Wes Welker
Encyclopedia
San Diego Chargers
Welker, who was not drafted during the 2004 NFL Draft2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
, signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Welker made the Chargers out of training camp, but was released after the first game of the season.
2004 season
After the Chargers released Welker, he signed with the Miami DolphinsMiami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, where he was mostly used on special teams. Playing against the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
on October 10, Welker became the second player in NFL history to return a kickoff and a punt, kick an extra point and a field goal
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
, and make a tackle
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
in a single game. Then, on December 20, in a Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
game, also against the Patriots, Welker had a 71-yard punt return to set up a touchdown.
2005 season
During training camp at the beginning of the 2005 season2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
, Welker was promoted to the third wide receiver spot after Chris Chambers
Chris Chambers
Christopher J. "Chris" Chambers is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
and Marty Booker
Marty Booker
Marty Montez Booker is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft...
. He finished the season with 29 receptions for 434 yards, but did not score a touchdown. He also had 43 punt returns for 390 yards, a 9.1-yard average (11th in the NFL), and 61 kickoff returns for 1,379 yards, a 22.6-yard average (20th in the NFL).
2006 season
After rumors that he would be cut during the preseason, Welker started off being the lone bright spot of the struggling Dolphins offense. Through five games, he netted a team-high 29 catches and team-high 299 yards. On October 8, he was a huge target for back-up quarterbackQuarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Joey Harrington
Joey Harrington
John Joseph "Joey" Harrington, Jr. is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions third overall in the 2002 NFL Draft, where he played for most of his professional career. He ranks third all-time in Detroit history in pass completions, with 986...
, recording a then career-high nine catches for 77 yards in a 20-10 loss to the Patriots. For the season
2006 Miami Dolphins season
The 2006 Miami Dolphins season began with the team trying to improve on their 9–7 record in 2005. Instead, they finished the season 6–10 after being hyped by some to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl, and saw their coach Nick Saban abandon his contract to coach college football for the Alabama...
, Welker had a team-best 67 receptions for 687 yards and one touchdown. He returned 48 kickoffs for 1,048 yards (22.2 average) and 41 punts for 378 yards (9.2 average).
Trade to New England
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
, that sheet would have contained a poison pill
Poison pill
A shareholder rights plan, colloquially known as a "poison pill", or simply "the pill" is a type of defensive tactic used by a corporation's board of directors against a takeover...
provision that would have made the offer difficult for the Dolphins to match. Ultimately, however, the Patriots decided not to use such an offer and traded their 2007 second- and seventh-round draft picks to the Dolphins for Welker.
2007 season
Welker's first season as a Patriot eclipsed his 2006 season as a Dolphin; he bettered his totals for receptions, touchdowns, and yardage in his first ten games. In Week 1, he caught the first of the Patriots' record 75 touchdowns, equaling the one receiving touchdown he had scored in his three seasons with the Dolphins. He set career bests for yardage three times: in the Patriots' Week 6 win against the Dallas Cowboys2007 Dallas Cowboys season
The 2007 Dallas Cowboys season was the 48th season for the team in the National Football League. The Cowboys finished the regular season tied for the best record in the NFC , and earned a first round bye and home field advantage throughout the playoffs...
, Welker had eleven catches for 124 yards and two touchdowns (all career bests); the next week, against the Dolphins
2007 Miami Dolphins season
The 2007 Miami Dolphins season was the 38th season for the team in the National Football League and 42nd season overall. The team nearly went winless for the season, but on December 16, the third to last game of the regular season, they beat the Baltimore Ravens, giving them a final record of 1–15...
, he had nine catches for 138 yards and two more touchdowns (the most receiving yards of any NFL player that week); and in Week 12, against the Philadelphia Eagles
2007 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 2007 Philadelphia Eagles season marked the 75th anniversary of the Eagles franchise. The team compiled an 8–8 record and a last-place finish in the NFC East....
, he had 13 receptions for 149 yards. In Week 15, against the New York Jets
2007 New York Jets season
The 2007 New York Jets season was the 38th NFL season and 48th overall season for the football team. This season was the second under head coach Eric Mangini. The team attempted to improve upon their 10–6 record from 2006, but finished the season with a 4–12 record.-Free agents heading into the...
, Welker reached 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his career; in Week 16, against the Dolphins, he recorded his 101st reception of the season, tying the Patriots franchise record set by Troy Brown
Troy Brown
Troy Fitzgerald Brown is a former NFL wide receiver, cornerback and punt returner in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the eighth round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Marshall...
in 2001
2001 NFL season
The 2001 NFL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Football League.Following a pattern set in 1999, the first week of the season was permanently moved to the weekend following Labor Day...
. In Week 17, against the Giants
2007 New York Giants season
The 2007 New York Giants season was the 83rd season for the New York Giants in the National Football League. The Giants finished the regular season 10–6 and in second place in the NFC East, improving upon their 8–8 record in 2006 in which they finished third in their division...
, he caught eleven more passes, setting the Patriots franchise record for catches with 112, and tying Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
receiver T. J. Houshmandzadeh
T. J. Houshmandzadeh
T. J. Houshmandzadeh, Jr. is an American football wide receiver who currently plays for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the seventh round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oregon State. Houshmandzadeh is of mixed...
for most receptions in the 2007 NFL season
2007 NFL season
The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30....
. He also set an NFL record for most catches in a first season with a new team. Welker, who finished the season with 1,175 yards and eight touchdowns, received one vote for NFL Offensive Player of the Year, an award won by his quarterback, Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
, and was voted to his first AP All-Pro Team (second team).
In his first two postseason games, Welker had 16 receptions for 110 yards and two touchdowns. He tied the Super Bowl record of 11 receptions in a single game in the Patriots' 17-14 loss to the Giants in Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII was an American football game on February 3, 2008 that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...
.
2008 season
Despite the season-ending injury to Welker's quarterback, Tom BradyTom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
, he continued to amass receptions at the same pace through the first half of the season: through eight games, he had 56 receptions, but only one touchdown reception. He had six or more receptions in each of the Patriots' first 11 games, breaking Jimmy Smith's mark of eight games at the start of the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
' 2001 season
2001 Jacksonville Jaguars season
The 2001 Jacksonville Jaguars season was the team's seventh year in the National Football League.-2001 NFL Draft:-Staff:-Schedule:-Standings:-References:* *...
.
Welker had what was, at the time, the longest pass play of his NFL career in the Patriots' 48–28 victory over the Miami Dolphins in Week 12: on 2nd-and-8 from their own 15, Welker caught a 5-yard pass from Matt Cassel
Matt Cassel
Matthew Brennan "Matt" Cassel is a quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
, before eluding a pair of defenders tip-toeing and running down the left sideline to the Miami 21, for a total of 64 yards, 59 yards after the catch.
Welker broke the 1,000-yard mark for the second consecutive season in Week 14 against the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
, catching 12 passes for 134 yards, and catching a pass on the Patriots' two-point conversion. He finished the game with a league-leading 96 receptions, for 1,002 yards (ninth in the NFL, third in the AFC). Against the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
a week later, Welker became the first player in Patriots history, and the eighth in NFL history, to have back-to-back 100-reception seasons; the previous player to do it was his teammate Randy Moss
Randy Moss
Randy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
, while he was a Viking
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
, in 2002
2002 NFL season
The 2002 NFL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Football League.The league went back to an even number of teams, expanding to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans. The clubs were then realigned into eight divisions, four teams in each...
and 2003
2003 NFL season
-Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *...
, and Brandon Marshall
Brandon Marshall
-2006:Before the regular season even began, Marshall suffered a slight tear to his PCL in a pre-season game against the Detroit Lions. Although the injury sidelined him for a couple of weeks, he was able to return and play 15 games during the regular season. Marshall had a total of 20 catches, 309...
accomplished the feat in the same seasons as Welker.
Welker was fined $10,000 by the NFL for celebrating a December 21 touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
by lying down in the snow by the endzone and using his body to make a snow angel
Snow angel
A snow angel is a human-made depression formed in an area of snow in the shape of an angel. Making snow angels is a common childhood game.-Technique:...
, violating a recent NFL rule change making going to ground after a touchdown unsportsmanlike conduct.
Wes Welker was selected to attend the 2009 Pro Bowl
2009 Pro Bowl
The 2009 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 2008 season. It was played at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 8, 2009. This was the last time that a Pro Bowl game was held after the NFL Super Bowl game...
as a reserve, and was again named to the AP All-Pro Second Team.
2009 season
Welker was sidelined in Weeks 2 and 3 (against the New York JetsNew York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, respectively) with a knee injury; rookie wide receiver Julian Edelman
Julian Edelman
Julian Francis Edelman is a wide receiver for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football for Kent State as a quarterback.-Early years:Edelman was born in Redwood City, California...
took his place in the lineup. In the October 18 (Week 6) game against the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
, Welker caught 10 passes for 150 yards, a new career high (at the time), and two touchdowns. The second of those touchdowns was Tom Brady's NFL record fifth touchdown in a single quarter.
Welker set career marks again in the Patriots' Week 11 rematch against the Jets: targeted 17 times, he caught 15 passes—at the time the highest single-game total for any player in the NFL in 2009—for 192 yards, and added 11 rushing yards on a reverse. In Week 13 against the Dolphins, Welker recorded 167 receiving yards to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark for the third straight season. Against the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in Week 13, Welker tallied 167 yards on 10 catches, including a season long 58-yard reception over the middle.
In the Patriots' Week 14 win at home against the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
, Welker caught 10 passes (out of 19 total completions for Brady) for 105 yards. This gave him 105 receptions in just 11 games and Welker lead the NFL in receptions at that point. The performance also made Welker the fourth receiver in NFL history (after Jerry Rice
Jerry Rice
Jerry Lee Rice is a retired American football wide receiver. He is generally regarded as the greatest wide receiver of all time and one of the greatest players in National Football League history...
, Herman Moore
Herman Moore
Herman Joseph Moore is a former American National Football League wide receiver. At George Washington High School in Danville he played mostly as a kicker and also as a tight end. He went to the University of Virginia, where he was a 2-sport athlete...
, and Marvin Harrison
Marvin Harrison
Marvin Daniel Harrison is a former American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Syracuse...
, and tied with Brandon Marshall
Brandon Marshall
-2006:Before the regular season even began, Marshall suffered a slight tear to his PCL in a pre-season game against the Detroit Lions. Although the injury sidelined him for a couple of weeks, he was able to return and play 15 games during the regular season. Marshall had a total of 20 catches, 309...
who did it in the same seasons as Welker) to catch 100 passes in three consecutive seasons.
In Week 16, Welker caught 13 passes, giving him 7 games with double digit receptions. This gave him the record for most double digit reception games in a single season, passing Marvin Harrison
Marvin Harrison
Marvin Daniel Harrison is a former American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Syracuse...
. He accomplished this despite missing two games earlier in the season.
In a Week 17 loss to the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Welker suffered a knee injury in the first quarter while running up field after his only reception of the game. He tore his MCL
Medial collateral ligament
The medial collateral ligament of the knee is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It is on the medial side of the knee joint in humans and other primates. It is also known as the tibial collateral ligament, or abbreviated as the MCL.- Structure :It is a broad, flat, membranous band,...
and ACL
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
in his left knee and was placed on injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
on January 6, 2010.
Welker finished the season with a league-high 123 receptions, the second-highest total in NFL history, and finished second in yardage, behind Houston's Andre Johnson
Andre Johnson
Andre Lamont Johnson is an American football wide receiver currently playing for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. Through the 2010–11 NFL season, Johnson currently ranks first all-time in NFL history in receiving yards per game for a career...
. He was also selected to represent the AFC in the Pro Bowl
2010 Pro Bowl
The 2010 AFC–NFC Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 2009 season. It took place at 8:00 PM EST on Sunday, January 31, 2010, at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins and host site of Super Bowl XLIV...
for the second consecutive year, and, for the first time in his career, was named to the All-Pro
All-Pro
All-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
First Team. Because of the knee injury he could not play in the Pro Bowl, and was replaced on the Pro Bowl roster by teammate Randy Moss
Randy Moss
Randy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
.
2010 season
Welker rehabilitated his knee during the 2010 offseason with the goal of being ready for the 2010 season opener, while many analysts expected that he would start the season on the Physically Unable to PerformPhysically Unable to Perform
Players can be labeled Physically Unable to Perform in the National Football League if they suffer from football-related injuries during the preseason...
list, and some even speculated that he would miss the entire 2010 season.
Nevertheless, Welker played in the Patriots' Week 1 game against the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
, and led all Patriots receivers with 8 catches for 64 yards and two touchdowns; those catches included Brady's first pass attempt of the season and his first touchdown pass.
In the Patriots' Week 9 loss to the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, after an injury to kicker Stephen Gostkowski
Stephen Gostkowski
Stephen Carroll Gostkowski is a placekicker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League...
, Welker was asked to kick an extra point
Extra Point
Extra Point is a twice-daily, two-minute segment on ESPN Radio that covers generic sports-related topical news and opinion. The AM edition airs Monday through Saturday at various times between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET, and the PM edition airs Monday through Friday between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET...
for the first time since he did so in 2004 against the Patriots; he converted the attempt.
Welker, who had two touchdown catches in the Patriots' 45–24 win over the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
on Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Classic
The National Football League's Thanksgiving Classic is a series of games played during the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States. It has been a regular occurrence since the league's inception in 1920. Since 2006, three games are played every Thanksgiving...
, finished the 2010 season with 86 receptions for 848 yards and seven touchdowns in 15 games played (11 starts). He was named to the 2011 Pro Bowl
2011 Pro Bowl
The 2011 AFC–NFC Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 2010 season. It took place at 7:00 p.m. EST on Sunday, January 30, 2011 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii...
as an injury replacement to Andre Johnson
Andre Johnson
Andre Lamont Johnson is an American football wide receiver currently playing for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. Through the 2010–11 NFL season, Johnson currently ranks first all-time in NFL history in receiving yards per game for a career...
.
2011 season
In the Patriots' 38–24 Week 1 win over the Miami DolphinsMiami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Welker caught a 99–yard pass from Tom Brady. The 12th such play in NFL history, and the first such play for the Patriots, it tied the NFL record for longest play from scrimmage. The play accounted for the majority of Welker's yards in an 8-catch effort for 160 yards and two touchdowns.
In Week 3, in the Patriots' 34–31 loss to the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Welker had 16 receptions for 217 yards and two touchdowns. In so doing, he tied wide receiver Troy Brown
Troy Brown
Troy Fitzgerald Brown is a former NFL wide receiver, cornerback and punt returner in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the eighth round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Marshall...
's franchise record of 16 receptions in a single game and broke Terry Glenn
Terry Glenn
Terry Tyree Glenn is a retired American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the New England Patriots seventh overall in the 1996 NFL Draft...
's franchise record of 214 yards, set in 1999. The game also marked Welker's 64th consecutive regular-season game with a reception (i.e., in every game he has played as a Patriot), breaking tight end Ben Coates
Ben Coates
Ben Terrence Coates is a former American football tight end in the National Football League and former CIAA football coach and former NFL tight ends coach. Coates didn't play football until his senior year of high school, and was a multi-sport player at Livingstone College located in Salisbury,...
' record of 63 games (set 1992 to 1996). It was Welker's second game with at least 15 receptions, a feat equaled only by Brandon Marshall
Brandon Marshall
-2006:Before the regular season even began, Marshall suffered a slight tear to his PCL in a pre-season game against the Detroit Lions. Although the injury sidelined him for a couple of weeks, he was able to return and play 15 games during the regular season. Marshall had a total of 20 catches, 309...
with the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
In Week 5, in the Patriots' win over the Jets, Welker caught five passes for 124 yards, including a 73-yard catch-and-run in which Welker beat Eric Smith
Eric Smith (American football)
-2006:Smith was selected 97th overall in the 2006 NFL Draft. Smith had been rising on many draft boards in the weeks leading up to the draft as he was praised for his instincts and physicality on the field. The Jets signed Smith to a contract on July 21, 2006....
and Darrelle Revis
Darrelle Revis
Though Revis was not the first defensive back drafted in the 2007 NFL Draft , he was the first cornerback taken that year...
; Revis dragged Welker down at the 8-yard line.
In Week 9, in the Patriots' loss to the New York Giants, Welker received 9 passes for 136 yards. Welker also had the honor of being a selection for Peter King
Peter King
-Politics:*Peter King , Australian politician*Peter T. King , U.S. Republican Congressman from New York*Peter King , British politician*Peter King, 1st Baron King -Politics:*Peter King (Australian politician) (born 1952), Australian politician*Peter T. King (born 1944), U.S. Republican...
's mid-season All-Pro Team.