Tom Brady didn't hide his respect or admiration for Wes Welker in his postgame press conference on Sunday, following a 31-19 win over the Raiders in which Welker caught nine passes for 158 yards and a touchdown. Welker, through four games, is on a record pace with 40 catches, five touchdown catches and 616 yards.
"Nothing surprises me with Wes," Brady said. "He's the heart and soul of this team. He's been that way since the day he got here. He works his tail off. He's a great player, great teammate. He's become a real dynamic player over the years. He's made some huge plays for us, he's clutch, tough, mentally tough, physically tough. He's awesome."
Welker said after the game he feels as good as he ever has in his career and his result are showing it. Brady agreed, adding that all the results on the field start in practice with Welker.
"He shows up every single day being the best he can be," Brady said. "He sets a great example for every player, every veteran player, every young player, every coach, what he's willing to do to commit himself to be the best he can be for this team. He never takes a day off, never takes a practice off, he never takes a play off, run or pass. It's like that way in practice. What you see in a game is what he does in practice for us every day and he never complains. He's a helluva player. I love being out there with him."
For more, visit the Patriots team page at weei.com/patriots [1] and the blog It Is What It Is [2].
Links:
[1] http://www.weei.com/patriots
[2] http://www.itiswhatitis.weei.com
[3] http://www.weei.com/category/boston/patriots