There are fewer teams in the NFL with a more uncertain future than the Miami Dolphins. Miami, a team that has been neither horrible nor wonderful in recent seasons, has struggled at quarterback. After trading for Dante Culpepper, a former Minnesota Vikings star, the Dolphins seemed to have found the answer. Until, that is, this answer came back to a question when the season started. Not only did Culpepper start with mediocre performances, he ended up on injured reserve.
The events of last season left the Dolphins without a future quarterback, forcing them to select a person to fill the job. After receiving criticism for passing Brady Quinn, the Dolphins took John Beck away. Beck, the former Brigham Young quarterback, was chosen by the Miami Dolphins in the 2007 draft. Picked with their second pick, Beck was ranked 40th overall.
Born in Hayward, California, Beck attended high school in Mesa Arizona, where he was a soccer star. During his junior and senior years, he was his team’s quarterback to a 25-2 record, including a state championship. This led to a host of honors, including statewide first team, USA Today All American honorable mention, Offensive Player of the Year, Outstanding Male Athlete honors, and American Football Player of the Year honors. Arizona High School.
Beck was recruited by BYU and began his career as a true freshman. During his sophomore year, he earned All-Mountain West second team honors and broke BYU’s sophomore record in a single game and the Mountain West Conference record with 67 pass attempts against UNLV. This season he also averaged 233 yards per game, passing the 3,000-yard mark. In the game against San Diego, Beck received a 204.8 quarterback rating.
During his junior year, Beck saw his actions take off by receiving the All-Moutain West Conference First Team honors and the team’s Most Valuable Player. Ranked fifth nationally, Beck averaged 309 yards per game. He was ranked as one of the top 30 players in the Mountain West Conference by College football news and ranked in the top 40 quarterbacks in the U.S. by College football preview.
In Beck’s senior year, ESPN ranked him the nation’s second-best quarterback in efficiency. After leading BYU to a 10-2 record, Beck was a finalist for the Unitas Golden Arm Award and was even mentioned in some Heisman conversations. Beck’s senior year and his college career ended when BYU beat Oregon 38-8 in the Las Vegas Bowl. During this game, Beck threw for 375 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for 26 yards and a touchdown.
As for this season, Beck will likely see little, if any, playing time. Once his rookie season is under his belt, he might surprise some people, making Dolphin fans wonder “Brady who?”