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How a Former Dolphins Coach Helped Davis Become a Ball Hawk

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How a Former Dolphins Coach Helped Davis Become a Ball Hawk


Despite limited playing time, new Dolphins safety Ashtyn Davis has made the most of his opportunities, snagging eight interceptions in just 22 starts over five seasons with the New York Jets.

Meeting with the Miami media for the first time this past week, Davis was asked what fuels his playmaking ability. Looking back on his position switch at California, the 2020 third-round pick credited former Dolphins assistant coach Gerald Alexander with shaping his ball-hawking instincts.

“‘G.A.’ was monumental in my development,” Davis said of their three seasons together at California. “I switched from corner to safety around the time that he got there, and the guy would meet with me every single day early in the morning and just got me right.”

Davis earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors as a junior, his first season at safety. He snagged four interceptions in 13 games, a jump from just one in 24 games at corner, while also tallying 56 tackles and five passes defended. 

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He carried that momentum into his senior season with the Golden Bears, landing on the second-team All-Pac-12 roster after career highs in tackles (57), forced fumbles (2), and fumble recoveries (2) in 2019.

“I had an amazing college coach that emphasized getting the football and made that a priority,” Davis said of Alexander. “Whether it’s a run or pass play, I’m just trying to get that football.”

Alexander’s playing career began as a 2007 second-round pick of the Detroit Lions. He spent five seasons in the league, playing two games with the Dolphins in 2011. He started his coaching journey as a student assistant at Arkansas State in 2013 and spent three seasons at California (2017-19). He returned to Miami in 2020 for two seasons as defensive backs coach under Brian Flores. 

The Dolphins will be happy to no longer be facing Davis, who recorded four of his eight interceptions for the Jets against Miami. That included his one two-interception game, which came in the 2024 season finale at MetLife Stadium.

“That game was an interesting one,” Davis said. “It was the end of the year, and we knew our playoff hopes were obviously gone so we just went out there and had fun. I think on the second interception I pitched it to D.J. (Reed) and we’d been doing that in practice, they were not happy about it, but we just said we were going to go out there and have fun and we had a blast, and I think it showed. The whole defense was playing loose, and I think, I don’t know – that was definitely up there. That was probably my favorite game that I’ve played in in the league.”

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The Dolphins added Davis and Ifeatu Melifonwu early in free agency after Jevon Holland agreed to a three-year deal with the New York Giants. Elijah Campbell also re-signed and Patrick McMorris, a sixth-round pick last season, remains in the mix. With 10 picks in the 2025 draft, Miami’s safety room is far from settled.

When asked if he’d help the younger players — specifically McMorris, who was also drafted out of Cal and whose brother was a college teammate — Davis said he plans to follow in Alexander’s footsteps as a mentor. 

“I feel like that’s my role as a teammate, is to help other people, especially young guys figure it out in the league,” Davis said. “Your career here a lot of times is very short, so I think you want to maximize that, so I’m here to help guys.”

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Jeff Hafley suggests Miami Dolphins entertain Malik Willis Tush Push

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Jeff Hafley suggests Miami Dolphins entertain Malik Willis Tush Push


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MIAMI GARDENS ― The Miami Dolphins held a third and final mandatory minicamp practice on Thursday, June 4, at the Baptist Health Training Complex.

The Dolphins plan a practice open to media next Tuesday, June 9 and soon after the entire NFL will shut down for summer break for about five to six weeks.

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Get ready to enjoy the World Cup.

Here is some of what we saw at mandatory minicamp practice three:

*Coach Jeff Hafley said offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer and wide receiver Caleb Douglas escaped serious injury at a recent practice.

*Hafley said he believes in the value of immediate correction on the field. Some coaches want to just keep moving practice along and wait for film review.

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*Hafley suggested Dolphins might need to look into value of Tush Push and Malik Willis.

^Malik Willis completed passes underneath to Greg Dulcich and Malik Washington, a consistent theme.

*Ben Sims could not complete the catch on a pass from Quinn Ewers into the end zone.

*Cam Miller overthrew a potential touchdown near a front pylon of an end zone.

*Malik Willis ripped the throw on a touchdown over the middle to Theo Wease. 

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*Kevin Coleman looked slippery after a short completion from Quinn Ewers.

*Terrace Marshall skied high to catch a touchdown from Quinn Ewers. 

*Miami focused heavily on red zone work and the offense performed quite well.

*Safety Louis Moore had a pass breakup in the red zone.

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Joe Schad is a journalist covering the Miami Dolphins and the NFL at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jschad@pbpost.com and follow him on Instagram and on X @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe’s free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing today.





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Patients left scrambling for care after Miami-Dade woman accused of operating an unlicensed surgery recovery center

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Patients left scrambling for care after Miami-Dade woman accused of operating an unlicensed surgery recovery center


A 38-year-old woman is behind bars after authorities say she operated an unlicensed plastic surgery recovery center out of an Airbnb in southwest Miami-Dade County, leaving several patients scrambling for care after her arrest.

Kerri Smith faces charges of operating an assisted living facility without a license and an organized scheme to defraud. Investigators say she collected more than $200,000 from clients seeking post-surgical care. Her arrest disrupted the recoveries of at least six women who were staying at the home after undergoing cosmetic procedures.

“I’m really disappointed. Extremely disappointed,” said Janell Dunn, one of the patients who traveled from Orlando for surgery and aftercare.

Dunn said that during her five-day stay, she saw about 12 women cycle through the property. She described chaos unfolding when deputies arrived to arrest a caretaker. “We were all looking at each other like, ‘What are we going to do now?’” Dunn said.

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Authorities allege the operation was unsafe and poorly managed. In court, a prosecutor cited complaints of overcrowding, bug infestations, rodents, and improper handling of medical waste.

Despite those allegations, Smith told a judge she had been working to bring the business into compliance, stating, “I got educated. Hired a consultant.”

Patients, however, say they were left with little warning to find new accommodations after paying thousands of dollars for post-operative care. Dunn said she struggled physically in the aftermath, forced to move and lift items despite being in the early stages of recovery.

“I’ve been pushing, pulling, tugging, doing things I shouldn’t be doing at this point,” she said.

Some women booked hotel rooms after being forced out. Tonita Caban, a woman with experience caring for post-surgery patients, took in Dunn. Caban said she couldn’t turn Dunn away after hearing her story through a social media group for post-op patients. She calls Dunn an “angel”.

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“And you’re here with me, and you’ll always be my little sister,” Caban told her. “Someone you can count on.” Caban said she is not charging Dunn for her stay, acknowledging the money she already lost to Smith’s now-shuttered operation.

Smith remained in custody at TGK on Wednesday evening.



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This new Italian restaurant in Brickell only has 10 items on the menu

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This new Italian restaurant in Brickell only has 10 items on the menu


In a city where menus can read like novellas and cocktails arrive with enough smoke, sparks and theatrics to qualify as performance art, a new Brickell restaurant is taking the opposite approach and betting that fewer choices might actually make dinner better.

At Allegro Ma Non Troppo, a new 38-seat Italian restaurant that recently opened at 1000 South Miami Avenue, you’ll find exactly 10 food items on the menu. Not 10 sections. Not 10 pages. Just 10 dishes, period.

The concept comes from a group of longtime restaurant industry colleagues who wanted to create something that feels more like an Italian grandmother’s dining room than a typical Miami restaurant. There are no reservations, no phone number and no sprawling menu. Instead, guests simply show up, grab a table and eat what the kitchen does best.

Photograph: Courtesy of Allegro Ma Non TroppoAllegro Ma Non Troppo.

The menu follows a simple formula: four appetizers, three mains, two sides and one dessert. Among the highlights are a Caesar salad made using Caesar Cardini’s original 1924 dressing recipe from Tijuana, a Wagyu bolognese “lazy lasagna” layered with Italian sausage and slow-cooked ragù, a free-range chicken cotoletta alla Milanese and a whole branzino prepared with little more than olive oil, lemon and rosemary. And then, of course, there’s the shareable dessert course. Every main course is cooked in the restaurant’s single oven and there are no fryers anywhere in sight. 

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What makes Allegro Ma Non Troppo particularly personal is the story behind it. The restaurant serves as a tribute to co-owner Carlos Galan’s mother, who died earlier this year at age 102. Many of her belongings now decorate the space, helping the restaurant feel more like a family home than a polished dining concept.

Allegro Ma Non Troppo
Photograph: Courtesy of Allegro Ma Non TroppoAllegro Ma Non Troppo.

“The goal was never to create a perfect luxury restaurant,” Galan said. “It was to create a place where people feel genuinely welcomed, nourished, and emotionally connected the moment they walk through the door.”

Co-owner Vanessa Velez says the team hopes diners remember more than just what was on their plates. “We always want to touch the customer emotionally, because when you touch someone’s emotions, you leave a mark,” she said. “Our goal is to leave a lasting imprint on our guests’ hearts.”

Whether the 10-item menu becomes Miami’s next dining obsession remains to be seen. But in a neighborhood packed with restaurants competing to do more, Allegro Ma Non Troppo is making a compelling case for doing less.



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