OC/WR Coach Brian Hartline (Official Thread)

[Buckskin86]

Brian Hartline: Miami Dolphins have division's top WRs
By Kevin Patra NFL.com
Published: May 13, 2013

The Miami Dolphins' new receiving corps has quarterback Ryan Tannehill oozing praise. Wide receiver Brian Hartline, who re-signed with the Dolphins earlier this offseason, concurs.

Hartline told "NFL AM" on Monday morning that the additions of Mike Wallace and tight end Dustin Keller give the Dolphins the best receivers in the AFC East.

"Absolutely, I think we are," Hartline said, mentioning Wallace, Keller and running backs Lamar Miller and Daniel Thomas. "The whole passing game is an advantage of ours."

At first blush, it sounds like a bold statement from Hartline. Then you dissect the other options: The New York Jets' best receiver -- by far -- played four games last year; the New England Patriots downgraded from Wes Welker and their tight end duo has health concerns; and the Buffalo Bills are Stevie Johnson and the question-mark gang.

Hartline said Tannehill's improvement in his sophomore season will dictate how well the Dolphins do in 2013. The receiver believes the marriage between quarterback and a coaching staff, also in its second season, is playing a key role in the team's growth.

"A lot of (Tannehill's growth) has been the communication and the development between player and coach," Hartline said. "You can see coach (Joe) Philbin coming into his own as well, Mike Sherman feeling just more comfortable as coaching staff. Being able to use all different parts ... we have a lot of new parts. Although very important that we got them, it's also very important that we mesh and work together ... and that is something that we are working on now."

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap10...artline-miami-dolphins-have-divisions-top-wrs

 

[Buckskin86]

In a bit of a surprise, Hartline is getting a look at punt returner this spring. The job is vacant after last year?s punt returners -- Davone Bess and Reggie Bush -- are no longer with Miami. Hartline never returned a punt in four seasons in the NFL and will be competing with Marcus Thigpen. ?Possibly, but in what situations, I couldn?t tell you,? Hartline said of potentially returning kicks. ?But they [coaching staff] made a point to tell me to go and catch punts every day.?

http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/59283/dolphins-otas-cb-brent-grimes-shines

 

[Buckskin86]

1-on-1 With Brian Hartline- video interview

Hartline Says Offense Taking A Step Forward
By The Finsiders on June 16, 2013

Brian Hartline took his game to new heights in 2012 by posting career-highs and leading the team with 74 receptions and 1,083 receiving yards. What made Hartline?s breakout season even more impressive was the fact that he overcame a turbulent offseason in which health issues sidelined him for the majority of the Dolphins offseason program. Heading into 2013, Hartline is healthy and looking to help the offense get to the next level. During a quick break at the team?s recent Mini Camp, Hartline chatted with Jesse Agler of The Finsiders:

(On offense gelling together)- ?Good, can?t complain, it?s early in the process but yeah, it?s amazing how many new faces can come in and out in one year but there?s a lot of good guys on this time. I like guys that work hard which is basically the foundation for anything so, we have a bunch of guys that work hard and we?ll work together and communicate well and with those things it?s a good recipe?We?re looking forward to fall camp too but we?re definitely taking a good step forward. ?

(On tempo of practice during Mini Camp)- ?Our tempo is definitely at a high pace. We?re rocking two groups at a time so we?re getting a lot of reps, getting a lot of good film. A lot of guys are playing at a fast pace so that?s always a good recipe for some success.?

(On possibly taking on more of a leadership role after signing a new contract)- ?Yeah, it does, it kind of gives you that foundation because it shows that the coaches are behind you and other people on the staff are behind you so it kind of gives you a little boost. But I?ve always kind of been there; it just gives you more of a platform to speak up on. But there are a lot of great guys that want to learn, a lot of guys asking questions, myself included. So we have a really good group in the room and a lot of guys working hard so you don?t have to ask a lot of other guys; you just have to show up and get your work done and if you have questions ask. We?re happy with the group so far.?

(On what are he?s working on to improve)- ?Staying consistent; you talk about the leadership role, if you?re not doing what you need to do day in and day out, then whatever you say doesn?t carry as much merit. In order to be a leader you have to take care of your own job so I?m really trying to focus on that, make the plays when they?re there and really just be there for the team and that?s really my main focus; the leadership you were talking about and making plays. ?

(On the difference between Tannehill and the receivers from last year to now)- ?His handle on things. Instead of just learning we expand our mind. We have all the basics down. We are doing things that take advantage of the defense. We are expanding our horizons. We have a lot of smart guys on our end in the receiver room. The cohesiveness has definitely grown in. Ryan has done is great job leading us that way.?

(On excitement about fans getting their first look at 2013 Dolphins during training camp)- ?Yeah, it?s a little boost, a little adrenaline rush. We have some guys that can run, we have got some fast guys, and it?s going to be fun to see and fun to watch. We?re throwing that ball around and the running backs are running well. Fans come to see the offense so we?re really happy with where we?re at. It?s high flying right now but the defense is playing good too so if you?re going to come to a practice you?re going to see a lot of good competition.?

http://www.thefinsiders.com/blog/2013/hartline-says-offense-taking-a-step-forward

 

[Buckskin86]

Dolphins receiver Brian Hartline: We want Miami fans, not New York fans at our stadium
by Andrew Abramson

Miami Dolphins receiver Brian Hartline is tired of seeing New York Jets fans fill Sun Life Stadium.

?In the past there have been some New York teams that at times have had some pretty good representation at our stadium, especially in the lower seating,? said Hartline on a teleconference with fans on Tuesday. ?We definitely want to get that fixed. We want to get more of our Dolphins fans, hear more of the roars on our plays that are successful.?

Hartline said he has seen a ?noticeable? improvement with Miami fans, but clearly he and the team wants more.

So the Dolphins are continuing to court fans, holding another round of their ?Inside the Huddle? teleconference where fans asked Hartline and linebackers Austin Spitler and Jason Trusnik questions.

Hartline encouraged fans to come to training camp beginning on July 20.

?It?s free,? he said. ?You go out to training camp and it doesn?t cost you anything. You can get some free autographs, meet a lot of the guys, shake some hands and get to know us a little more on a personal level.?

But Hartline and his teammates know winning will ultimately bring out the fans. And they believe the team has improved in the offseason.

Spitler even threw out the ?S? word, saying ?hopefully we?ve formed a team capable of going out there and getting into the playoffs and winning a Super Bowl.?

Highlights:

- Hartline, who broke out for 1,083 yards last season but scored just one touchdown, is aiming for another 1,000 yard season with prized offseason signee Mike Wallace also in the lineup.

?I always want to be a 1,000 yard receiver,? he said. ?I want to make more touchdowns for the team. ? I want us to win more games, I want us to be a playoff team, I want us to compete in the division year in and year our. If that happens all the stats and all the numbers can go by the wayside. You?re defined, especially the starters in this league, by how many games do you win year in and year out and how may championships do you win.?

- Hartline sidestepped a question about what Wallace will bring to the team, saying the Dolphins brought in several new talented players to improve the passing game.

?Me personally, I can?t really focus on that too much,? Hartline said. ?You add Brandon Gibson as well, Dustin Keller at tight end. You have some ?quote-unquote? young guys playing really well ? Armon Binns, Rishard Matthews ? so we?ve got a lot of depth right now when it comes to the passing game. Anytime you can have multiple targets and not just one extra guy it?s definitely an important aspect of the game. That?s what the NFL is growing in to.?

- Hartline said people did not notice how much quarterback Ryan Tannehill improved last year.

?He?s making every throw, his deep ball looks awesome, and he?s got great touch ? you don?t feel like it?s a rocket coming into your hands,? Hartline said. ?His improvement has been amazing. Actually I wouldn?t say amazing because I?ve seen it week in and week out and how much work he?s put in. It hasn?t come out of nowhere. It?s not surprising.?

- See more at: http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/thed...ork-fans-at-our-stadium/#sthash.6Jm7ZTB6.dpuf

 

[Buckskin86]

Posted on Sunday, 06.30.13
Sunday Focus | Dolphins receiver Brian Hartline
Miami Dolphins? Brian Hartline is all business in the offseason

When Brian Hartline is not competing to get yards on the field for the Dolphins, he?s working just as hard earning dollars as a budding convenience store mogul.

Brian Hartline, left, poses with store manager Tyler Maag on Monday. Hartline, Maag and co-owner Ramy Malka grew up together in Canton, Ohio. Adam H. Beasley / Miami Herald Staff

BY ADAM H. BEASLEY
[email protected]

REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio -- How?s this for a contrast?

At the exact moment LeBron James was ducking bridges atop a double-decker bus, winding through Miami in the Heat?s victory march Monday, Brian Hartline was hundreds of miles north, unceremoniously unloading a truck.

Dressed in a T-shirt and mesh shorts, Hartline had little time to eat lunch, let alone party. Not when he has an empire to build ? one convenience store at a time.

Whereas most of his teammates are spending the summer break kicking back in exotic hot spots, Hartline is back in Columbus ? where he played in college at Ohio State ? trying to kick some entrepreneurial butt.

?It?s just another way to compete,? Hartline said. ?Owning a small business was always a dream.?

Now he, along with childhood friend Ramy Malka, owns two.

Nearly six months after Hartline and Malka, both 26, opened the Smart Stop Drive-Thru snack shop, they?re tackling their most ambitious project yet. The business partners and lifelong friends are renovating a ramshackle gas station and car wash they bought in the area.

Hartline is no absentee owner, parachuting in to write a check and take the credit. His equity is equal parts financial and sweat. When Hartline is not working the register and talking up customers at Smart Stop, he?s hauling gear and meeting with contractors at the gas station.

?It?s amazing,? said Tyler Maag, another longtime friend who works as the store manager. ?The first question people ask me is about how Brian is. I?m like, ?He?s so cool. He?s down to earth.?

?Not too many people you come across that are at his level and are still able to keep everything in a straight line.?

That makes him the exception. Pro athletes are by and large awful businessmen.

A familiar story: a deep-pocketed football player gets talked into investing in business ventures ? such as car washes or restaurants ? he knows nothing about with people he shouldn?t. When it goes under, he ends up on the hook.

The results aren?t pretty. Sports Illustrated reported in 2009 that roughly four out of five NFL players go bankrupt or face serious financial stress within two years of their retirement.

These are mistakes that Hartline hopes to avoid. Instead of taking out huge loans to buy into the business, Hartline spent what he had. He strategically invested part of his new five-year, $31 million contract, signed in March, into the gas station project.

?Numbers are numbers,? Hartline said. ?If you have more coming in than you have going out, then you?re not going to go broke.?

cont...

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/06/30/3477447/miami-dolphins-brian-hartline.html#storylink=cpy

 

[Buckskin86]

Rob Oller commentary: Ex-Buckeye Hartline gets down to business

ABIGAIL SAXTON FISHERDISPATCH
Hartline has become a go-to receiver in Miami.

By Rob Oller
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH SUNDAY JULY 14, 2013

A car pulls up and the owner of Smart Stop Drive-Thru goes to work, asking the driver which type of cigarettes he wants.

?Kings or 100s?? the owner says. ?Shorts or longs??

This is business at its most basic. An owner ? Miami Dolphins and former Ohio State receiver Brian Hartline ? serving customers, running the register and generally getting dirt under his fingernails as he shuttles between his drive-through on Refugee Road in Canal Winchester, which opened in January, and his latest enterprise, a renovated Valero gas station/convenience store/car wash on East Main Street in Reynoldsburg, that will open in August. The big picture thinking is to eventually expand Smart Stop locally and even regionally.

Hartline defies the stereotype of the millionaire athlete who invests in a business with friends, only to get swindled and/or serve as an absentee owner who watches from afar as the business goes belly up.

But then, the 26-year-old from Canton who lives in the Arena District never has been one to do the expected. After three productive seasons at Ohio State, Hartline left for the NFL with one season of college eligibility remaining. It was a path to success that some thought would run off a cliff, considering Hartline usually was the second receiver option, behind Brian Robiskie, for the Buckeyes.

?They killed me for that,? he says of detractors who scoffed at his decision. ?But I had already graduated and had the blessing of the coach (Darrell Hazel) I respected the most. I decided that moving forward (to the NFL) was more enticing and more beneficial than staying around for my final year.?

cont...

http://buckeyextra.dispatch.com/con...x-buckeye-hartline-gets-down-to-business.html

 

[Buckskin86]

Posted on Monday, 07.22.13
Armando Salguero: Hartline likes early challenge for Dolphins
By ARMANDO SALGUERO
The Miami Herald

MIAMI - Brian Hartline, swimming in open water, looked into the tooth-filled jaws of a hungry oncoming shark on Monday and loved it.

Well, the Dolphins wide receiver wasn't really in the ocean but instead covered in sweat after a morning football practice. And he wasn't really looking at an oncoming man-eater but rather pondering the ominous start of the Dolphins' regular season.

No matter because the effect could be the same.

Crisis.

Problems.

Maybe havoc.

Hartline was actually talking about Miami's opening five weeks of the regular season. That span includes games against defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore, an Atlanta team that won 13 games and went to the NFC Championship Game, an up-and-coming Indianapolis team that beat Miami last year, and a New Orleans team that's getting its coach and swagger back.

And, amazingly, Hartline was excited about that schedule.

"It's awesome," he said. "That's kind of the way you want to go out. If you want to get started and have high expectations to be sharpened right off the bat either with wins or tough losses, however it goes, playing the best of the best of the past year is a great opportunity."

That's one way to look at it. Here's another:

The Dolphins, a young team urgently trying to find itself during this training camp, are looking like prey compared to their more accomplished and experienced opponents the first month or so of the season.

After the regular-season opener against lowly Cleveland, from Week 2 through Week 5 Miami's opponents boast a 41-24 record based on last year's records. That represents a superior .630 winning percentage.

"It's a chance to see where we're at right away," Hartline continued.

cont...

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/07/22/3515153/armando-salguero-hartline-likes.html#storylink=cpy

 

[Buckskin86]

Dolphins Joe Philbin On Brian Hartline?s Potential
By Sports Talk Florida
News Desk

(On Brian Hartline and the potential that his statistics will go up this season or down because of the added help at wide receiver) ? ?Yes and yes. I think I see it both. It all depends. Some of that is a function of how the defense wants to play their coverages, what kind of matchups they want to have, if they want to put a specific corner on a specific receiver. We don?t really sit around and necessarily predict Hartline is going to have 72 catches this year, Wallace is going to have 83, Gibson is going to have 57, Keller 49, (etc.). We have kind of put together a plan where we feel will help us move the ball and score points.?

(On if he is excited how Brian Hartline looked last season and thus moving forward) ? ?He?s working extremely hard. The thing is he wants to be good. When you have a player that wants to be good, that?s a good place to start.?

http://www.sportstalkflorida.com/do...hins-joe-philbin-on-brian-hartlines-potential

 

[Buckskin86]

Hartline has come a long way since last game at Fawcett

Miami Dolphins player Brian Hartline during a scrimmage, Monday, July 29, 2013 in Miami. The first exhibition game is less than a week away. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

By Todd Porter
CantonRep.com staff writer
Posted Aug 04, 2013

CANTON ?

As soon as Brian Hartline learned the Miami Dolphins would play Dallas in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game tonight, his mind went where it usually doesn?t. He was a senior at GlenOak High School, wrything in pain on the turf at Fawcett Stadium.

Hartline is returning to the very field in which he grew up tonight. This time, however, he?s all grown up, quite wealthy playing the game he loves and he still has a bit of a chip on his shoulder.

?It was the first thing that came to mind,? Hartline said. ?Since then, though, I haven?t even thought about it. I?m not a believer in karma or things like that. I just thought about the last time I played there. I?m not too concerned about it.?

Hartline suffered a compound fracture of his leg in the first game of his senior year. He was returning a punt on, what was at the time, new turf at Fawcett. He had a metal rod placed in his left leg. It healed enough for him to win two state titles as a hurdler in track and earn All-American honors at GlenOak.

Ultimately, Hartline accepted a scholarship to Ohio State, where he established himself as a reliable receiver with the kind of speed to stretch the field. Miami drafted Hartline and he spent the last four seasons establishing himself as one of the team?s best receivers. He and quarterback Ryan Tannehill developed a chemistry last year that led to a career season for Hartline.

After he caught 74 passes for 1,083 yards, Hartline set himself up for new contract in his free agency year. Miami signed him to a five-year contract worth $31 million, with $12.5 million guaranteed. It?s a contract that says the Dolphins have a strong belief in Hartline?s ability to become a strong No. 2 receiver, and a team leader.

?I think I?m taking on more of a leadership role,? Hartline said. ?It was hard to establish that last year with so much time missed in the preseason. You want to develop that throughout the year. I?ve always been a guy who tries not to speak out of turn. I can talk a lot, but I let my play speak for itself.?

cont...

Read more: http://www.cantonrep.com/sports/hal...-way-since-last-game-at-Fawcett#ixzz2b1B3RNpc

 

[Buckskin86]

Todd Porter: Family, friends show for Hartline at Hall of Fame Game

Cantonrep.com / Scott Heckel

By Todd Porter
CantonRep.com staff writer
Posted Aug 05, 2013

CANTON ?

Not much changed. It has been nine years since Brian Hartline last walked into Fawcett Stadium.

Sunday afternoon, he walked in as a starting wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins. Most importantly, unlike the last time he was here, he walked out the same way.

Hartline went to the same locker room he used when he starred at GlenOak High School and the Golden Eagles played their home games at Fawcett.

Walking into that locker room was a bit surreal.

?It was weird,? Hartline said. ?But this has been a lot of fun, too.?

Hartline did not play in Sunday night?s Hall of Fame Game against Dallas. He had an undisclosed calf injury last week in practice. He said team

doctors cleared him to play, but he did not dress as a precaution.


cont...

Read more: http://www.cantonrep.com/sports/hal...r-Hartline-at-Hall-of-Fame-Game#ixzz2b8E2cdxH

 

[Buckskin86]

Hartline calls Swearinger hit on Keller ?crap?
Posted by Mike Florio on August 20, 2013

The swinging of Dolphins offensive lineman Richie Incognito?s helmet at him by Texans defensive lineman Antonio Smith has all but obscured a moment from the same game that had a far more permanent consequence for a member of Miami?s team.

Tight end Dustin Keller has been lost for the year after a low hit from Houston safety D.J. Swearinger, who has explained that he went low due to concerns that going high would draw a flag.

?It?s crap,? Dolphins receiver Brian Hartline told WQAM?s The Joe Rose Show regarding the explanation. ?I mean I think that, me personally, if you?re telling me, ?Oh, I?m so worried about going high or hurt[ing] the head,? you consciously went low then, is what you?re trying to tell me.?

The incident highlights the ongoing balance the league and its players are trying to strike. While players would rather have a concussion than a torn ACL, the NFL isn?t getting sued for failing to protect players from torn ACLs. (Yet.)

Still, there?s an unwritten rule among players about hitting a guy low, given the potential impact on his playing career and earning capacity.

?I have a lot of good pros on my team, and from what they have said to me is that there is no place for that in the game today,? Hartline said.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/08/20/hartline-calls-swearinger-hit-on-keller-crap/

 

[Jake]

It is understandable why Hartline would feel that way about Keller's injury but if you can't tackle high and you can't tackle low then let's just put flags around their waists and end the pretense.

 

[billmac91]

It is understandable why Hartline would feel that way about Keller's injury but if you can't tackle high and you can't tackle low then let's just put flags around their waists and end the pretense.

Hartline is 100% wrong on this. Just a stupid statement.

 

[Buckskin86]

Hartline's gamble pays off in NFL career with Dolphins



Cantonrep.com / Scott Heckel

BEREA —
Brian Hartline took a gamble when he left Ohio State with a year of eligibility left.

He won big.

Now he is one of the big-money men on a Miami Dolphins team intent on inflicting misery on northern Ohio’s NFL team.

Coming off a season in which he became the sixth man in Miami Dolphins history to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound wide receiver will face the Browns Sunday in Cleveland.

Going on 27, entering into his fifth NFL season, he answered a question Wednesday about making it.

“The one thing I have done at a high level, I think, is take advantage of the opportunity,” he said, “and try to limit my mistakes to a bare minimum.”

It struck some as a mistake to leave Ohio State after the 2008 season.

In 2007, he forged a bond with Buckeyes quarterback Todd Boeckman and caught 52 passes on a team that went 11-2.

In ‘08, young Terrelle Pryor took the QB job from Boeckman. Hartline’s per-catch average soared to 22.8, but he caught only 21 passes.

“Going through the season, I didn’t think about coming out,” he said, “but then once you kind of look back on everything and analyze it ...

“I wasn’t really concerned about it at that point. I figured I’d had my opportunities. I went to Ohio State and played in many big games.”

cont...

Read more: http://www.cantonrep.com/browns/x18...off-in-NFL-career-with-Dolphins#ixzz2e1D4cyAs

 

[Buckskin86]

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Brian Hartline 34-yard TD reception

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Brian Hartline 34-yard TD reception
Miami Dolphins' Brian Hartline capitalizes on Browns' focus on Mike Wallace


Miami Dolphins receiver Brian Hartline wasn't expecting to have a big day against the Browns, but he not only hauled in this third-quarter touchdown, but he led the Dolphins with 9 catches for 114 yards. (John Kuntz / The Plain Dealer)
Print
By Jodie Valade, The Plain Dealer

on September 08, 2013
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The big-name Miami receiver, the one everyone was expecting to make the biggest impact and the one the Browns were most worried about, was strolling out of FirstEnergy Stadium mostly unnoticed by the time Brian Hartline addressed the suffocating throng of media gathered around his locker.

So Hartline didn't really have a chance to thank Mike Wallace for everything that his fellow receiver did for him in Miami's 23-10 victory over Cleveland.

Hartline didn't thank Wallace for his 114 yards receiving, didn't thank Wallace for Hartline's own team-high nine catches, and didn't even have a chance to graciously acknowledge Wallace for Hartline's touchdown and three key catches on the outcome-sealing drive in the fourth quarter

cont..

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2013/09/miami_dolphins_brian_hartline.html

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/0ap2000000240180/Brian-Hartline-34-yard-TD-reception