Growing up in Buffalo, NY they’re few things expected out of you as a citizen. You are expected to work hard and contribute to the community. You are also expected to have a favorite chicken wing place, and be very vocal about where people from outside of the area should try Buffalo’s famous wings. And lastly and probably most importantly you are expected to root for the Bills and Sabres, anything else is sacrilegious.
Although I’m a proud Buffalonian and therefore I’m not supposed to like Wes Welker, of the division rival New England Patriots, it is very hard not to like him. Welker has countless times torn up my Bills secondary, as well as plenty of other teams around the league, but I for some reason can’t dislike the guy. When you start learning about his route to the NFL and how he is so different from a vast majority of the elite players in the league, you really gain respect for Welker and it’s hard to root against the guy (unless he’s playing the Bills).
Welker attended Heritage Hall High School in his hometown of Oklahoma City. As a junior he led his team to a State Championship. In the championship game against Tishmonigo High School he had 3 touchdowns, 200 all purpose yards, an interception and a 47 yard field goal. Welker later went on to win the Oklahoma player of the year awarded by USA Today. Although Welker had a great high school career, he got almost no attention from big time schools because scouts said he was too small and not strong enough to compete.
Welker attended Texas Tech University, which was one of the only schools that recruited him, when another player that was committed to go changed his mind and opened up a scholoarship for Welker. While attending Texas Tech, Welker put up some very impressive numbers – 259 receptions and 3,000 receiving yards over his 4 years as a Red Raider. Not only was he affective as a wide out, but also he also greatly contributed as a special teams player. During his time at Texas Tech he returned a record 8 punts for touchdowns and won the Mosi Tatupu Award for Nation’s best special teams player.
Not only did Welker stand out on the field but he was a model student off the field as well. Welker was a member of Phi Gamma Delta, one of the nation’s most prestigious and respected fraternities.
Although Welker exceeded expectations on and off the field as a college student, he went undrafted in 2004. Soon after the draft, the San Diego Chargers gave Welker a shot and signed him as undrafted free agent. Welker made the team after camp ended, but was cut following Week 1 of the season in order to make room for safety Clinton Hart. Chargers coach at the time Marty Schottenheimer later acknowledged that cutting Welker was the worst decision he ever made in terms of a roster cut.
After being cut by the Chargers, Welker signed with the Miami Dolphins. His primary role was as a special teams player, where he did not disappoint. On October 10th of 2004, against his current team the Patriots, Welker had one of his most versatile games as a football player. He returned a kickoff, a punt, kicked an extra point, kicked a field goal and recorded a tackle all in one game. Later on in the year, Welker had a 71-yard return against the Patriots in their second meeting of the year. The return led to a crucial touchdown for the Dolphins. The standout performances against the Patriots didn’t stop however. Welker had 9 receptions for 77 yards against the Patriots in 2006. The Patriots were sick of seeing Welker twice a year and in 2007 offered Miami a 2nd and 7th round draft pick in exchange for Welker, and clearly it was a great move for the Patriots (although it didn’t help my Bills, of course, as he stayed in the division).
Since being traded to the Patriots, Welker has been an elite force in the league and has helped keep the Patriots as one of the league’s best offensive teams year in and out. Welker has made 4 consecutive Pro Bowls since 2008, led the NFL in receptions 3 times and led the NFL in receiving yards this current year.
The combination of Welker and quarterback Tom Brady is truly frightening to defenses all around the league, and has been for 5 years now. I had the pleasure of watching Welker and Brady hook up 16 times for 2 touchdowns and 217 yards earlier this season against the Bills, tying a Patriots record for most catches in a single game. As a Bills fan, I had the last laugh after game ended, but unfortunately for me the Bills collapsed and the Patriots soared to the number one seed in the AFC and a Super Bowl favorite.
Over the years Welker has clearly been a force on the field but he is a genuinely good guy off the field as well. Whether it’s giving back to the New England community or his hometown, Welker looks out for those less fortunate.
He also is an extremely funny guy and can make anyone laugh. Whenever I think of Welker, I always seem to think of his jab at Rex Ryan’s foot fetish last year (see video below). If you don’t believe me find him on twitter @WesWelker and read some of his tweets, they’re great.
Sure Welker is likeable because he gives back to those less fortunate, but the course he took to being an elite talent really deserves respect, even from a Bills fan. Welker was overlooked multiple times because of his size but continued to fight and work hard to prove his naysayers wrong. His production is continually improving which truly shows how hard he works and how badly he wants to be great and help his team. Welker is the type of player that you would kill to have on your team, and is a great teammate according to those who have played with him.
Welker isn’t given a lot of respect but always seems to hold his own and work hard. People overlooked Welker and missed out on quite a talent and now he is terrorizing all 31 other teams in the NFL, and it doesn’t look like that will change anytime soon.
Sure he’s a Patriot but I can’t dislike the guy just because he doesn’t play for the Bills, right? Considering how good a player he is on the field and how good a person he is off the field, disliking him is almost as difficult as covering him… but I reserve the right to change my opinion when the Bills and Pats play again next year.
