Thursday, January 19, 2012
Welker "borderline fanatical" about training, nutrition
BY NICK ST. DENIS
Wes Welker led the league in receptions (122) this season, and he's only 5-foot-9, 185 pounds. As far as the receiver position in concerned, size apparently doesn't matter.
As New England's go-to receiver, Welker spends most of his time running routes from the slot, where he takes a beating in the middle of the field.
"Wes really trains hard. He's one of our hardest workers; just really tireless guy," Patriots coach Bill Belichick told the media Thursday. He pushes himself to the limit on a daily basis, whether it's lifting weights, practicing; he practices 100 miles an hour, trains very hard. He's very strong for his size and stature but he actually has good playing strength.
"Nutrition, all those things, he's really borderline fanatical about them. He gets the most out of everything he's got. I think it's been hard training, hard work. We all saw how he came back from the injury a couple years ago. I think that's just indicative of his overall work ethic and commitment."
An argument can be made that New England's offense has been built around Welker, and it's worked well so far.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh is wary of Welker's impact as Harbaugh prepares his Baltimore squad to travel to Foxborough Sunday for Baltimore's AFC Championship match with the Patriots.
"They've always had somebody to open up for Wes, it seems like," Harbaugh told the media Wednesday. "... they've always had guys to push the coverage up field and clear out space for Wes. That's part of their plan all the time.
"...Wes Welker is the guy that leads the charge. Gronkowski is pushing the ball up the field, it seems. Hernandez is pushing the ball up the field, it seems. And then they've got good receivers outside that can get over top. It's pretty much the same formula. There are a couple of different faces, but pretty much the same idea."
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