Tannehill is the first Aggie quarterback ever selected in the first round of the NFL Draft.

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Ryan Tannehill
Courtesy: Texas A&M Athletics

NEW YORK — Record-setting Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill was the eighth overall selection of the 2012 NFL Draft on Thursday, marking the first time A&M has produced top 10 picks in consecutive years. Tannehill, from Big Spring, Texas, was selected by the Miami Dolphins. Last year, All-American Von Miller was picked second overall by the Denver Broncos and went on to earn Defensive Rookie of the Year honors by the Associated Press. “It was awesome. It was everything I thought it would be and more,” Tannehill told ESPN’s Suzy Kolber after his selection. “It was such a humbling experience and yet so exciting at the same time. To see my name on the back of a NFL jersey for an organization like the Miami Dolphins, I couldn’t be more excited.” The coaching staff for the Dolphins will be familiar to Tannehill since it features three members of the Aggies’ 2011 staff – former head coach Mike Sherman (offensive coordinator), Zac Taylor (assistant quarterbacks coach) and Jim Turner (offensive line). Also on the Dolphins staff is former A&M tight end standout Dan Campbell. Tannehill is the first Aggie quarterback ever selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. The previous high for an A&M signal-caller was when Marion Pugh was selected in the second round of the 1941 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. It was also the first time Texas A&M has had players picked in the first round of the NFL Draft in consecutive years since the early 1990s when the Aggies did it in 1992-94. Tannehill is the only player in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) history to throw for 4,000 yards and gain more than 1,500 receiving yards in his career. He’s also the only FBS player to have single games of 400-plus passing yards and 200-plus receiving yards on his resumé. Among the A&M passing records that Tannehill shattered during his career were single game passing yards (449 vs. Texas Tech, 2010), and single season passing yards (3,744, 2011) and completion percentage (65.0, 2010). As a receiver, Tannehill set freshman records for season catches and receiving yards (55-844 in 2008) and single game freshman records for catches and yards (12 catches for 210 yards vs. Kansas State, 2008).