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NEW YORK CITY - After much speculation, BYU quarterback John Beck finally discovered where he will be headed to try for a professional football career: Miami.
The Dolphins selected Beck with the #40 pick overall, surprising some experts because Miami had the opportunity to draft Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn with the #9 pick. Instead, the team opted to select wide receiver Ted Ginn, Jr from Ohio State.
Thirty minutes after selecting Ginn, Miami head coach Cam Cameron made a three-minute appearance at a draft party in the Dolphins' indoor practice bubble. Fans greeted him with boos and continued to jeer as he spoke, and some made a thumbs-down gesture.
Hey, we need that thumb to go this direction,'' Cameron said, pointing his upward.Ted Ginn is going to be someone you're going to enjoy watching play for a long, long time as a Miami Dolphin.''
During Cameron's speech, some fans began to cheer for Ginn, while others broke into a chant of ``Brady! Brady!''
Quinn wound up being taken 22nd by Cleveland, while the Dolphins waited until the second round to pick a quarterback: Brigham Young's John Beck.
With general manager Randy Mueller in charge of Miami's draft for the first time, owner Wayne Huizenga praised him and Cameron for making a first-round selection they knew might be unpopular.
``If you're a new coach just coming in -- and Randy, this is his first year being responsible -- I give them all the credit in the world for the decision they made,'' Huizenga said.
Beck became the first quarterback selected by Miami in round one or two since Dan Marino in 1983. Beck said he was rooting for the Dolphins to pick him -- especially after they bypassed Quinn.
When they didn't take him, I was thinking `OK, this is because they're liking me,''' Beck said.I just want to be able to go there and accomplish great things.''
Beck, who threw for 79 touchdowns and 11,021 yards at BYU, enters an unsettled quarterback situation. The Dolphins may still complete a long-anticipated deal to acquire 36-year-old Kansas City quarterback Trent Green, who would serve as caretaker at the position while Beck is groomed. It's unclear whether Daunte Culpepper, acquired a year ago, has a future with Miami.
``I think there's still stuff to resolve,'' Beck said.
The Dolphins hope Beck and Ginn both bolster a sputtering offense that has been the primarily culprit in the team's five-year playoff drought.
