Rookie Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill sees being the leader of the franchise as part of his job description, the former Texas A&M Aggie said Friday.
"I hope I'm looked at as the leader of the team," Tannehill told reporters after opening of rookie minicamp. "I want to try to get guys going and get guys playing together and make everyone around me better. That's the job of a leader; that's the job of a quarterback."
The Dolphins drafted Tannehill with the eighth pick in the NFL Draft. He was the third quarterback chosen after top picks Andrew Luck (Indianapolis Colts) and Robert Griffin III (Washington Redskins).
Tannehill, who's the latest Dolphin to attempt to fill the shoes of Hall of Famer Dan Marino, has a head start on fellow offensive players. The Dolphins hired his college coach Mike Sherman as their offensive coordinator in the offseason, and the quarterback said that about 80 to 85 percent of Sherman's playbook looks similar to what he had in college.
"I try to help out as much as I can," Tannehill said of the playbook. "Being in the offense for four years back at A&M, it's not my first go-around. So I'm trying to help these guys learn as much as they can ... just help speed their learning curve up.
Tannehill will compete with veterans Matt Moore and David Garrard for the starting spot.