John Beck
Encyclopedia
John Dalton Beck is an American football
quarterback
starting for the Washington Redskins
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins
in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Brigham Young University
Beck has also played for the Baltimore Ravens
.
to Wendell Beck, a former track and field athlete at BYU, and Julie Beck. He first started playing football as a child at eight years old.
Beck attended Mountain View High School
in Mesa
, Arizona. He was recruited by Brigham Young University, Arizona State, and Miami. He received Outstanding Male Scholar Athlete honors at Mountain View High School, a three-year letterman, and led Mountain View High School to a state championship as a senior. His overall record was 25-2 during his junior and senior seasons. Beck earned first-team all-region, first-team all-state, USA Today
All-American honorable mention and Dairyman first-team All-America honors. He was named the region Offensive Player of the Year and garnered first-team Super All-State and Super All-State Player-of-the-Year honors. Beck was further recognized as the Arizona High School Football Player of the Year and earned both the Ed Dougherty and Fred Enke Awards (Arizona Quarterback of the Year). During his senior year, he was named the MVP during the state championship game and selected as the Arizona All-Star game Most Valuable Player. Fox Sports
has recognized Beck as the Arizona 5A Player of the Year. Beck also currently holds the Arizona high school record with 42 touchdown
completions
in a single season with only 4 interceptions
. Beyond football, Beck also lettered
twice in baseball
as a pitcher
and an infielder
.
(MWC) honors and competed in eight games, including four starts
, becoming only the second true freshman to start at quarterback in Brigham Young history (vs. Stanford
), completing 22-of-45 attempts for a season-high 279 yards against the Cardinal, including a season-long 56-yard bomb to Rodney Wilkerson. His first career victory occurred on October 4, leading the Cougars
to a 44-36 win at San Diego State. He later saw action at fourth-ranked USC, completing one pass for 12 yards and carrying the ball four times for 29 yards.
While a sophomore, Beck earned second-team All-Mountain West honors and started at quarterback in 10 of the Cougars' 11 games during the season. He broke the Mountain West Conference
and Brigham Young single-game record with 67 pass attempts against UNLV
on October 8 and currently holds the MWC single-game sophomore record with 34 completions against UNLV. Beck averaged a MWC-best 261.0 yards per game against league opponents and averaged 233.0 yards per game against all opponents. He was named the MWC Offensive Player of the Week after leading the Cougars to a 41-24 win over Air Force
. Against San Diego State, Beck posted Brigham Young's highest quarterback rating
since early in the 2001 season at 204.8. He also passed the 3,000-yard mark as a sophomore, ranking as the Cougars' third most prolific sophomore quarterback, while passing for at least one 50+ yard completion in six of eleven games.
As a junior, Beck was an All-Mountain West Conference first-team selection, named Academic All-MWC and named team offensive MVP. He threw for a league-best 3,709 yards, marking the most yards by a Brigham Young quarterback since Brandon Doman threw for over 3,500 yards in 2001. Beck was ranked fifth nationally with a league-best 309.1 yards-per-game average, including a league-high 517 yards in a loss to TCU on Sept. 24. Beck was twice named the MWC Offensive Player or the Week. He also set MWC single-game records with (i) 41 completions (vs. Boston College
on September 3) and (ii) 517 yards passing (vs. TCU
on September 24). He tied a MWC single-game record with five TD's (vs. TCU on September 24) and was ranked second all-time in the Mountain West with 7,136 career passing yards and first in the Mountain West with 3,709 yards in 2005. Beck was a 2005 Davey O'Brien Award
candidate and rated as the top passing quarterback in the MWC by Street & Smith
's. College Football News
listed Beck as one of the top-30 players in the Mountain West Conference, while Phil Steele's College Football Preview ranked him as one of the top-40 quarterbacks in the country.
As a senior, Beck was ranked as the 2nd best quarterback in the country by ESPN
as measured in quarterback efficiency ratings (173.27) and 5th best season leader in passing by CBS
. He led Brigham Young to a record of 10-2, with a 8-0 record in the Mountain West Conference. He was a finalist for the Davey O'Brien and Unitas Golden Arm
Awards, and created buzz on the Heisman
watch lists. One site that tracks college football had him #4 on the Heisman watch list. He was named the Walter Camp Football Foundation
National Offensive Player of the week following the come-from-behind victory over Utah
on the last game of the 2006 season.
On November 25, 2006, Beck led the Cougars to his first victory over in-state rival Utah Utes, and Brigham Young's first in five years, by completing a TD pass to TE
Jonny Harline
as time expired. With three seconds left on the clock, Beck dropped back, shuffled left, was pressured by a late blitzing
linebacker
, and then scrambled right (nearly 11 seconds in all) before throwing back across the field to Harline, who was standing alone in the end zone
. Beck finished the game with 375 passing yards and 4 TD's.
Beck led the Cougars to their first bowl win since 1996, a 38-8 romp over the Oregon Ducks
in the Las Vegas Bowl
, at the end of the 2006 season. The win was made in large part because of Beck and tight end Jonny Harline. Beck totaled 375 yards and two scores and also had 26 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Harline, Beck's main target, was named the MVP after a 181 yard and 1 touchdown performance.
; he was the fourth quarterback drafted, behind JaMarcus Russell
, Brady Quinn
, and Kevin Kolb
. The Dolphins then signed Beck to a four-year contract with nearly $3.25 million in guaranteed money and incentives making it worth up to $4.5 million and $6.5 million total over four years. Beck was the team's third-string quarterback during his first training camp and held the role to begin the 2007 season
. Despite being the third-string quarterback, he was seen as a potential successor to incumbent starter Trent Green
.
With an injury to Green and inconsistent play from backup quarterback Cleo Lemon
, the Dolphins struggled to an 0-8 start to the season. With the team on a bye week
in Week 9, head coach
Cam Cameron
announced that Beck would begin splitting reps with the first-team offense with Lemon in preparation for their Week 10 contest against the Buffalo Bills
. On November 14, it was announced that Beck would assume the starting job, beginning with the team's Week 11 game at the Philadelphia Eagles
on November 18.
Beck and the Dolphins lost to the Eagles 17-7, failing to score on offense
. In the game, Beck went just 9-for-22 (40.9%) for 109 yards, however he was not sacked
and committed no turnovers. Overall throughout the season, Beck started just five games and lost all of them while the Dolphins finished the season with a 1-15 record.
With Lemon and Green leaving the team at the conclusion of the 2007 season, Beck was poised to assume a starting role for the 2008 season. However, the team opted to draft Chad Henne
and sign Chad Pennington
, which pushed Beck back to third on the depth chart.
After not playing the entire 2008 season, the Dolphins released Beck on April 27, 2009.
on May 2, 2009. He re-signed with the team for the 2010 season. The move reunited him with Ravens offensive coordinator
Cam Cameron
, who was his head coach in Miami two years earlier.
for Doug Dutch
. On September 1, Beck signed a contract extension worth $2.25 million over two years, keeping him under contract with the Redskins through the 2012-2013 season.
Coach Mike Shanahan
then announced that Beck, who had not started a game since his rookie season in 2007, would battle the incumbent Rex Grossman
for the starting quarterback role in the 2011 season through training camp and preseason. Grossman was officially named the opening day starter just six days before the start of the season, leaving Beck as the backup for the fourth straight season in his career.
John Beck made his first appearance for the Redskins on October 16, 2011 against the Eagles. On October 19, 2011 Redskins coach Mike Shanahan announced that Beck would start the upcoming week 7 game against the Panthers.
On November 13, Redskins coach Mike Shanahan announced that Rex Grossman will be the starting quarterback for the Redskins, replacing John Beck.
. He is a devout member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; he served on a mission to Lisbon
, Portugal
, from 2000 through 2002 and speaks fluent Portuguese
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
starting for the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft
2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University Cougars football
The Brigham Young Cougars football team is a college football program representing Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. The Cougars won the national championship in 1984 and have a Heisman Trophy winner in Ty Detmer. Since 1965, BYU has claimed 23 conference championships and played in 29 bowl...
Beck has also played for the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
.
Early years
John Dalton Beck was born August 21, 1981 in Hayward, CaliforniaHayward, California
Hayward is a city located in the East Bay in Alameda County, California. With a population of 144,186, Hayward is the sixth largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area and the third largest in Alameda County. Hayward was ranked as the 37th most populous municipality in California. It is included in...
to Wendell Beck, a former track and field athlete at BYU, and Julie Beck. He first started playing football as a child at eight years old.
Beck attended Mountain View High School
Mountain View High School (Mesa)
Mountain View High School is a high school in Mesa, Arizona. It was established in 1976. It is known for its numerous athletic and academic accomplishments...
in Mesa
Mesa, Arizona
According to the 2010 Census, the racial composition of Mesa was as follows:* White: 77.1% * Hispanic or Latino : 26.54%* Black or African American: 3.5%* Two or more races: 3.4%* Native American: 2.4%...
, Arizona. He was recruited by Brigham Young University, Arizona State, and Miami. He received Outstanding Male Scholar Athlete honors at Mountain View High School, a three-year letterman, and led Mountain View High School to a state championship as a senior. His overall record was 25-2 during his junior and senior seasons. Beck earned first-team all-region, first-team all-state, USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
All-American honorable mention and Dairyman first-team All-America honors. He was named the region Offensive Player of the Year and garnered first-team Super All-State and Super All-State Player-of-the-Year honors. Beck was further recognized as the Arizona High School Football Player of the Year and earned both the Ed Dougherty and Fred Enke Awards (Arizona Quarterback of the Year). During his senior year, he was named the MVP during the state championship game and selected as the Arizona All-Star game Most Valuable Player. Fox Sports
Fox College Sports
Fox College Sports is a group of three United States digital cable networks, FCS Atlantic, FCS Central and FCS Pacific owned by News Corporation, that specialize primarily in showing collegiate programming, live events, coaches shows & various DI, DII, & DIII content surrounding college athletics...
has recognized Beck as the Arizona 5A Player of the Year. Beck also currently holds the Arizona high school record with 42 touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
completions
Completion (American football)
A completion is a term used in American football when a receiver successfully catches a pass. The three possible outcomes of a pass thrown are completion, incompletion, and interception, respectively....
in a single season with only 4 interceptions
Interception (football)
An interception, intercept or pick is a move in many forms of football, including Canadian and American football, as well as rugby league, rugby union, Australian rules football and Gaelic football, which involves a pass, either by foot or hand, being caught by an opposition player, who usually...
. Beyond football, Beck also lettered
Varsity letter
A varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.- Description :...
twice in baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
as a pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
and an infielder
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
.
College career
Beck served a Mormon mission prior to his collegiate career, and as a 22-year old true freshman, he earned Academic All-Mountain West ConferenceMountain West Conference
The Mountain West Conference , popularly known as the Mountain West, is the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I FBS . The MWC officially began operations in July 1999...
(MWC) honors and competed in eight games, including four starts
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
, becoming only the second true freshman to start at quarterback in Brigham Young history (vs. Stanford
Stanford Cardinal football
The Stanford Cardinal football program represents Stanford University in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference's North Division. Stanford, the top-ranked academic institution with an FBS program, has a highly successful football tradition. The...
), completing 22-of-45 attempts for a season-high 279 yards against the Cardinal, including a season-long 56-yard bomb to Rodney Wilkerson. His first career victory occurred on October 4, leading the Cougars
Brigham Young University Cougars football
The Brigham Young Cougars football team is a college football program representing Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. The Cougars won the national championship in 1984 and have a Heisman Trophy winner in Ty Detmer. Since 1965, BYU has claimed 23 conference championships and played in 29 bowl...
to a 44-36 win at San Diego State. He later saw action at fourth-ranked USC, completing one pass for 12 yards and carrying the ball four times for 29 yards.
While a sophomore, Beck earned second-team All-Mountain West honors and started at quarterback in 10 of the Cougars' 11 games during the season. He broke the Mountain West Conference
Mountain West Conference
The Mountain West Conference , popularly known as the Mountain West, is the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I FBS . The MWC officially began operations in July 1999...
and Brigham Young single-game record with 67 pass attempts against UNLV
UNLV Rebels football
The UNLV Rebels football program is a college football team that represents the University of Nevada, Las Vegas . The team is currently a member of the Mountain West Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association...
on October 8 and currently holds the MWC single-game sophomore record with 34 completions against UNLV. Beck averaged a MWC-best 261.0 yards per game against league opponents and averaged 233.0 yards per game against all opponents. He was named the MWC Offensive Player of the Week after leading the Cougars to a 41-24 win over Air Force
Air Force Falcons football
The Air Force Falcons are a college football team from the United States Air Force Academy, located just outside of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the NCAA Division I and the Mountain West Conference.-Style:...
. Against San Diego State, Beck posted Brigham Young's highest quarterback rating
Passer rating
Passer rating is a measure of the performance of quarterbacks or any other passers in American football and Canadian football. There are at least two formulae currently in use: one officially used by the National Football League and the Canadian Football League, and one used in college football...
since early in the 2001 season at 204.8. He also passed the 3,000-yard mark as a sophomore, ranking as the Cougars' third most prolific sophomore quarterback, while passing for at least one 50+ yard completion in six of eleven games.
As a junior, Beck was an All-Mountain West Conference first-team selection, named Academic All-MWC and named team offensive MVP. He threw for a league-best 3,709 yards, marking the most yards by a Brigham Young quarterback since Brandon Doman threw for over 3,500 yards in 2001. Beck was ranked fifth nationally with a league-best 309.1 yards-per-game average, including a league-high 517 yards in a loss to TCU on Sept. 24. Beck was twice named the MWC Offensive Player or the Week. He also set MWC single-game records with (i) 41 completions (vs. Boston College
Boston College Eagles football
The Boston College Eagles football team is the collegiate football program of Boston College. The team is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, a Division I Bowl Subdivision league governed by the NCAA. Within the ACC, the Eagles are one of six teams in the Atlantic Division...
on September 3) and (ii) 517 yards passing (vs. TCU
TCU Horned Frogs football
The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football...
on September 24). He tied a MWC single-game record with five TD's (vs. TCU on September 24) and was ranked second all-time in the Mountain West with 7,136 career passing yards and first in the Mountain West with 3,709 yards in 2005. Beck was a 2005 Davey O'Brien Award
Davey O'Brien Award
The Davey O'Brien Award, officially the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, named after Davey O'Brien, is presented annually to the collegiate American football player adjudged by the Davey O'Brien Foundation to be the best of all National Collegiate Athletic Association quarterbacks. The...
candidate and rated as the top passing quarterback in the MWC by Street & Smith
Street & Smith
Street & Smith or Street & Smith Publications, Inc. was a New York City publisher specializing in inexpensive paperbacks and magazines referred to as pulp fiction and dime novels. They also published comic books and sporting yearbooks...
's. College Football News
College Football News
College Football News is a magazine and website published by College Football News, Inc., headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. News coverage includes scores, statistics, rankings, and reports on college football games. Analysis includes comparisons between teams, predictions of game outcomes and...
listed Beck as one of the top-30 players in the Mountain West Conference, while Phil Steele's College Football Preview ranked him as one of the top-40 quarterbacks in the country.
As a senior, Beck was ranked as the 2nd best quarterback in the country by ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
as measured in quarterback efficiency ratings (173.27) and 5th best season leader in passing by CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
. He led Brigham Young to a record of 10-2, with a 8-0 record in the Mountain West Conference. He was a finalist for the Davey O'Brien and Unitas Golden Arm
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award is given annually in the United States to the nation's outstanding senior quarterback in college football. It was established in 1987 by a foundation named for Johnny Unitas , the Hall of Fame quarterback who played his college career at the University of...
Awards, and created buzz on the Heisman
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
watch lists. One site that tracks college football had him #4 on the Heisman watch list. He was named the Walter Camp Football Foundation
Walter Camp Football Foundation
The Walter Camp Football Foundation is one of the organizations whose College Football All-America Team is recognized by the NCAA. The organization also presents various awards.-Awards:*Walter Camp Player of the Year*CT Player of the Year...
National Offensive Player of the week following the come-from-behind victory over Utah
Utah Utes football
The Utah Utes football program is a college football team that currently competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I and represents the University of Utah. The Utah college football program began in 1892 and has played home games at Rice–Eccles...
on the last game of the 2006 season.
On November 25, 2006, Beck led the Cougars to his first victory over in-state rival Utah Utes, and Brigham Young's first in five years, by completing a TD pass to TE
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
Jonny Harline
Jonny Harline
Jonathan "Jonny" Harline in North Brunswick, New Jersey) is a current member of the band Perfect Disorder. He played college football at Brigham Young.-College career:...
as time expired. With three seconds left on the clock, Beck dropped back, shuffled left, was pressured by a late blitzing
Blitz (American football)
In American football or Canadian football, a blitz or red dog is when players on or behind the line of scrimmage during a play, are sent across the scrimmage line to the offensive side to try to tackle the quarterback or disrupt his pass attempt...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
, and then scrambled right (nearly 11 seconds in all) before throwing back across the field to Harline, who was standing alone in the end zone
End zone
In gridiron-based codes of football, the end zone refers to the scoring area on the field. It is the area between the end line and goal line bounded by the sidelines. There are two end zones, each being on an opposite side of the field...
. Beck finished the game with 375 passing yards and 4 TD's.
Beck led the Cougars to their first bowl win since 1996, a 38-8 romp over the Oregon Ducks
Oregon Ducks
The Oregon Ducks refers to the sports teams of the University of Oregon, located in Eugene, Oregon. The Oregon Ducks are part of the Pacific-12 Conference in the Division 1 of the NCAA. With seventeen varsity teams, the Oregon Ducks are best known for their football team and Track and Field...
in the Las Vegas Bowl
Las Vegas Bowl
The Maaco Bowl Las Vegas is an NCAA-sanctioned Division I-A post-season college football bowl game that has been played annually at 40,000-seat Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. since 1992. From 1992 to 1996, matchups featured the champion teams from the Big West and Mid-American...
, at the end of the 2006 season. The win was made in large part because of Beck and tight end Jonny Harline. Beck totaled 375 yards and two scores and also had 26 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Harline, Beck's main target, was named the MVP after a 181 yard and 1 touchdown performance.
Awards and honors
- 2x Academic All-Mountain WestMountain West ConferenceThe Mountain West Conference , popularly known as the Mountain West, is the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I FBS . The MWC officially began operations in July 1999...
(2003, 2005) - Second-team All-Mountain West (2004)
- BYU Cougars MVP (2005)
- 2x First-team All-Mountain West (2005–2006)
- Sporting News Mountain West Preseason Offensive Player of the Year (2006)
- Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Year (2006)
- Sporting News second-team All-AmericaAll-AmericaAn All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n (2006) - Davey O'Brien AwardDavey O'Brien AwardThe Davey O'Brien Award, officially the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, named after Davey O'Brien, is presented annually to the collegiate American football player adjudged by the Davey O'Brien Foundation to be the best of all National Collegiate Athletic Association quarterbacks. The...
finalist (2006) - Johnny Unitas Golden Arm AwardJohnny Unitas Golden Arm AwardThe Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award is given annually in the United States to the nation's outstanding senior quarterback in college football. It was established in 1987 by a foundation named for Johnny Unitas , the Hall of Fame quarterback who played his college career at the University of...
finalist (2006)
Statistics
| Year | Games | Attempts | Completions | Comp % | Yards | Avg | TD | INT | QB Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 8 | 145 | 73 | 50.3% | 864 | 6.0 | 5 | 5 | 59.4 |
| 2004 | 11 | 343 | 192 | 56.0% | 2,563 | 7.5 | 15 | 8 | 84.7 |
| 2005 | 12 | 513 | 331 | 64.5% | 3,709 | 7.2 | 27 | 13 | 92.9 |
| 2006 | 12 | 417 | 289 | 69.3% | 3,885 | 9.3 | 32 | 8 | 116.3 |
| Total | 43 | 1418 | 885 | 62.4% | 11,021 | 7.8 | 79 | 34 |
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins drafted Beck 40th overall in the 2nd round of the 2007 NFL Draft2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
; he was the fourth quarterback drafted, behind JaMarcus Russell
JaMarcus Russell
JaMarcus Trenell Russell is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. Russell played college football for the LSU Tigers where he finished 21–4 as a starter and was named MVP of the 2007 Sugar Bowl. The Oakland Raiders selected Russell with the first overall pick of the 2007...
, Brady Quinn
Brady Quinn
Brayden Tyler "Brady" Quinn is an American football quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. Quinn was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame.-Early Years:Brayden Tyler "Brady" Quinn was born on...
, and Kevin Kolb
Kevin Kolb
Kevin Benjamin Kolb is an American football quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Houston....
. The Dolphins then signed Beck to a four-year contract with nearly $3.25 million in guaranteed money and incentives making it worth up to $4.5 million and $6.5 million total over four years. Beck was the team's third-string quarterback during his first training camp and held the role to begin the 2007 season
2007 Miami Dolphins season
The 2007 Miami Dolphins season was the 38th season for the team in the National Football League and 42nd season overall. The team nearly went winless for the season, but on December 16, the third to last game of the regular season, they beat the Baltimore Ravens, giving them a final record of 1–15...
. Despite being the third-string quarterback, he was seen as a potential successor to incumbent starter Trent Green
Trent Green
Trent Jason Green is a retired professional American football quarterback. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the eighth round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Indiana University....
.
With an injury to Green and inconsistent play from backup quarterback Cleo Lemon
Cleo Lemon
Cleo "Cleonardo" Lemon, Jr. is a Canadian football quarterback in the Canadian Football League who is currently a free agent. He most recently played for the Toronto Argonauts. He was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2002...
, the Dolphins struggled to an 0-8 start to the season. With the team on a bye week
Bye (sports)
A bye, in sports and other competitive activities, most commonly refers to the practice of allowing a player or team to advance to the next round of a playoff tournament without playing...
in Week 9, head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
Cam Cameron
Cam Cameron
-External links:...
announced that Beck would begin splitting reps with the first-team offense with Lemon in preparation for their Week 10 contest against the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. On November 14, it was announced that Beck would assume the starting job, beginning with the team's Week 11 game at the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
on November 18.
Beck and the Dolphins lost to the Eagles 17-7, failing to score on offense
Offense (sports)
In sports, offense or offence , also known as attack, is the action of attacking or engaging an opposing team with the objective of scoring points or goals...
. In the game, Beck went just 9-for-22 (40.9%) for 109 yards, however he was not sacked
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
and committed no turnovers. Overall throughout the season, Beck started just five games and lost all of them while the Dolphins finished the season with a 1-15 record.
With Lemon and Green leaving the team at the conclusion of the 2007 season, Beck was poised to assume a starting role for the 2008 season. However, the team opted to draft Chad Henne
Chad Henne
Chad Steven Henne is an American football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League.He graduated from Wilson Senior High School and attended the University of Michigan...
and sign Chad Pennington
Chad Pennington
James Chadwick "Chad" Pennington is an American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for ten years. He is currently a football analyst with FOX Sports though he plans to return to playing after recovering from an injury...
, which pushed Beck back to third on the depth chart.
After not playing the entire 2008 season, the Dolphins released Beck on April 27, 2009.
Baltimore Ravens
Beck was signed by the Baltimore RavensBaltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
on May 2, 2009. He re-signed with the team for the 2010 season. The move reunited him with Ravens offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
Cam Cameron
Cam Cameron
-External links:...
, who was his head coach in Miami two years earlier.
Washington Redskins
On August 2, 2010, Beck was traded to the Washington RedskinsWashington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
for Doug Dutch
Doug Dutch
Douglas Allen Dutch is a free agent American football cornerback. Dutch was signed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2009 after he went undrafted in the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Michigan.-Early years:Dutch was born on February 15,...
. On September 1, Beck signed a contract extension worth $2.25 million over two years, keeping him under contract with the Redskins through the 2012-2013 season.
Coach Mike Shanahan
Mike Shanahan
Michael Edward "Mike" Shanahan is the 28th and current head coach of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. Shanahan also holds the title of Vice President of Football Operations with the Redskins, giving him full control over player personnel with the team. Shanahan previously...
then announced that Beck, who had not started a game since his rookie season in 2007, would battle the incumbent Rex Grossman
Rex Grossman
Rex Daniel Grossman, III is an American football quarterback for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League . Grossman played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he has played professionally for the Chicago Bears, Houston Texans and Washington Redskins of...
for the starting quarterback role in the 2011 season through training camp and preseason. Grossman was officially named the opening day starter just six days before the start of the season, leaving Beck as the backup for the fourth straight season in his career.
John Beck made his first appearance for the Redskins on October 16, 2011 against the Eagles. On October 19, 2011 Redskins coach Mike Shanahan announced that Beck would start the upcoming week 7 game against the Panthers.
On November 13, Redskins coach Mike Shanahan announced that Rex Grossman will be the starting quarterback for the Redskins, replacing John Beck.
Personal
Beck married Barbara Ann Burke of Ferron, Utah in May of 2004. The couple have three sons, Ty, Preston, and Grady. Beck now resides in Ashburn, Virginia. He is an Eagle ScoutEagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America . A Scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million young men...
. He is a devout member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; he served on a mission to Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, from 2000 through 2002 and speaks fluent Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
.