God, it's so painful when something that's so close is still so far out of reach. - Tom Petty, American Girl

To understand why I'm so down about the Patriots losing last night, you have to look deep inside to my Red Raider blood.

I sat there on the edge of the couch watching the Patriots' QB get sacked and sacked....and I knew, if Tom could just get it to my fellow Texas Tech Alumn, Wes Welker, that all justice would be restored. I was right. After a slump in the game, Tom was able to get the ball to my man, Wes, and get some momentum back in the game and end up with a touchdown. If only it had been enough. It always comes down to that field goal you didn't go for. Just like at Texas Tech when I'd watch them play and Leach would tell them to go for it. They were always crazy like that. Then, if we lost by a few points, it was easy to say "if only we had gone for the field goal". The same happened last night. Maybe it's a Tech curse. haha. Well. To remember better days, I wanted to play a TTU video of Welker. I was at this game.

Welker was one who couldn't be caught

Boston Globe

GLENDALE, Ariz. - There was a red welt on his forehead and knuckles on his left hand were bleeding. But for the real pain, you had to peer deep inside Wes Welker, and last night, in the heartbreaking moments following Super Bowl XLII, that was an impossible task.

"I don't know if it's set in yet," said the Patriots wide receiver, a blank stare on his face in the aftermath of New York's stunning 17-14 win. He paused, searched for words, but could only produce something his coach would have said.

"It is what it is. There's nothing you can do."

For 18 games, the Patriots had been able to do plenty, their vaunted offensive explosiveness at the heart of what was expected to be the most historic season in NFL history. But inside the dome in the desert, the Patriots could do very little on offense and Welker was asked why.

"You have to give it up to New York," he said. "They out-executed us."

No one had out-caught Welker. That was one of the few bright spots in a dismal night for New England, because Welker's 11 catches tied him with Dan Ross, Jerry Rice, and former Patriot Deion Branch for the most in a Super Bowl. But the mere mention of that record-tying effort was of little solace to the fourth-year player.

"No, I didn't," is all Welker said when asked if knew he had seized a piece of a Super Bowl record. He didn't care. He wasn't in the mood to search for answers, either.

"We should have moved the ball a lot more effectively than we did. We didn't do that all game and we should have."

On a night when quarterback Tom Brady was under siege, he needed to throw a security blanket over his team, and in Welker he found an outlet. Having been held to just two catches in the first half, Welker came alive in the second half and Brady was happy to go to him time and time again.

Welker had a 15-yard reception on the first play of the second half, snared a 7-yarder minutes later, and while that drive stalled, it seemingly established that he was - as he has been all season - the go-to guy for Brady. By now, it was apparent that New England wasn't going to be able to slow the Giants' pass rush, which meant a heralded aspect of the team's offense was gone.

"They've got some good pass rushers, some guys that break on the ball well, and they do some good things out there," said Welker. "It makes it tough to get those throws downfield. They did a great job with their pass rush."


I'm a new england fan, but mostly because of this little guy. I never was really into pro football, but now my love for college football and my alma mater has moved over to the big boy league. It takes me back to those cool west Texas nights and bright lights. I remember the scoreboard reading "wes welker can't be stopped" following one of our big wins. I remember waiting outside the gates for HOURS on big game days hoping to run in and get good seats. I remember jingling keys when we were trying to tell the other team to start packing up and heading out because their game was ovaaaa. I felt the heartbreak when we lost a game we shouldn't have, and I felt the pride and complete excitement when we made the winning play. I feel like my college years of watching great players like Wes will now keep going as I'm watching pro. I get the same giddy feelings like I'm right back in the red t-shirt holding my guns up. (I actually caught myself do a guns up when welker caught the ball and made a big play last night).

Sure, new england lost last night. But, I was watching for my fellow Red Raider, and he had an amazing game. It's too bad he couldn't really celebrate it, but it was all I really asked for. I was proud and I hope once the heartbreak wears off, he can be too.