The All-Channel Receiver Act (ACRA) (47 U.S.C. § 303(s)), commonly known as the All-Channels Act, was passed by the United States Congress in 1961, to allow the Federal Communications Commission to require that all television set manufacturers must include UHF tuners, so that new UHF-band TV stations (then channels 14 to 83) could be received by the public. This was a problem at the time since the major TV networks were well-established on VHF, while many local-only stations on UHF were struggling for survival.

The All-Channel Receiver Act provides that the Federal Communications Commission shall "have authority to require that apparatus designed to receive television pictures broadcast simultaneously with sound be capable of adequately receiving all frequencies allocated by the Commission to television broadcasting."^[1] Under authority provided by the All Channel Receiver Act, the FCC adopted a number of technical standards to increase parity between the UHF and VHF television services, including a 14dB maximum UHF noise figure for television receivers.

History[link]

While the first US commercially-licensed UHF television stations signed on as early as 1952, the majority of the 165 UHF stations to begin telecasting between 1952 and 1959 did not survive. UHF local stations of the 1950s were limited by the range their signals could supposedly travel, the lack of UHF tuners in most TV sets and difficulties in finding advertisers and TV network affiliations. Of the 82 new UHF-TV stations in the United States broadcasting as of June 1954, only 24 remained on the air a year later.^[2]

Fourth-network operators such as the DuMont Television Network, forced to expand using UHF affiliates due to a lack of available VHF channels, were not viable and soon folded. The fraction of new TV receivers that were factory-equipped with all-channel tuners dropped from 20% in 1953 to 9.0% by 1958, a drop that was only partially compensated for by field upgrades or the availability of UHF converters for separate purchase. By 1961, with 83 commercial UHF stations still on-air, the number of new TV's capable of receiving UHF as well as VHF channels had fallen to a record low of 5.5%^[3] with a small number of viable stations situated in localities where a lack of available VHF frequencies had forced early expansion onto UHF.

While public educational television was available from 105 US stations by 1965,^[4] many of them in the already-crowded VHF spectrum, only 18 percent of the large number of UHF frequencies reserved for educational use in US cities were in active use. In areas where audiences had no UHF receivers, a station broadcasting above channel 13 was unlikely to survive.

Under the All-Channel Receiver Act, FCC regulations would ensure that all new TV sets sold in the U.S. after 1964 had built-in UHF tuners. By 1971, there would be more than 170 full-service UHF broadcast stations nationwide;^[5] the number of UHF stations would grow further to accommodate new television networks such as the Public Broadcasting Service (1970), Fox TV (1986), Univisión (1986) and Telemundo (1987).

UHF TV stations would ultimately outnumber their long-established VHF counterparts.

Digital television[link]

The act has most recently been used in 2005-2007 (47 C.F.R. 15.115c and 47 C.F.R. 15.117b) to require TV manufacturers to include ATSC-T (terrestrial TV) tuners for digital television, in any TV set that includes an NTSC analog TV tuner. This requirement has been phased-in during the mid-2000s, starting with the largest TV sets. By early 2007, every device capable of receiving over-the-air TV (including VCRs) was forced to include an ATSC tuner. Millions of dollars in fines were imposed in 2008 by the Federal Communications Commission against vendors, including various name-brand retail chains such as Best Buy, Sears/Kmart and Walmart. Best Buy is disputing both the fines and the authority of the FCC to impose the penalties;^[6] Circuit City and Sears also disputed the charges.

In late March 2008, the Community Broadcasters Association filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, seeking an injunction to halt the sale and distribution of DTV converter boxes,^[7] charging that their failure to include analog tuners or analog passthrough violates the All-Channel Receiver Act.^[8] Responding to CBA's actions, the FCC and NTIA urged manufacturers to include the feature voluntarily in all converter boxes, and manufacturers responded by releasing a new generation of models with the feature. In early May 2008, the D.C. district court denied the CBA petition without comment,^[9] effectively telling the association that it had not exhausted all its efforts, and that there was not enough merit to take the case to the courts.

In July 2010, the FCC granted a waiver allowing Dell, LG, and Hauppauge to fail to include tuners for NTSC analog TV or standard ATSC digital TV in mobile television devices designed to receive ATSC-M/H signals. While all full-power stations have been forced to turn off their analog signals, and most low-power TV stations therefore have been forced to digital as the de facto standard, the vast majority of stations do not transmit a mobile-TV signal, which will leave viewers with these devices unable to receive most broadcasts. Because LPTV stations have already had their limited financial resources drained by having to buy and install new digital equipment, and because the FCC mandated the use of ATSC (the only DTV standard not originally compatible with mobile reception), it is unlikely that any LPTV stations will be seen on mobile TV because of this waiver, which also applies to other companies.^[10]

Broadcast radio[link]

In the 1980s, this law was used to require that all AM receivers be able to pick up the new expanded band stations from 1610 to 1700 kilohertz. This requirement was enacted in advance of new stations being allotted in the 1990s.

It has been proposed in 2009 to require HD Radio receivers to be included in all satellite radio (SDARS) receivers, in response to the monopoly created by the XM/Sirius merger. All three use proprietary systems, and there have been no considerations to require the inclusion of open standards like FMeXtra, DRM+, DAB+ or DMB, which are compatible anywhere outside of the United States. A notice of inquiry (a predecessor to a full rulemaking proceeding) is before the FCC as docket 08-172. A bill had been submitted to the U.S. House as the Radio All Digital Channel Receiver Act^[11][12] in 2008 but was not passed into law.^[13]

See also[link]

• Ultra high frequency
• DTV transition in the United States

References[link]

Dwayne Lenard Harris is an American football wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He played college football at East Carolina. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys as the eleventh pick of the sixth round.

High School[link]

Harris played quarterback at Tucker High School in Tucker, Georgia. He was considered as one of the best quarterbacks in the southeast by Prep Star Magazine. He was also a 4A All-State selection. He led Tucker to a 10-1 record his senior year. Harris signed with East Carolina in February 2006 as a wide receiver.

College[link]

Dwayne Harris in the 2007 Hawaii Bowl.

In his redshirt freshman year Harris made an impact. He played in all 13 games and was named to the conference's all freshmen team as a punt returner. ECU won the 2007 Hawaii Bowl against Boise State on an East Carolina team that also featured NFL running back, Chris Johnson. In his second playing year, he played in 10 games before injuring his foot playing against Southern Miss. Regardless of Harris' injury, ECU won the 2008 Conference USA Championship against Tulsa.

In his junior year, Harris earned a spot as C-USA's first-team wide receiver and was named C-USA Special Teams Player-of-the-Year. He also played in all 14 games, including a victory against Houston in the 2009 C-USA Championship and a loss to Arkansas in the 2010 Liberty Bowl. In his senior year, Harris played in all 13 games and won the C-USA MVP award. The Pirates lost to Maryland in the 2010 Military Bowl.

References[link]

External links[link]

Media related to Dwayne Harris at Wikimedia Commons

• Dallas Cowboys bio
• East Carolina Pirates Player Bio

Anthony Deion Branch, Jr. (born July 18, 1979) is an American football wide receiver for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisville.

Branch has also played for the Seattle Seahawks. Branch was named the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XXXIX on February 6, 2005, after tying former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jerry Rice and former Cincinnati Bengals tight end Dan Ross for the Super Bowl reception record with 11 catches for 133 yards. He was the first receiver to win the award since 1989 when Jerry Rice had his 11 catch game.^[1]

Early years[link]

Branch was born in Albany, Georgia. He attended Monroe Comprehensive High School in Albany, where he lettered in both football and track and field.

College career[link]

Junior college[link]

After graduating from high school, Branch attended Jones County Junior College in Ellisville, Mississippi, where he played football for two seasons. As a freshman in 1997, Branch caught 37 passes for 639 yards and five touchdowns, and also returned 14 kickoffs for a 23.6 yard average. In 1998, Branch had 70 receptions for 1,012 yards and nine touchdowns, while also returning 15 punts for a 12.8 yard average and 17 kickoffs for a 19.6 yard average. His sophomore performance earned him second-team All-American honors.

University of Louisville[link]

Branch played two seasons for John L. Smith at the University of Louisville beginning in 2000. As a junior, Branch started ten games and led the team with 71 receptions for 1,016 yards and nine touchdowns. His 6.45 catches per game ranked six in the nation. The Cardinals finished the 2000 season with a record of 9-3, won the Conference USA Football Championship and went to the 2000 Liberty Bowl where Branch had a Liberty Bowl record 10 catches for 170 yards and 1 TD reception in their 22-17 loss to Colorado State. He was named an All-Conference USA first-team selection in addition to being voted the Cardinals' Most Valuable Player and Outstanding Offensive Performer.

As a senior in 2001, Branch again led the team in catches with 72, recording a conference-best 1,188 yards as well as nine touchdowns. He also returned 10 punts for 112 yards, including a 61-yard touchdown return. The Cardinals finished the 2001 season with a record of 11-2, won the Conference USA Football Championship again and went to the 2001 Liberty Bowl where Branch had a 34 yard TD reception in their 28-10 win against BYU. He was again named a first-team All-Conference USA selection following the season.^[2]

Professional career[link]

New England Patriots[link]

Branch was drafted by the Patriots in the second round (65th overall) of the 2002 NFL Draft. In his rookie season in 2002, Branch started 7 of 13 games played for the Patriots, missing the final three games of the regular season with a leg injury. He finished the season with 43 catches for 489 yards and two touchdowns, ranking him third on the team behind Troy Brown and David Patten. On special teams, Branch led the Patriots with 36 kickoff returns for 863 yards and added two punts returns for 58 yards. In Week 4 against the San Diego Chargers, Branch caught 13 passes, the second-highest single-game total by a rookie in NFL history.

In 2003, Branch started 11 of 15 games played for the Patriots, missing only the team's Week 6 game against the Tennessee Titans with an injury. He led the team with 57 catches for 803 yards, recording first downs on 40 of his receptions, 24 of which came on third down. In the Patriots' victory in Super Bowl XXXVIII over the Carolina Panthers, Branch caught 10 passes for 143 yards and a touchdown. His 17-yard catch on the final drive with seconds remaining set-up Adam Vinatieri's game-winning 41-yard field goal.

Branch returned in 2004 to start the Patriots' first two games of the season before suffering a leg injury in the first half of the team's Week 2 game against the Arizona Cardinals. He would not return until Week 11, starting every remaining game and finishing the regular season with 35 receptions for 454 yards and four touchdowns. Branch had a 60-yard touchdown catch in the Patriots' AFC Championship game win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, earning him NFL Offensive Player of Championship Sunday honors. Two weeks later, in Super Bowl XXXIX, Branch tied a Super Bowl record with 11 catches for 133 yards. He was named Super Bowl MVP, the first receiver to do so since 1989. The Patriots defeated the Philadelphia Eagles for Branch's second Super Bowl ring.

In 2005, Branch played in 16 games (15 starts) for the first time, setting career highs with 78 receptions for 998 yards and five touchdowns. In the Patriots' Divisional playoff loss to the Denver Broncos, Branch had 8 catches for 153 yards, including a former career-long catch of 73 yards.

2006 holdout and trade[link]

Following the 2005 season, Branch entered the final year of his five-year rookie contract signed in 2002, with his base salary scheduled to be $1.045 million in 2006. In May 2006, the Patriots offered Branch a three-year contract extension through 2009.^[3] The offer had a $4 million signing bonus and $4 million option bonus. In base salaries, he would have received $1.4 million in 2007, $4.3 million in 2008, and $4.75 million in 2009.^[3]

Branch during his tenure with the Seattle Seahawks

It was the last formal contract discussion between the two sides, leading Branch to hold out of the team's mandatory June minicamp, training camp, and the preseason.^[3]

On August 25, 2006, the Patriots announced that Branch was given permission to seek a trade and negotiate a contract with other teams through September 1, 2006.^[3] Both the Seattle Seahawks and New York Jets made trade offers to the Patriots, but neither trade was consummated before the September 1 deadline.^[3] After the deadline passed, Branch filed two grievances against the Patriots with the NFL claiming the Patriots did not bargain in good faith and did not trade him after being offered a second-round selection by another team.^[3]

Branch remained on the team's Reserve/Did Not Report list through the first week of the regular season. By not reporting, Branch was fined over $600,000 by the Patriots.^[3]

On September 11, 2006, the Patriots traded Branch to the Seahawks for a first-round selection in the 2007 NFL Draft.^[3] Branch subsequently signed a six-year, $39 million contract extension with the Seahawks.^[3]

On the same day as the trade, the Patriots filed tampering charges against the Jets, claiming that the Jets revealed the Patriots' trade proposal to Branch in the process of their contract negotiations, compromising the Patriots' negotiating position.^[3] In February 2007, the NFL cleared the Jets of the tampering charges.^[4]

Seattle Seahawks[link]

After being traded to Seattle, Branch played in the final 14 games of the season for the Seahawks in 2006, starting 13 of them. He finished the season ranked second on the team with 53 receptions for 725 yards and four touchdowns. He added 8 catches for 96 yards in the team's two playoff games.

Branch had 343 yards for the Seahawks in the first five games (all starts) of the 2007 season, before suffering a foot sprain and not returning until Week 11. He went on to start six more games before a strained right calf kept him out of the team's Week 17 game against the Atlanta Falcons and their Wild Card playoff win over the Washington Redskins.^[5] He returned for the Seahawks' loss to the Green Bay Packers the next week but did not record a reception. He finished the regular season third on the team with 49 catches for 661 yards and four touchdowns.

In 2008, Branch missed eight of the first nine games to injury but started the team's other seven games. He finished the season fourth on the team with 30 catches for 412 yards and four touchdowns. He returned in 2009 to play in 14 games (five starts), recording 45 catches for 437 yards and two touchdowns.

Branch began his final season in Seattle in 2010 by starting three of the team's first four games, catching 13 passes for 112 yards and one touchdown.

Second stint with the New England Patriots[link]

Branch in 2011

On October 11, 2010, Branch was traded back to the Patriots for a fourth-round selection in the 2011 NFL Draft.^[6] The pick was to be the higher of the Patriots' 2011 fourth-round selections, their own pick or the Denver Broncos selection acquired in an earlier trade involving running back Laurence Maroney; the Broncos selection was higher. The move reunited Branch with former quarterback Tom Brady and came less than a week after the Patriots traded All-Pro receiver Randy Moss to the Minnesota Vikings for a third-round draft selection in the 2011 NFL Draft.

In his first game back with the Patriots, Branch had 9 receptions for 98 yards and a touchdown in an overtime win over the Baltimore Ravens. On Thanksgiving, Week 12, against the Detroit Lions, Branch had a career long 79-yard touchdown catch from Brady in the third quarter, and added a 22-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter in a Patriots win. Two weeks later, against the Chicago Bears, Branch caught a 59-yard touchdown pass from Brady at the end of the first half of a Patriots victory.

In 11 games (nine starts) with the Patriots in 2010, Branch had 48 receptions for 706 yards and five touchdowns.

In 2011, Branch had five touchdown receptions and 702 receiving yards. He became a free agent after the season and re-signed on March 22, 2012.^[7]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Deion Branch

• New England Patriots bio
• Seattle Seahawks bio

LeSean McCoy

McCoy in 2011.
No. 25     Philadelphia Eagles
Running back
Personal information
Date of birth: (1988-07-12) July 12, 1988 (age 23)
Place of birth: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Height: 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) Weight: 208 lb (94 kg)
Career information
College: Pittsburgh
NFL Draft: 2009 / Round: 2 / Pick: 53
Debuted in 2009 for the Philadelphia Eagles
Career history
Philadelphia Eagles (2009–present)
Roster status: Active
Career highlights and awards
Pro Bowl (2011) All-Pro (2011) FedEx Ground Player of the Year (2011) Philadelphia Eagles record for rushing yards by a rookie (606 yards in 2009) Philadelphia Eagles single-season record for rushing touchdowns (17 touchdowns in 2011) Philadelphia Eagles single-season record for touchdowns (20 touchdowns in 2011) 2× First-team All-Big East (2007–2008) Sporting News Big East Offensive MVP (2008) Rivals.com Big East Player of the Year (2008) Rivals.com second-team All-America (2008) SI.com second-team All-America (2008) Big East Rookie of the Year (2007) Rivals.com Freshmen All-America (2007)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 16, 2011
Rushing Yards 3,026 Average 4.8 Rushing TDs 28 Receptions 166 Receiving yards 1,215 Receiving TDs 5 Stats at NFL.com

LeSean Kamel McCoy (born July 12, 1988), nicknamed "Shady,"^[1] is an American football running back for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Eagles in the second round (53rd Overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Pittsburgh.

Early years[link]

McCoy was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He attended Bishop McDevitt High School in Harrisburg, the same high school attended by Ricky Watters. As a high school senior, he earned first team Class AAAA Associated Press All-State; as a sophomore, he once broke out for 406 yards in a game ^[2]; as a junior he ran for 2,828 yards, scored 33 touchdowns, and earned Associated Press Class AAAA player of the year, Offensive MVP of the Mid-Penn Commonwealth Conference, 1st team Associated Press All-State.^[3] At one point during his junior year of high school, LeSean was considered to be the top prospect in the country. During his senior season, McCoy had committed to the University of Miami. However, experiencing academic difficulties at Bishop McDevitt and suffering a broken ankle led McCoy to attend prep school at Milford Academy in New Berlin, New York for the 2006–07 school year. He had been invited to play in the Big 33 Football Classic and the U.S. Army All-American Bowl that year, but ultimately did not participate in those games as he was still recovering from his injury. Following a coaching change at Miami, McCoy committed to the University of Pittsburgh on January 16, 2007.^[4]

McCoy was considered "One of the country's elite running back prospects...rated the nation's No. 7 running back by Scout.com"^[5] A 2006 ESPN evaluation described him as "lightning in a bottle every time he touches the ball."^[6]

At the 2004 State College NIKE Training Camp, LeSean McCoy recorded a 4.25 40 yard dash, the fastest 40 time of the event.^[7]

College career[link]

McCoy was the cornerstone of the "Wildcat offense" which the Pittsburgh Panthers unveiled in a September 2007 game against the Michigan State Spartans. In the Wildcat offense, McCoy lined up as quarterback in a shotgun formation and took direct snaps from center,^[8] Sporting News, while commenting in an Associated Press story that "LeSean McCoy is off to one of the best starts by any Pitt freshman running back not named Tony Dorsett", criticized the Wildcat offense by remarking further, "McCoy might need to be a combination of both Dorsett and Dan Marino for the Panthers to start producing some offense other than through his running."^[9]

McCoy finished his freshman year 2nd in the Big East Conference and is 19th in the NCAA Division I FBS (formerly I-A) in rushing yards with 1,328. He also finished third in the conference and tied for 19th in the NCAA Div I-FBS with 14 rushing touchdowns. McCoy was named to the freshmen All-American team by Rivals.com and was also a first team All-Big East selection by Rivals.com.^[10] In his final game of his Freshman year he ran for 148 yards against rival West Virginia in the 100th Backyard Brawl to help the 28-point underdog Panthers knock off the then-#2 Mountaineers.^[11]

On January 14, 2009, the University of Pittsburgh announced that McCoy declared himself eligible for the NFL Draft forgoing his final two years of eligibility.^[12]

Professional career[link]

Pre-draft[link]

Philadelphia Eagles[link]

McCoy was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round (53rd Overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year contract with the team on June 29, 2009.^[14]

McCoy was pressed into service as a starter against the Kansas City Chiefs on September 27, 2009 when the Eagles deactivated starter Brian Westbrook due to an ankle injury. He scored his first touchdown in the first quarter of the game on a five-yard rush. McCoy started against the New York Giants on November 1, 2009. He carried the ball 11 times for 82 yards and a touchdown and caught two passes for 10 yards. McCoy made his third start for a NBC Sunday Night Football game against the Dallas Cowboys. McCoy rushed 13 times for 54 yards and caught five passes for 61 yards in a 20-16 losing effort. Westbrook sustained a concussion against San Diego and McCoy was called on yet again to be the starter in a road game against the Chicago Bears on NBC Sunday Night Football. He performed very well and he rushed 20 times for 99 yards and a touchdown, as the Eagles won the game 24-20.

On December 20, 2009 against the San Francisco 49ers, McCoy broke the all-time Eagles rookie rushing record with 606 yards on the year. The record was previously set by Correll Buckhalter with 586 yards in 2001.^[15]

On March 18, 2010, McCoy changed his number from 29 to 25, which he previously wore when he was at the University of Pittsburgh. He became the starting running back after Westbrook was released from the team prior to the start of the 2010 season.

LeSean McCoy finished the 2011 season as the league's fourth leading rusher, after sitting out the last game. During the December 18, 2011 game against the New York Jets, McCoy broke the Eagles' single season touchdown and rushing touchdown records previously set by Steve Van Buren in 1945. McCoy currently holds the records with 17 rushing and 20 total touchdowns. He was also voted into the Pro Bowl for his season's performance. McCoy won the Fed Ex Ground Player of the Year Award, and was also voted Associated Press All-Pro First Team running back.

On May 17th, 2012, it was announced that McCoy had signed a 5-year contract extension with the Philadelphia Eagles. The contract is worth $45 million with $20.765 million guaranteed.^[16]

Career Statistics[link]

Personal[link]

McCoy's brother, LeRon McCoy, is a wide receiver for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League.

References[link]

External links[link]

• University of Pittsburgh-sponsored website
• LeSean McCoy on Twitter
• Philadelphia Eagles bio
• Pittsburgh Panthers football bio
• Scout.com bio
• [1]

Wes Welker

Welker in December 2008
No. 83     New England Patriots
Wide receiver
Personal information
Date of birth: (1981-05-01) May 1, 1981 (age 31)
Place of birth: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) Weight: 185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
College: Texas Tech
Undrafted in 2004
Debuted in 2004 for the San Diego Chargers
Career history
San Diego Chargers (2004) Miami Dolphins (2004–2006) New England Patriots (2007–present)
Roster status: Active
Career highlights and awards
4× Pro Bowl (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011) 4× All-Pro (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011) 3× NFL receptions leader (2007 (tied), 2009, 2011) 2× AFC champion (2007, 2011) AFC receiving yards leader (2011) Mosi Tatupu Award Winner (2003) New England Patriots 12th Player Award (2007) Pop Warner Inspiration to Youth Award (2008) 2× Ed Block Courage Award (2007, 2010) Longest reception in NFL history (tied, 99 yards) New England Patriots All-2000s Team
Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2011
Receptions 650 Receiving yards 7,226 Average 11.1 Receiving touchdowns 32 Stats at NFL.com

Wesley Carter "Wes" Welker (born May 1, 1981) is an American football wide receiver for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He has also played for the San Diego Chargers and Miami Dolphins. Welker played college football at Texas Tech. He is engaged to model Anna Burns.

Despite being undrafted, Welker has had a successful career. Only one player in NFL history, Gale Sayers, had more all-purpose yards in his first three NFL seasons than Welker did with the Dolphins; Welker holds the Dolphins' all-time records for total kickoff returns, kickoff return yardage, total punt returns, and return touchdowns.

As a Patriot, Welker led the league in receptions in 2007 (tied with T.J. Houshmandzadeh), 2009 and 2011. Welker holds the four highest single-season reception totals in Patriots history, as well as four of the top ten receiving yardage totals, including the franchise record. He also holds the franchise records for most receptions in a single game, most receiving yards in a single game, and longest reception.^[1] Welker, who had three consecutive 110-reception seasons, is the only receiver in NFL history with at least 110 receptions in any three seasons. He has also been selected to the Pro Bowl, the All-Pro Team, or both, in every season of his Patriots career.

Early years[link]

Welker was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He started his football career at Heritage Hall High School in Oklahoma City. In his junior year, he helped lead his team to the 2A State Football championship over Tishomingo High School; in that game, Welker had three touchdowns, over 200 all-purpose yards, a 47-yard field goal, and an interception.^[2] Also, in 1999 he was named The Daily Oklahoman All-State Player of the Year, and Oklahoma State Player of the Year by USA Today.

Wes Welker played in the 2000 Oil Bowl, scoring a 40-yard field goal for the Oklahoma team. Out of high school, Welker was not recruited much as he was considered to be too small to play at the college level. However, after a recruit at Texas Tech backed out of his scholarship, it was offered to Welker.^[3] Said Welker of the experience:

"I was thinking I'd get a scholarship somewhere. When it didn't happen when it was supposed to, on signing day, I was pretty hurt by it. … In the end, I don't think I could've picked a better school than Texas Tech."^[4]

At Heritage Hall, Welker was a prolific contributor on offense, defense, and special teams. As a running back, he scored 80 touchdowns (53 rushing and 27 receiving). As a defensive back, he had 190 tackles, 22 interceptions (three of which he returned for touchdowns), and nine fumble recoveries. As a punt returner, he scored seven touchdowns. As a kicker, he kicked 35 field goals and 165 extra points; his longest field goal, 58 yards, actually exceeds the personal best of current Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski.^[1][5]

College career[link]

Welker's last minute signing proved to be a bonanza for the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Based on a highlight reel from high school, Welker earned the nickname "The Natural" before his freshman year for his versatility and big-game performances.^[6][7] Over his four-year career, he had 259 receptions for 3,019 yards and 21 touchdowns, and 79 rushes for 456 yards and two touchdowns. He also scored eight touchdowns returning punts in his career, still tied for the NCAA record.^[3] In 2003, Welker won the Mosi Tatupu Award, given annually to the best special teams player in college football. Welker is a member of Texas Tech's chapter of Phi Delta Theta fraternity.^[8]

After his senior season at Texas Tech, Welker was not invited to the NFL Scouting Combine.

Professional career[link]

Pre-draft[link]

San Diego Chargers (2004)[link]

Welker, who was not drafted during the 2004 NFL Draft, signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Diego Chargers. Welker made the Chargers out of training camp, but was released after the first game of the season when the Chargers claimed safety Clinton Hart off waivers. Head coach Marty Schottenheimer later acknowledged that in terms of roster cuts, releasing Wes Welker was the "biggest mistake [he] ever made."^[9]

Miami Dolphins (2004–2006)[link]

2004 season[link]

After the Chargers released Welker, he passed through waivers. Although the Chargers offered him a slot on their practice squad, Welker chose to sign with the Miami Dolphins instead, where he was mostly used on special teams. Playing against the New England Patriots 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, and make a tackle in a single game. Then, on December 20, in a Monday Night Football game, also against the Patriots, Welker had a 71-yard punt return to set up a touchdown.

2005 season[link]

During training camp at the beginning of the 2005 season, Welker was promoted to the third wide receiver spot after Chris Chambers and Marty Booker. 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[link]

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 quarterback Joey Harrington, recording a then career-high nine catches for 77 yards in a 20-10 loss to the Patriots. For the season, 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 and a touchdown (9.2 average).

New England Patriots (2007–)[link]

Trade to New England[link]

Welker (right) being interviewed after the final game of the undefeated 2007 Patriots regular season.

On March 1, 2007, the Dolphins offered Welker, a restricted free agent, a second-round tender (the second-lowest tender) of $1.35 million for a one-year contract. News reports indicated the New England Patriots, who were interested in Welker, had originally considered signing him to an offer sheet (Miami would have had seven days to match the offer); according to The Boston Globe, that sheet would have contained a poison pill provision that would have made the offer difficult for the Dolphins to match.^[10] 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[link]

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 Cowboys, Welker had eleven catches for 124 yards and two touchdowns (all career bests); the next week, against the Dolphins, 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, he had 13 receptions for 149 yards. In Week 15, against the New York Jets, 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 in 2001. In Week 17, against the Giants, he caught eleven more passes, setting the Patriots franchise record for catches with 112, and tying Bengals receiver T. J. Houshmandzadeh for most receptions in the 2007 NFL season. 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, 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.^[11]

2008 season[link]

Despite the season-ending injury to Welker's quarterback, Tom Brady, 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' 2001 season.^[12]

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, 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, 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 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, while he was a Viking, in 2002 and 2003, and Brandon Marshall accomplished the feat in the same seasons as Welker.^[13]

Welker was fined $10,000 by the NFL for celebrating a December 21 touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals by lying down in the snow by the endzone and using his body to make a snow angel, violating a recent NFL rule change making going to ground after a touchdown unsportsmanlike conduct.^[14]

Wes Welker was selected to attend the 2009 Pro Bowl as a reserve,^[15] and was again named to the AP All-Pro Second Team.^[16]

2009 season[link]

Welker was sidelined in Weeks 2 and 3 (against the New York Jets and Atlanta Falcons, respectively) with a knee injury; rookie wide receiver Julian Edelman took his place in the lineup. In the October 18 (Week 6) game against the Tennessee Titans, 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 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, 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, Herman Moore, and Marvin Harrison, and tied with Brandon Marshall 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. He accomplished this despite missing two games earlier in the season.

In a Week 17 loss to the Houston Texans, Welker suffered a knee injury in the first quarter while running upfield after his only reception of the game. He tore his MCL and ACL in his left knee and was placed on injured reserve on January 6, 2010.^[17]

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. He was also selected to represent the AFC in the Pro Bowl for the second consecutive year, and, for the first time in his career, was named to the All-Pro 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.

Wes Welker before a game against the Cincinnati Bengals on September 12, 2010.

2010 season[link]

Welker rehabilitated his knee during the 2010 offseason with the goal of being ready for the 2010 season opener,^[18] while many analysts expected that he would start the season on the Physically Unable to Perform list,^[18] and some even speculated that he would miss the entire 2010 season.^[19]

Nevertheless, Welker played in the Patriots' Week 1 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, 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, after an injury to kicker Stephen Gostkowski, Welker was asked to kick an extra point 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 on 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 as an injury replacement to Andre Johnson.

In the playoff loss to the New York Jets, Welker was benched for the teams' first offensive series for making a series of foot references in a press conference that took shots at a foot fetish of Jets' coach Rex Ryan.^[20]

2011 season[link]

In the Patriots' 38–24 Week 1 win over the Miami Dolphins, Welker caught a 99–yard pass from Tom Brady. Tying the NFL record for longest play from scrimmage, it was the 12th such play in NFL history, and the first for the Patriots. 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, Welker had 16 receptions for 217 yards and two touchdowns. In so doing, he tied wide receiver Troy Brown's franchise record of 16 receptions in a single game and broke Terry Glenn'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' record of 63 games (set 1992 to 1996).^[21] It was Welker's second game with at least 15 receptions, a feat equaled only by Brandon Marshall with the Denver Broncos.

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 and Darrelle Revis; Revis dragged Welker down at the 8-yard line.

In Week 14, against the Washington Redskins, Welker recorded his 100th reception of the season, giving him four seasons with at least 100 receptions, tying the NFL record shared by Marvin Harrison and Jerry Rice. He also set a personal best with his ninth receiving touchdown. In the Patriots' Week 16 rematch against the Dolphins, Welker had 12 receptions for 138 yards, bringing him to a franchise-record 1,518 receiving yards, besting Randy Moss' 2007 record of 1,493 yards.

Through 15 games, Welker led the NFL in receptions, receiving yards, yards per game, and receptions for first downs, and ranked in the top five in receiving touchdowns and receptions of 20 yards or more. He finished the season with 122 receptions (tied for fourth-highest total in NFL history), 1,569 receiving yards and 98.5 yards per game (both second to Calvin Johnson), and 77 receptions for first down (tied with Johnson for the NFL lead). He also had a career-high 9 touchdown receptions.

Patriots career to date[link]

Since joining the Patriots in 2007, Welker has caught more passes than any player in the league, and ranks in the top five in yardage. Welker reached 500 receptions with the Patriots in just 70 games, an NFL record.^[22] Welker holds the franchise record for consecutive games with receptions, having caught a pass in every game (regular season and postseason) he has played as a Patriot. As of the end of the 2011 regular season, Welker ranks second all-time for receptions as a Patriot, just three receptions behind Troy Brown, who played more than twice as many games as a Patriot (192 regular-season games). Welker ranks third in receiving yards behind Brown and Stanley Morgan.

Career Statistics[link]

Regular Season[link]

Playoff Games[link]

Source: Pro-Football-Reference.com

Charity[link]

In 2007 Welker established the 83 Foundation (after his uniform number in Miami and New England). The foundation, renamed the Wes Welker Foundation in December 2009, states its goal is "to influence at-risk youth, by encouraging their full potential through athletics and positive role models." Its work primarily benefits schools and other organizations in Welker's hometown of Oklahoma City.

References[link]