The once-anonymous waiver acquisition is beginning to reap the rewards of his commitment and might be an emerging Dolfan folk hero after catching another touchdown and recovering a fumble in Sunday's 28-7 loss to the New England Patriots in Gillette Stadium.
Camarillo, cognizant that incoming executive vice president of football operations Bill Parcells was watching for the first time, considered Sunday another tryout in his ongoing quest to become an NFL regular.
"They say you only get one chance at a first impression," Camarillo said. "It's what I've been waiting for a couple years. So I have to step up and try to show them what I can do."
Camarillo was a walk-on at Stanford and wasn't granted a scholarship for two years. He went undrafted. The San Diego Chargers signed him to their practice squad in 2005 and last year let him play five games, including one in the playoffs. They waived him in September.
"I've never been in position where I had a starting position or I was set on a team," Camarillo said. "That's just been my mentality since I came into college as a walk-on.
"I have go to continue to prove myself. When given the opportunity, every team in the league watches tapes and they're constantly evaluating you."
Camarillo is in the rotation when the Dolphins go with four-receiver sets, and he has capitalized.
A week earlier he had three catches for 109 yards, including the shame-averting, 64-yard touchdown sprint to beat the Baltimore Ravens in overtime.
He came back Sunday to catch a 21-yard touchdown pass.
Camarillo is the first Dolphins receiver to have touchdown receptions in consecutive games since Marty Booker did it in three straight last year.
"He has gotten the opportunity, and with the opportunity he has come in and taken advantage of it," Dolphins quarterback Cleo Lemon said. "You're just seeing a guy who's taking that step to go from unknown to a guy that's a legitimate receiver in this league."
Lemon went to Camarillo on a third-and-goal play from the 9 for a pickup of 5 yards. Camarillo also pounced on Ted Ginn Jr.'s fumbled punt in the fourth quarter.
"I feel like I've shown enough where the coaches can start trusting me," Camarillo said.
"I feel like Cleo's gained trust in me. If they call my number, I feel like I've put myself in position to where they're not afraid to go to me."
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