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Look out South Beach
Posted: Sunday April 16, 2000 01:01 AM
Former Colorado cornerback Ben Kelly was chosen in the third round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. Kelly was named All-American as a kick returner last season by CNNSI.com after averaging 28.8 yards per kickoff return and running back two kicks for touchdowns in his junior year with the Buffaloes. Ben filed this exclusive Draft Day Diary from his agent's house immediately after getting off the phone with the Dolphins organization informing him that he had been drafted. I was excited when I got the call from Miami to tell me that I was drafted. I was actually on the phone with them when it came up on TV, so I didn't get the change to see it on TV yet. That's the thing that I wanted to see the most. I watched the draft with my whole family. My parents, my girlfriend, my brothers and sisters, my grandparents and I all watched it over at my agent's house. We were all just having a good time watching it. It's been nerve racking, but we can relax now. I was starting to get a little nervous, and I usually don't get nerovous or rattled. I was really starting to get nervous when it started getting toward the middle of the third round. I thought it might have to wait until tomorrow, but I'm glad that Miami thought that highly of me to select me at that point. They congratulated me when they called. Coach Wannstedt got on the phone and said, "How would you feel about being a Miami Dolphin?" I said, "That's great!" And he told me to get ready for it. It was a real short conversation with him and then they put me on the phone with the media out there and they asked a bunch of questions. My family was all very excited when I got picked. I don't think everybody else knew I was on the phone with Miami at the time, so they were just watching TV and saw my name pop up. They were probably more excited than I was at that time. Miami was somewhere that I was hoping I would go if I dropped into the third round. At least I am going somewhere that I'll like going. I'm sure Miami is one of the top 5 spots anybody you asked would like to go to. I know they are going to lose Terrell Buckley to free agency, and he's someone that they probably compare to me -- or rather me to him. I'm about the same size as him, and he was also their return man, so I'm sure I'll have to try to fill his shoes. I've only heard good things about Dave Wannstedt when he was with Dallas and Chicago previously. All that I have heard are good things about him. As far as I know he's a great coach. I'm excited to play for a team with a great history like the Dolphins. They were the only undefeated team in NFL history, they have a lot of tradition, they've won a lot of big games, so it's definitely an honor to play for them. The weather might be the best part about going to the Dolphins. I've never been in that kind of climate before, so I'm looking forward to it. And I've heard a lot of great things about South Beach, so I'll probably get to go there now. They have minicamp from April 27-30, so I'll head down there then. I'm looking forward to getting in there to start playing. I just want to play now. Today was really a dream come true for me. It's what little kids dream about. It's what you dream about while you're in high school. Then once you're in college you realize that there are only so many people that get that opportunity, so I definitely feel fortunate about it.
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