Dolphins' Henne is most prepared of rookie quarterback class

Chad Henne definitely has an NFL arm and threw a fabulous deep ball during his days at Michigan. Jason Arnold/Icon SMI Ross Tucker's Mailbag Ross Tucker will answer your questions every Friday in his mailbag. Name: Email: Hometown: Question: SEND Follow Ross Tucker on Twitter

Like most star high school quarterbacks, Chad Henne turned heads as he walked through the halls. Even the teachers could be caught at times staring at the pride of the Wilson Bulldogs, a perennial Class AAAA Pennsylvania football power an hour west of Philadelphia whose NFL alumni includes Titans quarterback Kerry Collins. The scene is fairly common in high schools across the country, except for one important detail. Henne wasn't in high school. He was in junior high.

Wilson High only houses grades 10-12, which means that Henne was isolated from his varsity teammates when his storied career as a starting quarterback began when he was a freshman. "It was pretty funny," he recalled this week. "My friends were on the junior high team and they would wear their jerseys to school on Thursday. Then I would wear mine on Friday."

Henne starting as a freshman was no small feat; only a year earlier he had been a stalwart on the junior high team as a fullback. But he's a quick learner -- he was taught how to play quarterback over one summer by former Wilson coach Jim Cantafio -- and that may be his biggest asset as he prepares for his first season in the NFL.

• The Most-Prepared?

The media and NFL personnel people are prone to labeling prospects and rookies as soon as possible. Matt Ryan, taken No. 3 by the Falcons in the 2008 draft, was considered the one can't-miss franchise quarterback in the bunch. Joe Flacco, drafted at No. 18 by the Ravens, had the big arm and the even bigger upside given his unique physical skills. Brian Brohm, a second-round pick (No. 56) by the Packers, was the most proficient passer of them all given the numbers he racked up at Louisville. So where did that put Henne, the fourth and last quarterback taken (No. 57) on the first day of the draft?

How about the most ready to start from day one.

It isn't like Henne hasn't done it before. He followed his remarkable success in high school by starting the 2004 season opener for Michigan as a true freshman after an injury to starting quarterback Matt Gutierrez. Henne proceeded to break nearly every Wolverine passing record, including yards (9,715) and touchdowns (87). His vast experience was a big reason why the Dolphins grabbed him.

"We really liked that he was a four-year starter at the University of Michigan and had been in some tremendous pressure situations," said Dolphins coach Tony Sparano. "We were excited about getting the opportunity to get him at the spot we got him."

Though Henne acknowledges that "starting early was a big boost for me", he is smart enough to know that NFL success is unlikely to come as quickly or as easily as it did in high school and in college.

"I think being a rookie in the NFL will be the toughest [of the three]," said Henne. "Just the speed of the game at this level and the capacity of information that you are responsible for."

• The Apprenticeship

Henne is more than qualified to process the wealth of information that he will be given in the Dolphins offense, given the responsibility he was handed while leading the Wolverines.

"I think I have the ability to pick things up quickly because I was in charge of all of the protections and given a lot of run/pass checks at Michigan," said Henne.

His new head coach agreed, adding, "When we visited with him before the draft, we could tell that he was not out of his element at all mentally. We knew that he would be able to stay out of bad plays, which is crucial in this league. Then, at the end of the rookie camp, he was able to go in the huddle and communicate effectively with the guys without being a distraction, and that is critical."