TORONTO » It might have been a slow 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. Or it could have been a perception of inflated stats because of UH's pass-happy system and a lack of BCS competition. Or maybe it was the time he spent in a juvenile facility in California.

Whatever the reason, Davone Bess wasn't drafted last spring.

That may have been disappointing at the time, but in the end, it proved to be just a minor speed bump on the road to fulfilling an NFL dream.

After signing as a free agent with the Miami Dolphins, the WAC's all-time receptions leader has not only secured a spot on Miami's roster this season, he has emerged as veteran quarterback Chad Pennington's go-to receiver.

In Miami's critical 16-3 victory Sunday over division rival Buffalo, Bess led his team with nine catches for 74 yards. No other Dolphin had more than three receptions.

The 5-foot-11, 190-pound Oakland native has moved up to sixth in receiving among NFL rookies, with more than half of his production for the season coming in just the past three weeks, after he was thrust into the starting lineup because of a season-ending knee injury to Greg Camarillo.

With his next catch, Bess will become the first Dolphins rookie in seven years to have 40 or more catches in a season. And he's had a big impact on special teams too—ranking first among AFC qualifying rookies with a 9.6-yard average on 16 punt returns. Plus he's fielded 14 kickoffs for a team-high average of more than 22 yards per return.

Best of all, he's playing for a franchise that could host a playoff game come January, after nearly going winless last season.

While everything seems to have worked out remarkably well for Bess since being passed over on draft day, he said he isn't surprised that he's managed to come accomplish so much—so fast—as a professional.

“;I've pretty much just been ready, every time my number was called,”; he said in an interview after Sunday's game. “;I knew my role coming in. Obviously, I wanted to make the team first and try to build off of that, but I'm always prepared. It was unfortunate what happened to Camarillo. But at the same time, I was always ready for my opportunity. Our coaches stress that every receiver has to be ready. We've got to run our routes as if we're the main the receiver so every time we go out I'm just 100 percent mentally focused.”;

Bess gives a lot of credit for his success to June Jones—dismissing the notion that playing at UH made the transition to the NFL more difficult than if he had played at a higher-profile BCS school. On the contrary, he insists that playing under Jones made his entry into the professional ranks particularly easy.

“;I've said it a million times—playing in Hawaii helped me more than anything. It taught me numerous things that a lot of other receivers didn't get across the country—not to mention coach June Jones—he was an outstanding coach. He knew exactly what to do in different situations, how to put key people into certain situations. And he was in the NFL for a couple of years. He pretty much treated us like an NFL team. We were still in school but he treated us like men.”;

Pennington said he is thrilled to have Bess on the team and expects a long and successful career for the 23-year-old.

“;He's really quarterback-friendly and a lot of people don't understand how important that is to a quarterback,”; said Pennington, who repeatedly looked for Bess as his first option on key third-down plays against Buffalo. “;He understands how to get open—understands how to run routes, and work defenders and be patient. He does a great job of understanding angles and getting open in spots.”;

Bess said he's looking forward to his next visit to Hawaii—probably around Pro Bowl time—to catch up with friends and former teammates. He added that he still follows UH football closely.

“;They lost some tough games (this year). It's very unfortunate that it had to pan out that way. coach McMackin is doing a great job at keeping the guys together. I'm just happy that they're at least going to a bowl game this year and they deserve it.”;