Dolphins offensive tackle Vernon Carey didn't know what to expect Tuesday at the Dolphins' Davie complex when the tour he was giving some Brownsville Middle School students was directed into the auditorium.

New contract? Maybe, he thought. More likely, some folks just wanted to give the kids a few encouraging words.

That's why Carey had the stunned look of a knocked-out boxer when Dolphins coach Tony Sparano came in to announce that Carey was the Dolphins' nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.

The award -- won last year by Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor, in 1998 by quarterback Dan Marino and in 1985 by center Dwight Stephenson -- honors the combination of excellence on the field and strong community service.

''It caught me off guard. I was kind of wordless,'' Carey said. ``It's like an overwhelming feeling of joy inside.''

Carey grew up during Marino's career and became a teammate of Taylor's when the Dolphins drafted Carey in 2004, completing a climb up the South Florida football ladder -- from Miami Northwestern High to the University of Miami, then to the Dolphins.

'After my first two years, I was like, `Come on, man, you're from here. You know you've got to do more in the community,' '' Carey said. ``I just felt obligated because I've been there. I've been where they're at, and I want to show them there's more out there for them, goals for them to reach, so they've got to be able to push themselves and want to go out and do more.''

That's why Carey and his wife, LaTavia, established the Carey Mentorship Program, which takes 10 kids from Brownsville Middle on monthly trips in South Florida. He also hosts 20 Brownsville Middle students at each home game, and he hosts a Thanksgiving turkey giveaway at Northwestern each year.

In accepting the team award Tuesday in the auditorium, Carey said he hoped he could keep doing community works.

He also said, half-

joking: ''I hope I'm still here'' -- a reference to his contract, which expires after this season.

-- DAVID J. NEAL

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