Hadnot cannot be held back

By Jason Kirk  |   Thursday, August 04, 2005  |  Comments( 0 )

Miami Dolphins
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In only his second season with the Miami Dolphins, coaches are having a hard time keeping Rex Hadnot off the field. After trading up with the Atlanta Falcons in the 2004 NFL draft, the Dolphins selected Hadnot with the ninth pick of the sixth round. Miami originally drafted him as a center where he was a four-year letterman, three-year starter and consensus All-Conference player his senior year at the University of Houston. What the Dolphins figured out later, was that they were getting a player that was athletic and intelligent enough to play a number of positions on the offensive line.

Rex Hadnot made the first start of his career at left guard in place of the injured Jeno James during a week 11 game at the Seattle Seahawks. He started again at the same position the following week against the San Francisco 49ers. When James returned to the starting lineup, Hadnot started the last five games of the season at right guard in place of a struggling Taylor Whitney. Those seven starts marked the most starts by a Dolphins' sixth round draft choice or lower in his rookie season since S Shawn Wooden started 11 games during the 1996 season.

During this year's training camp, Rex Hadnot was slotted as the starting right guard. After backup center Wade Smith went down with a fractured forearm, Hadnot was moved back to the center position. Now it seems that the 6-2 325 pound second year player has impressed Hudson Houck so much that Hadnot has replaced incumbent starter Seth McKinney and is taking his reps with the first team offensive line. Not bad for a player that some analysts thought would be a seventh round pick and a career backup.

With only four days remaining until the Miami Dolphins open their pre-season with a Monday night game versus the Chicago Bears, Hadnot is getting a lot of respect from the veteran lineman. With his knowledge of the offense improving with each practice, the eager 23 year old is relishing the opportunity to be the “quarterback of the offensive line.” With an already impressive first year behind him, Hadnot hopes to be a mainstay on the starting unit for years to come. If his coaches and fellow linemen have their way, he will be.
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