New details on Dolphins’ strict plan to keep Antonio Callaway on straight and narrow
The Miami Dolphins gave Antonio Callaway a second chance.
He is treating it as though it is his last chance
Callaway, the dynamic-but-troubled wide receiver who missed the first half of the 2020 season due to a drug-related suspension, spoke with reporters Wednesday for the first time as a member of the Miami Dolphins.
He has failed an untold number of drug tests throughout his college and professional career, and surely knows he’s down to his final strike.
The Dolphins, of course, want him to succeed. So they have given him as much structure as possible to keep him on the right path.
“Just take it day by day. they basically told me a day at a time and stick with it,” Callaway said. “They gave me structure, I know that. That’s been making my journey easier.”
He added: “I meet with my coaches a lot after practice, before practice. Right now, I’m on a schedule. I have something to do all during the day, so there’s really no free time. When I have free time, I still find things to do.”
The ability is there. It just needs to be channeled. Callaway caught 43 passes for 586 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie in 2018.
He has caught just nine passes total since.
But thanks to a renewed sense of purpose, plus an increased sense of urgency due to an injury sustained during a very short stint in the XFL earlier this year, Callaway has transformed his body.
“I’m actually in way better shape than when I first came in,” he said. “Because when I first came in, I didn’t really train as hard as I did for me to come back this time.”
Callaway added: “It was a journey. It was a tough one, but you know, my agent [Malki Kawa] stayed in my corner, my agent stayed on me. I worked hard every day until somebody gave me the opportunity. I’m excited to be with the ... Miami Dolphins.”
If Callaway proves himself reliable, he could be an early Christmas gift for rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Callaway has the speed to separate that’s missing from many of Tagovailoa’s receivers.
“He’s young like me,” Callaway said. “He’s got a lot to learn. With this coaching staff, we could do a lot of great things.”
As for what, if he could, Callaway would tell his younger self?
“Why? I’d say why I made the choices I made? You live and you learn. Lessons learned.”
This story was originally published November 25, 2020 at 4:15 PM.
