SCOTTISH COACHES in the National Football League arrive as infrequently as injury-free seasons for Jonny Wilkinson or sponsored silences from Vladimir Romanov. World war two was still raging when Jock Sutherland, by trade a dentist from Coupar Angus, led the Brooklyn Dodgers to second place in the Eastern Division, and then guided the Pittsburgh Steelers to their first play-off appearance just months before his death in 1948.

Malcolm Cameron III is happy to fly the Saltire, albeit wrapped up in the Stars and Stripes. "I'm a proud member of the Clan," says the new head coach of the Miami Dolphins. "I'm as Scottish as they come."

Save for the accent, of course. "I used to go all the time to the Highland Games near where we were in North Carolina. Everyone would be wearing the kilts and doing the dances. So I was always very aware of the culture."

Heritage sits comfortably upon his shoulders. Not just that of his forefathers but that of the team he has inherited. Miami is one of the NFL's most storied franchises. The Fins may have won the Super Bowl just twice, and failed to register a single play-off appearance in five years, but their fame transcends the sunny beaches of southern Florida.

Their revival, Cameron insists, starts here. Or precisely, this evening in Washington where he formally begins his first season in charge. His stock remains high. For the last five years, he served as the offensive co-ordinator in San Diego, moulding an attacking juggernaut behind the unrestrained talents of LaDainian Tomlinson, the NFL's reigning Most Valuable Player.

The stifling atmosphere engendered by his authoritative predecessor Nick Saban has gone. All portents are positive. Yet they will remain so only if he can deliver victory after victory over the next 17 weeks, and beyond.

"People deal with pressure in a variety of ways," Cameron says. "For me, it's about putting together the best team we possibly can and then start building it to play to the best of our abilities. The good news is we have the chance to be a good football team. We're not in re-building mode. We're in an improving mode. And if you do the things you're capable of doing, you can be there, at the end of the season, in the play-offs."

It is an idyll, perhaps. Intangible distractions are around every corner. Injuries, for starters. Plus the individual indiscretions which can distract. Three of his squad were arrested during the summer, while linebacker Joey Porter - just weeks after he made a £16 million switch from Pittsburgh - lengthened an already bulging chronicle of controversy by getting into a scrap at a Las Vegas casino.

One trick Cameron has learned is that time spent in the office will not compensate for such ills. Some coaches live at their desks during the campaign, boasting publicly of 22-hour days. Personal lives are discarded in pursuit of glory and there is an increasing concern that these 32 men, and their staff, are pushing themselves beyond the limits.

Cameron will not be short in preparation. Yet he cautions: "If you spend 18-20 hours in the office, it is counter-productive."

Technology, with video analysis, delivers maximum insight in minimal time. "More importantly," he adds. "I would not sacrifice my marriage and stop being the father I want to be for my job. You have to find a way to balance your life and still be successful. And I think people understand that more each year."

On October 28, he will confront yet another challenge, when the Dolphins meet the New York Giants at Wembley in the first regular season game in Europe.

"It's just another opportunity for us to adapt to the situation we're in," Cameron says. That ingredient of this thankless job hasn't changed since Jock Sutherland's time.

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