Whether it
was a shoulder tap or someone shouting his name, the call came midway through Thursday's practice.
It was Ryan Tannehill's turn to take first-team snaps for the first time at Miami Dolphins training camp.
The significance seems obvious for a rookie with just 19 quarterback starts at Texas A&M and just five days since breaking a two-day holdout.
Why would Tannehill's confidence rise when asked to take snaps from Mike Pouncey, or while testing his patience against the constant mantra of Chad Johnson reminding you he is always open?
In a three-way quarterback battle with David Garrard and Matt Moore, Tannehill - the No. 8 pick overall in April's NFL draft - knows he must show poise and control if he hopes to steer the Dolphins' offence.
Rookie or not, Tannehill couldn't be more clear on his training camp intentions.
"I want to be the guy," Tannehill said. "You don't want to be a backup. It's not a goal to be a backup. I want to play. I want to get in there. The more reps I can get with the ones I feel like that's more like a game situation, as much as you're gonna get in practice."
Coach Joe Philbin did little to quench the blazing battle, instead choosing to spray more accelerant with his words to raise the competitive heat.
"I think it is very close," Philbin said. "I think we're going to have good quarterback play."
Philbin was clear on this point: Tannehill's snaps were earned, and not charity simply dished out to the first-round pick as an obligation. All three quarterbacks will be rewarded first-team snaps based on performance.
"[Tannehill] has thrown the ball well enough in the couple of days he's been practising that he deserves opportunities with those guys, and to work with different receivers and different lineman," Philbin said.
"That's definitely earned. As we go forward, it's kind of a fluid process."
That includes the number of predetermined snaps for each quarterback Philbin charted out through the four preseason games. Success or failure could make those numbers rise and fall.
The number of snaps for next Friday's opening preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Sun Life Stadium won't be locked in until the remainder of the offence is installed early next week.
