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"He's a different man this week," Satele said. "He's taking control of the huddle. John is more loud and more vocal. He has a little bit more bass in his voice."

That's a rookie center assessing a rookie quarterback, except Satele has started all nine games this season and Beck makes his NFL debut today against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Surrounded by some of the nastiest fans in all of sports.

Against a team ranked seventh in the league in sacks.

With the league's 19th-ranked offense and its only winless team.

But John Beck had to start sometime and coach Cam Cameron picked this week to roll out his 26-year-old second-round draft pick.

If Beck is like most NFL rookie quarterbacks, don't expect too many solid answers about his future in the team's final seven games.

"Given the state of the Dolphins' season, you have to find out whether he can play in this league," said CBS analyst Dan Dierdorf, a Hall of Fame offensive lineman. "You're not going to get your complete answer by the end of the season, unless he does something phenomenal."

Will Beck's confident voice crack a bit today? No one will blame him if it does.

Even Peyton Manning got off to a slow start. Manning, the No. 1 overall pick who went to Indianapolis in 1998, threw three interceptions and was sacked four times in his debut, a 24-15 loss to Miami.

Ryan Leaf, picked No. 2 in that draft by San Diego, started the season opener, throwing two interceptions and taking two sacks. He was yanked from the lineup after starting nine games and played just 26 games in the NFL. Former Dolphin Joey Harrington, the No. 3 pick by Detroit in 2002, tossed four picks in his first game.

Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts has this advice for Beck as he takes the first snaps of his career: Get a grip on your expectations.

Fouts did just that when he replaced the legendary Johnny Unitas in the fourth game of his rookie season, leading the San Diego Chargers against the rival Oakland Raiders.

"I remember coming out of the game thinking I played decent enough to start another game, and I did," said Fouts, who threw 254 career touchdown passes, but only six as a rookie. "That was my main goal - to see if I could play in the league."

Dierdorf said Beck's teammates won't expect miracles, but they will be looking for leadership qualities. He remembers the 1981 season, when St. Louis rookie Neal Lomax replaced Jim Hart, who had been the Cardinals' starter since 1966.

Lomax finished the season with just four touchdown passes and 10 interceptions, but Dierdorf said he could tell that Lomax had a bright future.

"He had a real air of confidence about him," Dierdorf said of Lomax, a two-time Pro Bowler before a hip injury prematurely ended his career.

"That's what John Beck is going to have to have if he's going to survive. He cannot walk into that huddle and at any time in the course of that game give those guys the old deer-in-the-headlights look.

"Play poorly, but be confident."

Unlike Lomax, Beck isn't replacing an institution. But as the Dolphins' highest-picked quarterback since Dan Marino in 1983, he's been all but anointed by his first-year coach to end the parade of passers who have attempted to fill Marino's shoes since his retirement after the 1999 season.

For the record, in his first start, Marino threw for 322 yards and three touchdowns in an overtime loss at home against Buffalo.

Marino Replacement Hopeful No. 11 starts his first day on the job against one of the league's more merciless defensive coordinator, Philadelphia blitz specialist Jim Johnson.

"Chum to a shark,'' is Fouts' description of a rookie facing an aggressive defense like Johnson's Eagles.

Dolphins cornerback André Goodman knows exactly what Philadelphia is thinking.

"Pressure. That's all they're going to say," Goodman said of the Eagles, who have 25 sacks. "Young guys tend not to handle pressure well. They panic."

Beck's counterpart, five-time Pro Bowler Donovan McNabb, said it's difficult for a rookie quarterback to maintain composure in his first start.

"In your first game, you want to go out and do well. You want to be perfect," McNabb told The Philadelphia Inquirer this week. "Then, when you get into the game, it just seems everything is moving 100 miles an hour."

Perfection is hardly something with which Beck should be concerned today. That's the advice Dolphins Hall of Fame quarterback Bob Griese made sure to mention to Cameron.

"He made a good point. John, like most good quarterbacks, he's a perfectionist and you're striving for perfection," said Cameron, who worked with NFL quarterbacks for eight seasons before becoming a head coach. "But it's not always going to be perfect, so take that play and move on and try to grow the next play."

The danger is allowing bad plays to pile up and derail a young quarterback's confidence.

Playing for the expansion Houston Texans in 2002, No. 1 pick David Carr was sacked six times in his first game and nine the following week. Carr, now with Carolina, is still struggling to become a consistent starter.

Then there's the resilient and ageless Vinny Testaverde. As the No. 1 pick for Tampa Bay out of the University of Miami, he threw five interceptions in his first game and finished the 1987 season with 35 picks.

Testaverde, in large part a victim of poor teams, took a while to develop but eventually played in an AFC Championship game with the New York Jets and will start today, at 44 and in his 21st season, for Carolina.

The Dolphins certainly hope Beck improves at a quicker pace, but he isn't starting out with a particularly talented cast.

Still, Satele and the offensive line have been a bright spot; the Dolphins are second in the league with 4.8 yards per carry. The passing game is another story. Veteran Marty Booker leads the team with just 321 receiving yards, which ranks 68th in the league.

"A lot of it will come down to people making plays for him," Goodman said.
years, one Heisman Trophy and a fine NFL career later, Eddie George still carries the hurt of a loss to Michigan. "Every year around this time, I'm reminded of that," the ex-Buckeyes running back said this week. "I don't get it the other 364 days a year. But, of course, you always think about it." The Buckeyes were unbeaten and ranked No. 2 but were upset 31-23 by the 8-3 Wolverines in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Nov. 25, 1995. "They had nothing to play for, other than to play the spoiler," George said. But in this rivalry, that's enough. "It still hurts," he said. "It's still something you think about. I've had some tough losses in my lifetime, and that's definitely one of the tougher losses I've had."



-- AP

Manningham no favorite son

Over the years, Michigan has invaded Ohio to snag standouts such as Heisman Trophy winners Desmond Howard and Charles Woodson, as well as Thom Darden, Jim Mandich, Rob Lytle, Elvis Grbac and Dan Dierdorf just to name a few. It's one thing to battle your biggest rival, but it gets even more personal when your biggest rival used to be the kid down the street. The latest native to be seen as a traitor is Mario Manningham, a native of Warren, Ohio. The junior is on a streak of six straight 100-yard receiving games. "He's been unbelievable," coach Lloyd Carr said. "In terms of all the things you want a wide receiver to do, he can do them." Except maybe wear his letter jacket in his hometown.

-- AP

Michigan wanted Boeckman too

Michigan coach Lloyd Carr recruited Ohio State quarterback Todd Boeckman in high school, offering a scholarship and coaxing a visit out of him. Boeckman attended the 2001 OSU-Michigan game, but Carr knew his chances of getting a commitment were dim when he showed up in a Buckeyes T-shirt. "I sat on the side, and I think we were the only ones in the stadium rooting for Ohio State," Boeckman said. Having seen the Big House as a spectator and player, Boeckman knows how rabid Wolverines fans are but is not intimidated. "We know almost everybody in that stadium is against you, and I think we kind of like that situation," he said. "We get an opportunity to shut them up a little bit."

Dan Dierdorf
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Dan Dierdorf
Position(s):
Offensive Tackle Jersey #:
72
Date of birth: June 29, 1949 (1949-06-29) (age 58)
Place of birth: Canton, Ohio
Career information
NFL Draft: 1971 / Round: 2/ Pick 43
College: Michigan
Career highlights

Pro Bowls 6
Awards All-American 1970
All-Pro 1975, 76, 77, 78, 80
2nd Team All-Pro 1974
1976 NFLPA NFC OL of the Year
1977 NFLPA NFC OL of the Year
1978 NFLPA NFC OL of the Year


Honors NFL 1970s All-Decade Team
Teams
1971-1983 St. Louis Cardinals
Stats at DatabaseFootball.com
College Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1996
Daniel Lee Dierdorf (born June 29, 1949) is a former American football player and current television sportscaster. He played 13 NFL seasons and worked for ABC's Monday Night Football and CBS as a color commentator since his retirement.

Born in Canton, Ohio, Dierdorf played football at Glenwood High School in Canton (now GlenOak High School), then the University of Michigan before being drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2nd round of the 1971 NFL Draft.

Contents
1 College career
2 NFL career
3 Post NFL Career
4 Pop Culture References
5 See also
6 External links



[edit] College career
At Michigan, Dierdorf was consensus All-American in 1970 and assisted the team to a 25-6 record in his 3 years as a starter. The Wolverines were Big Ten Champions in 1969. Dierdorf made all-conference in 1969 and 1970 He was chosen for the East-West Shrine Game and Hula Bowl and for the 1971 College All-Star Game. In 2000, Dierdorf was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame.


[edit] NFL career
Dierdorf began his career as a guard and left tackle before settling in as a starter at right tackle in 1974. In 1982 he moved to center and was the starter in that season and became a back-up in his final year, 1983.

Dierdorf was named to the Pro Bowl 6 times from 1974-'78 & 1980. Dierdorf was named All-Pro for 4 consecutive seasons beginning in 1975 when the Pro Football Writers Association voted him All-Pro. From 1976-78 Dan was a consensus All-Pro and in 1980 the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) named him All-Pro. In addition, Dan was a consensus 2nd team All-Pro in 1974.

He was named NFLPA NFC Offensive Lineman of the year by his peers in 1976, 77, and 78. In 1996 he received The Ultimate Honor when he was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The 1975 Cardinals offensive line, consisting of Deirdorf, Conrad Dobler, Bob Young, Tom Banks, and Roger Finnie, allowed a total of only 8 sacks, a then-NFL record. Dierdorf did not give up a sack for the entire 1976 and 1977 seasons. His streak ended in the first game of the 1978 season when Chicago Bears left defensive end Tommy Hart nabbed 2 sacks against Dierdorf. Dan had not given up a sack since the 1975 NFC Divisional playoff game when Jack Youngblood sacked Jim Hart.


[edit] Post NFL Career
After his retirement, Dierdorf transitioned to the broadcast booth. He called Cardinals games on radio for KMOX in 1984 before moving to CBS television for two seasons.

In 1987, he was added to the Monday Night Football team. He was named as ABC's blow-by-blow boxing commentator in 1989, beginning with Meldrick Taylor's first defense of his championship. Dierdorf stayed at ABC for twelve seasons before a shake up after the 1998 season in which Dierdorf was deemed not worth his salary. He was immediately rehired by CBS to broadcast NFL games for the network, which had just re-acquired the rights to NFL (AFC) broadcasts. As of 2006, Dierdorf is a color commentator with play-by-play announcer Greg Gumbel. The 2006 season marked Dierdorf's first season with Gumbel on CBS after working in 1999 with Verne Lundquist and from 2000-2005 with Dick Enberg. Considered one of the most disliked announcers in pro football.

Dierdorf continues to live in St. Louis and has his own star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame. He is the co-proprietor, along with former Cardinals quarterback Jim Hart of Dierdorf and Hart's, a St. Louis steakhouse. Dan Dierdorf also is one of the investors of KTRS radio in St. Louis.


[edit] Pop Culture References
Dierdorf is mentioned in George Carlin's Back in Town album. In his discussion on capital punishment, Carlin proposes crucifixions during halftime of Monday Night Football and then asks, "Wouldn't you like to hear Dan Dierdorf explain why the nails have to go in at a certain angle?"

Dierdorf is mentioned in the song "Chain Hang Low (Remix). Rapper Lil' Wayne says "my diamonds big like Dan Dierdorf"

Above all, Beck must take control, even under hostile conditions.

"Playing Philadelphia, he's going to see some things he's never seen before," Dierdorf said. "But it's a start in the National Football League and I'm sure he doesn't care where it is or who it is.

"If you're a competitor, that's what you've been dreaming about, the coach