Former Lawrence Football Star Brett Brackett Signs with Miami Dolphins

In Brett Brackett's five years playing football for Pennsylvania State University, his father, Robert "Bob" Brackett, rarely missed a game.

"I think I only missed one in five years," the older Brackett recalled on Thursday. 

Since Brett, an undrafted free agent, signed a deal with the NFL's Miami Dolphins on Monday, the trip to see their son play ball is about to get a little further. 

"We're very proud of him, this is his life-long dream," Bob said. "I don't know if we've totally absorbed it yet, for us it's pretty overwhelming."

A former quarterback at Lawrence High School, Brett will be making the third position change of his career as he'll lineup as a tight end for the Dolphins.

He played wide receiver and served as co-captain his senior year at Penn State. 

If past history is any indicator of the future, Brett will find the transition to tight end a seamless one. 

After passing for 3,847 yards and 46 touchdowns in high school, Brett arrived at State College assuming he'd be a quarterback. That plan didn't pan out, and Brackett was moved to wide receiver.

Brett didn't dwell on the setback, and continued on to haul in 39 for 525 yards and five touchdowns his senior season. The move was such a success that he drew the attention of several NFL teams once the lockout was lifted.

And even though he'll make the move to tight end, his past history as a quarterback could make the move an easier transition. 

"As a quarterback you've got to learn everything and know every play," Bob said. "It really blew me away when they moved him from quarterback to wide receiver. But his history, I think, helped with the situation."

While his past quarterback play may have helped his collegiate situation, the fact Brackett's name wasn't called during the NFL Draft may have helped jump start his professional career. 

Unlike players who were drafted, and have to report to the team that selected them, Brackett had the chance to weigh options from multiple teams.

"I think a lot of people don't understand that, if you get drafted you have to go to that team," Bob said. "But here he had seven or eight teams he could pick from, he was able to find the best fit and the Dolphins provided the best opportunity."

Initially it seemed like Miami was out of the race, since they drafted a tight end in the sixth round, but they were the most persistent about contacting the Penn State product and ultimately presented the best chance to begin an NFL career. 

And while Miami is a much longer trip than driving into the middle of Pennsylvania to Penn State, Brett will be back in New Jersey to play against both the Giants and Jets this season.

Bob said he has already made special note of those close-to-home games on his calendar.  

"The nice thing is they play the Jets and the Giants, so we go to the Meadowlands and catch a couple games," Bob said. "But, once he gets settled and everything, we're going [down to Florida] to make the trip."