Albert: All in, All the Time

Veteran offensive tackle prideful and persistent

HAL HABIB 

Digest Correspondent

It’s a good thing Branden Albert is a mountain of a man at 6 feet 5 and 314 pounds. Not just because of his line of work. How could a small man be able to pack such an incongruous mix of humility and pride?

Albert plays left tackle for the Dolphins, of course. You must remember this, because Albert wears that title with honor, as everybody learned the moment the team drafted future left tackle Laremy Tunsil in the first round. Package that with a couple of Pro Bowl appearances — stamping him as one of the best at one of the most important positions — and the result is a man who will never admit he has performed better than “OK” or “pretty good” while inwardly knowing it’s not the least bit true.

Right or wrong, Albert believes he has critics. They’re the ones who wondered if Albert, rather than Tunsil, would have to sacrifice by making way for the other and moving to guard. But that’s not all.

“Everybody’s always trying to say about me, I can’t stay healthy,” he said. “I only missed two games last year. I’m not tooting my own horn but people, they’re always trying to dig out the facts.”

Albert said that even before the latest durability test that’s often part of the job. Against the Chargers, Albert dislocated a wrist, left the game to get it X- rayed and rewrapped, but still returned.

“Once they popped it back in place, I had to go back out there and finish the game,” he said.

Had to?

“Had to.

” Albert’s return did not require much arm-twisting of Coach Adam Gase (with a bum wrist, how much arm-twisting could he do, anyway?). That’s because Albert didn’t ask Gase’s permission in the first place.