The criticism mounted for years. It grew and it grew, morphing from constructive to negative until Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington, then with the New York Jets, finally realized he had a decision to make.

Being ridiculed was one thing. Now, he'd also been benched.

''This is ridiculous,'' Pennington's longtime trainer, Charles Petrone, told the quarterback during a conversation last fall after the Jets replaced Pennington with Kellen Clemens. ``You're not a backup quarterback. You're a star in this league.''

Before that, Pennington always treated the criticism regarding his weak arm and his fragile shoulder and his vulnerable frame exactly how most everyone else would: He ignored it as best he could. But then, he did the unlikely.

No longer did Pennington resist the criticism. Instead, he embraced it.

''OK,'' Pennington told Petrone. ``How do I do it?''

If Pennington's success with the Dolphins continues, he could look back on that talk last year as a turning point.

It was then that Pennington and Petrone began devising an intense training program to build the quarterback's body back up.

Since 2003, Pennington has fractured his non-throwing hand, torn the rotator cuff and injured the labrum of his throwing shoulder twice, and suffered a high ankle sprain -- all of which has caused him to miss 23 games.

''This offseason, I really took a look at the criticism I was receiving,'' Pennington said. 'I looked at it and saw, `Hey, some of it was probably true. How could I change that?' ''

TRAINING PROGRAM

Entering his ninth season in the league, Pennington made a clear effort both in and out of the training room to get his body and his mind prepared to endure the harshness of an NFL season. He wanted to be smarter. And he wanted to be stronger.

The quarterback conducted an extensive study into how he could alter his throwing mechanics to increase his velocity while maintaining his accuracy. Then, he and Petrone took his newfound devotion to the weight room.

Pennington and Petrone also sought assistance from a body alignment specialist and a rehabilitation specialist.

''We basically brought in a whole Team Pennington, and I was making sure everybody was doing their job,'' Petrone said. ``So this year will be even better because he's getting these alignments done and he's getting healthy.

``He has all this power, and his body feels good.''

Pennington went through rigorous tests, including an emphasis on his hips, and even had Petrone perform measurements and timings as if the quarterback was preparing again for the Scouting Combine; if Pennington was ever going to return to the form that once made him the envy of NFL teams early in his career.

''When you're younger, you just roll with the punches and you recover faster, you don't worry about those things,'' Pennington said. ``When you're older, you have to really focus on the recovery.''

Beyond the obvious benefits of Pennington's intensified training program (he's bigger, faster and stronger), his decision this offseason might have actually been some of the best planning he could have done for the future that faces him.

Had Pennington not made a commitment to improve his strength this offseason, the Dolphins might not have been as interested in him upon his release from the Jets. But as soon as the Jets signed quarterback Brett Favre -- and as soon as Miami saw what it could have -- the questions started answering themselves.

''I've only known Chad through playing against him and seeing him in his earlier years,'' Sparano said. ``He's gotten so much bigger and stronger. So off of those shoulder injuries, he's actually gotten a lot stronger. The weight room is important to Chad.''

A DEEP THREAT

So far this season, in the midst of fascinating efficiency, Pennington is quietly proving he also is capable of spreading the field more effectively than he did in the past. Against the Patriots, he averaged 11.3 yards on his 17 completions. Against the Chargers, he averaged 7.9 yards on 22 completions.

Of course, Pennington still has one major aspect of his rebirth as an NFL starter to prove: Over the past eight seasons, he has completed a full 16-game season only once.

But now that the quarterback has learned to overcome the questionable aspects of his game, he might also be on the verge of eliminating them altogether.

''That's the beauty of the human body, the human spirit and really the people around me,'' Pennington said. ``I had a great support group from trainers and doctors to family members and friends that helped me get through that -- mentally and physically.''

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