By Mark Long
The Associated Press

CORAL GABLES, Fla. - Brock Berlin was named Miami's starting quarterback Thursday, two weeks after spring practice ended and four months before the season begins.

The 6-foot-1 junior beat out two-year backup Derrick Crudup in the race to replace Ken Dorsey, who owns just about every Big East and school passing record. Now Berlin steps into a position previously held by the likes of Jim Kelly, Bernie Kosar, Vinny Testaverde and Gino Torretta.

"I'm not trying to live up to be Ken Dorsey. I'm going to be Brock Berlin," he said. "I'm going to play the way I play. I definitely have a lot of big shoes to fill with Ken and all these past quarterbacks. This is Quarterback U. This is the place to be. I'm really honored to be a quarterback here and put my name with those guys names."

Berlin and Crudup both played well this spring, and coach Larry Coker said a decision wouldn't be made until the fall. But after reviewing videotape of all 15 spring practices, Coker felt Berlin was better equipped to lead the Hurricanes this season.

"Leadership is probably the pre-eminent thing that (Berlin) has excelled at, not just in spring, but the entire time he's been here," said Coker, who held a team meeting after telling the quarterbacks. "His poise, his learning of the offense, his handling of the offense, has progressively gotten better. He's only been in the offense 15 days."

Berlin was one of the most coveted high school quarterbacks coming out of Shreveport (La.) Evangel Christian Academy in 1999. He chose to play for Florida, but in two years with the Gators never surpassed Rex Grossman on the depth chart. He completed 53 of 87 passes for 653 yards with 11 touchdowns and two interceptions mostly in mop-up duty.

Berlin transferred to Miami in January 2002, and sat out last season under NCAA transfer rules.