Inside the Dolphins Locker Room, the Army-Navy Rivalry Lives On - with a Side of Good-Natured Trash Talk
MIAMI GARDENS - In most NFL locker rooms, the Army-Navy Game is just another Saturday on the college football calendar. But in Miami? It’s personal.
The Dolphins have not one, not two, but three players who’ve suited up for the most storied rivalry in college football. Long snapper Joe Cardona (Navy), linebacker Andre Carter II (Army), and practice squad linebacker Jimmy Ciarlo (Army) all know what it feels like to take the field in “America’s Game.” And this week, with Army and Navy squaring off in Baltimore on Dec. 13, the friendly fire inside the Dolphins’ facility is in full effect.
Let’s just say the locker room assignments might’ve been made with a sense of humor. Cardona and Carter - Navy and Army, respectively - are stationed side by side, a setup that’s sparked plenty of good-natured ribbing.
“I’m sure I’ll be getting Army updates from Andre every time they score,” Cardona said with a smile. “And I’ll do the same when Navy finds the end zone. Maybe the loser sings the other’s alma mater or something.”
Ciarlo, the youngest of the trio, isn’t bold enough to request a change in the team’s travel plans - the Dolphins are scheduled to fly to Pittsburgh during the Army-Navy game - but that hasn’t stopped the banter.
“I don’t know if I’ve been here long enough to ask for that,” he joked.
Brotherhood Beneath the Rivalry
As much as the trash talk flies this week, there’s a deep-rooted respect that unites these three. They’ve all lived the grind of service academy life.
They’ve all played in one of the most intense atmospheres in sports. And they’ve all put their military careers on hold to chase the NFL dream.
“It gives you chills,” said Ciarlo, reflecting on what it means to play in the Army-Navy Game.
Cardona, now 33 and a steady presence in Miami’s special teams unit, remembers the build-up like it was yesterday.
“Preparing for that game, you’d think it was the Super Bowl,” he said. “The entire school is locked into this ‘defeat Army’ mentality. From the moment you step on campus, it’s ingrained in you.”
Cardona was part of Navy’s 2013 team that thumped Army 34-7. Carter, now 25, split his four games in the rivalry, going 2-2. Ciarlo, 24, went 2-1 against the Midshipmen, including a double-overtime thriller in 2022 - the first OT game in Army-Navy history.
But once the final whistle blows, the tone shifts. The two teams line up, arm in arm, to honor both alma maters. That moment, more than the scoreboard, sticks with these players.
“You’re going out there against guys who think the same way as you, who prepare the same way,” Cardona said. “It’s a fight for four quarters, every single play.
But when the game ends, it’s the utmost respect. The rivalry’s real, but it only lasts one day.
The other 364, we’re brothers in arms.”
The NFL Path Less Traveled
Ciarlo’s journey mirrors that of many academy grads who make it to the league. Raised in a military family, he always envisioned following in their footsteps. The service academies gave him that opportunity - and a shot at pro football.
His five-year commitment to the Army is currently deferred while he pursues his NFL career, a path that’s becoming more common. The Dolphins, in fact, have a bit of a history with academy players.
In 2020, they drafted Navy receiver Malcolm Perry in the seventh round. He played in nine games, catching nine passes for 92 yards and a touchdown.
And way back in 1969, they took Karl Kremser, a kicker from the academies who later made his mark in soccer coaching.
When Carter joined the Dolphins, Cardona made sure to give him a warm - and slightly cheeky - welcome.
“I had some Navy gear for him,” Cardona said.
“Just threw it away,” Carter deadpanned. (Probably.)
But beneath the jokes, there’s a shared understanding that few in the league can truly relate to. The Army-Navy rivalry is unlike anything else - not just because of the stakes on the field, but because of what comes after.
As Ciarlo put it, after three hours of battle, the players unite - not as rivals, but as teammates in a much larger mission.
That’s the paradox of Army-Navy. It’s fierce.
It’s emotional. It’s a full-on war for 60 minutes.
And then, it becomes something bigger - a celebration of service, sacrifice, and the bond that ties them all together.
So while the Dolphins are focused on their Monday night showdown with the Steelers, don’t be surprised if there’s a little extra energy in the air this week. Because for three guys in that locker room, this isn’t just another college football weekend.
It’s personal.