Phinatics.com

Louis Oliver was a safety for the Miami Dolphins. He was drafted by the Dolphins in the first round (25th selection) and played for the team from 1989-1993 and 1995-1996. In 1992, Louis had a 103 yard interception return for a TD that is tied for the all-time NFL record for longest interception return for a touchdown. He also had 3 interceptions in the that game, which helped the Dolphins break a 6 game losing streak to the Bills at Rich Stadium. He played college football for the Florida Gators.

Phinatics.com gives Louis Oliver a special "THANK YOU" for his participation.

Thanks also to phinatics Ray Minneci and JGarbo for their question contributions.

phinatics.com: Please tell us a little bit about your current business and any other post-football opportunities you are involved in.
Louis Oliver: Well, I've been doing real estate for about a year and a half now. It's going extremely well with a company called Sports and Entertainment Realty Advisors. Pretty much, my thing was to really cater to a lot of the athletes and entertainers --- people that I really know well and come in contact with. Not to exclude anybody, but most of my clients are athletes and entertainers.

phinatics.com: Do you still hold your charity basketball tournament?
Louis Oliver: No, I haven't done that in a while. I actually shut down my Foundation about seven years ago, but my promotional company still does extremely well. I do a lot of product marketing for a lot of companies -- entertainment companies, record labels, clothing companies. But, really my focus now has definitely been my real estate venture.

phinatics.com: How did you get involved in Ricky William's golf tournament?
Louis Oliver: I knew Floyd Raglin (one of Ricky's event organizers and a Dolphins cornerback in 1987) a long time ago. Floyd said, "Hey man, why don't you come out and play, and if you can't play just drive the cart around", so I told him I'd be like Chevy Chase and tear up the golf course with the cart (laughs).

phinatics.com: Have you ever considered coaching?
Louis Oliver: Coaching? No. It was tough enough coaching guys when you were playing with them (laughs).

phinatics.com: What do you think about the Ron Zook situation with him taking over for Spurrier at Florida?
Louis Oliver: Well, he came into a situation where he had a huge reputation to follow. The success of Steve Spurrier is unprecedented. He's trying to develop his own identity, and give the team his identity. Spurrier did that really successfully. His first year was kind of, you know, up and down, but I think if they give him a little more time he can make some good things happen there.

phinatics.com: So, you're still paying attention to it, right?
Louis Oliver: Oh yeah, if he doesn't win this year he is going to have a problem (laughs).

phinatics.com: Would you say the same thing about Coach Wannstedt?
Louis Oliver: Um ...they brought in Ricky, and he had a hell of a season. I think they messed up a little with the coaching in the last three or four minutes of the New England game -- they should have run Ricky. But, it looks like things are on the right track -- they are pretty balanced offensively and defensively. And hey, you know, I think they'll give him at least another year to see what Ricky is going to do, and see how far he carries the team.

phinatics.com: What did you think was better, the big hit or the big interception?
Louis Oliver: Ah man, they both were super satisfying. It depended on the moment. If you really hit somebody -- like a big back, like Jerome Bettis ... I'd rather hit a guy in the face like Jerome Bettis than pick one off and take one for 80 yards because it really sets the tone. It lets everyone on the other team know this team is here to play. I kind of like the hits because they make a statement.

phinatics.com: What kind of thoughts were going through your head on that 103 yard interception return for a TD in the rout of the Bills at Buffalo in 1992, and do you consider that your finest moment individually as a player?
Louis Oliver: Yeah, that was a great game. I actually dreamt that game the night before. I woke up that morning and told coach Phillips, the defensive back coach, I said, "Hey man, I am going to get three picks today". He said, "We are going to need everyone of them." I told my teammate Jarvis Williams the same thing, and then three of them hit, and there was the big one. I would definitely say that was my greatest game.

phinatics.com: Do you keep up with any of your former teammates from the Dolphins?
Louis Oliver: Yeah, I see a lot of the guys. I mean, like OJ, we shoot ball every Saturday. So, I see them all the time.

phinatics.com: Do you have any memorabilia from your playing days?
Louis Oliver: Oh yeah. I got jerseys, balls, helmets --- that type of stuff.

phinatics.com: What do you miss the most about playing in the NFL?
Louis Oliver: Just the contact. A lot of guys today ... they don't like to tackle. It's like a pretty boy league and nobody really wants to get grimy and dirty and feel that pain, and that's what I miss. I hate to see guys that don't like to tackle.

phinatics.com: How would you evaluate the safeties the Dolphins have now?
Louis Oliver: Pretty good.

phinatics.com: So you like Brock and Arturo?
Louis Oliver: Yeah, they are pretty good. I wouldn't say they are Louis Oliver, but they are pretty good (laughs).

phinatics.com: What did you think about the way Jimmy Johnson handled some of Don Shula's guys when he came in?
Louis Oliver: I just think Jimmy was kind of egomaniacal. He wanted to put his stamp on the team, and he didn't want to have any remnants of Don Shula left in the organization. I think it killed some of the spirit of the team, because I think we had a good nucleus of players. He let Troy Vincent go, Eric Green, Irvin Fryar, and a lot of the guys -- Bryan Cox -- all those types. Those were great players at that time. But, he came in and he wanted do things his way, and he did it, but with not much success. So, you know, let Shula go to bring in Jimmy, what did we benefit?

phinatics.com: How much can one or two players getting released, or being treated different, really hurt team camaraderie? For example, we have the Oronde Gadsden situation, where the Dolphins have been playing with him, going back and forth, and it seems like some of his teammates are upset about it. Can that really impact them on the field this season?
Louis Oliver: The sad part about this whole game is, when you play it as a kid, you just play the game for the love of the game, and once you get to a certain level you realize it's not just a game ... it's a business. So you really have to put your business hat on, and it's so unfortunate, because you have to treat decisions as if you are in some type of company. And that's what this game is. The fans see it as a game, but the players know it's a business. You get attached to certain people, but it is a part of the nature of the game. In this day and age of free agency and salary cap, you're not going to be able to keep an entire unit together for long, maybe two years at the most, and then people start moving. Unfortunately, Oronde has been here for a while, and people are used to seeing him, and to let a guy go for someone who hasn't done anywhere near the things that he has done, it's kind of like, "whoa, what's going on?"

phinatics.com: How do you think defenses should have played against Marino ?
Louis Oliver: Danny was great quarterback, and he studied the game. He knew he wasn't super mobile, so he had to beat you with his mind, beat you with his eyes, and beat you with his arm --- and he had that down. I would have blitzed Danny always from his right side. Most of the teams that blitzed Danny, blitzed from his left side. If you're going to alter the course of the ball and the throw, you blitz the guy from the direction that he throws. If he's right handed, come from his right side and make him go to his left, because he has to turn his whole body away from you to make a throw. I really flip out when I see teams blitz Michael Vick from his right. They make him run to his left and he is naturally left handed. If you're going to change that, blitz him from his left and make him turn his body to throw to his right. That's what I would have done; I would have blitzed Danny from his throwing arm.

phinatics.com: What do you think about all the fines last year, for example the hit on Chris Chambers?
Louis Oliver: That was a great hit. The guy just was open, and hey, it's a part of the game. Me, give me the fine, because I am playing for the contact. Give me the fine. Not that you really want to injure somebody, but I'm not going to let you take my tenacity away. No, you know, it's a part of the game, we love the game we play. It's like they want to get out there and put panties on the guys.

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