“I think I am blessed to have this opportunity,” said Nalbone.  “I am ecstatic right now. To come from a small school and to get chosen by the Dolphins by a guy like Bill Parcells and Coach Sparano is amazing.  Going into it, I didn't want to say where I preferred to get picked but deep down, I wanted to go to the Dolphins.  To turn around a team in one season speaks to the quality of the organization.  To get drafted from a FCS school such as Monmouth , I have to give credit to the coaching staff.   The entire coaching staff , including Coach Callahan [Head coach Kevin Callahan] and Coach Gallo [tight ends coach Jeff Gallo], have been great to me over the years.  Sometimes the whole [draft] process was difficult and the coaches really helped me through it and prepared me to play at the next level.” 

This season the First Team All-Northeast Conference selection led the Hawks in receptions, yards and touchdowns with 42, 491 and five, respectively.  The four-time all-conference selection (two-time first team) ended his career with 101 catches for 1,079 yards and nine touchdowns, all Hawk records for tight ends.  He became the second Hawk to be selected to the American Football Coaches Association FCS All-America team.

“This is a great day for John,” said Callahan.  “ He's very excited to join the Miami Dolphins. It's an organization that he really liked and he felt a positive connection with the coaching staff there.   John is very deserving of this, he worked extremely hard to get to this point.  This is also a great day for Monmouth football.  I think Miles Austin paved the way by being selected as a free agent and now to have John drafted in the fifth round further substantiates the level of play that is going on at Monmouth University.”

Monmouth's other player in the NFL, wide receiver Miles Austin, recently resigned with the Dallas Cowboys.  The 2009 season will mark Austin's fourth year in the league.