2007 NFL Draft:
John Beck Chosen by Dolphins

By Jeremy White, NFLHS.com

Some of the most prolific passers in college football history have played at Brigham Young University (BYU) in Utah. The school routinely spits out quality quarterbacks in much the same way that Penn State churns out linebackers or USC manufactures stellar receivers.

The latest on the BYU quarterback production line is John Beck, who electrified Cougars fans when he played four games as a freshman and has kept them on the edge of their seats ever since.

Beck, who endured a shoulder injury in 2004 and had to bounce back from that, is considered a strong leader with good pocket presence. The Miami Dolphins rewarded Beck's work by selecting him in the second round of the NFL Draft April 28.

"Being a leader just comes with the position naturally," says Beck. "It's the nature of the position that guys are going to look to you when things get tough."

Beck runs upfield against the Oregon Ducks during the Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl.

As is often the case, that fact leads to glory when the team excels and scrutiny when it doesn't. Dealing with those ups and downs is a character test that any signal caller better be prepared to endure.

"There's a lot of pressure at the quarterback spot," says Beck, "so pressure is something you need to get used to."

Beck obviously adjusted to it well. Last season, he helped BYU win its first Mountain West Conference title in six years. He was fourth in the nation with 319.1 passing yards per game and was unanimously voted as the Mountain West Player of the Year. He completed 70.4 percent of his throws and earned a passer rating of 173.3.

Though his accuracy is one of his main selling points, Beck says a good quarterback "has to be aware of what's going on around him in the pocket and know when it's time to tuck the ball and run."

At 6-foot-2 and 216 pounds, Beck has the body and the confidence it takes to succeed in the NFL. Though, like many boys growing up, he dreamed of one day becoming a professional athlete, his junior season at BYU made it clear he had a legitimate chance. That season (2005) he threw for 3,709 yards and 27 touchdowns en route to earning all-conference honors.

"That was a real turning point for me," says Beck. "I needed that after having the injury the year before."

The injury - a separated shoulder that plagued his entire sophomore season - made Beck realize the fragility of the human body and the honor it is to play football.

"Football won't always be there," he says. "You have to have another plan in case football doesn't work out."

That's probably some of the best advice a high school football player will ever get. The sad reality is that only a handful of varsity players move on to college football, and only a small percentage of those make it to the professional ranks. For the other 99 percent, the real world calls.

Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc.