always said, |
| 0:36.9 | get your head around like Linda Blair, you know, |
| 0:38.5 | like from the exorcist because the ball is coming, bro. |
| 0:41.0 | And it was, |
| 0:41.5 | it was, It's a lot of fun. Dan, you know, Dan always said, get your head around like Linda Blair, you know, like from the exorcist because the ball's coming, bro. |
| 0:41.0 | And it was, it was coming, man. |
| 0:48.4 | What up, everybody? |
| 0:49.6 | I'm Peanut Tillman, and this is the NFL player's second X podcast. |
| 0:56.3 | And with me, as always, as my trustee co-host Roman Calfin Harper there we go okay I just was looking at something else I was like |
| 1:04.9 | it's okay I just I got to admit I think this is the first time Pete I love peanut Peanut's shirt more than my own shirt. And it's beautiful peanut. And I, it's like the third compliment I got on my shirt. I love that. And I'm really excited about our guests that we have on right now. I know I hate saying this, but I grew up big fan of this and loved watching him play and compete. And he's some of Miami's own and finest |
| 1:29.3 | players of all time. So we talked about this in the car and you was like, yo, I was a huge |
| 1:33.7 | fan of this guy. So I, yeah, first round pick out of Penn State in the 93 draft, eight-year |
| 1:41.2 | vet for the Dolphins. He's in the Dolphins Walk of Fame. And he is the host of the podcast, the Fish Tank. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the pot. Mr. O.J. McDowth! Yeah. Thank you. Thank you, man. I appreciate that. Now, as you guys know, though, it's officially nine years when it comes to my tenure in the lead |
| 2:01.6 | because that extra year means a lot when that pension comes around. |
| 2:04.2 | Absolutely. |
| 2:04.5 | Absolutely. So I apologize. I apologize. We can do the whole thing over if you won't. No, no, that's perfect. Okay, y'all, I apologize. He got his nine years. Don't matter. It doesn't matter. It does matter. |
| 2:15.0 | Anybody that tells me like, oh, man, you played 10 years in league. |
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