NFLUK
PEYTON VS ELI: THE FINAL SAY p12 WES WELKER: “I’M SORRY” p23
MAGAZINE MAY 2012
Dynasty in decline? Has the latest big loss ruined the Brady legacy?
Top of the Class:
DE JA BLUE Top 2012 Draft picks reviewed
Brady & Co. stunned again by Giants in Indy £3.30
Also... The NFL remembers a legend of the game
In this month’s edition...
FEATURES
Season Review: Sky Sports Nick Halling and Kevin Cadle look back over an eventful year 8 The Manning Debate: NFLUK’s Neil Reynolds has the final say on who is the better brother 12
Ol’55 Has Junior Seau’s suicide opened a can of worms for the NFL and it’s former players 4
“I’m Sorry!”: Patriots Welker apologises after dropping ‘that’ catch 15
Cream of the Crop: A look ahead to the top 2012 NFL Draft picks 18
Spotlight on... Tight End starlets Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski 21
Back from the Abyss: Is Randy Moss heading back to the NFL? 24
ALSO THIS MONTH... Living the dream: TV Personality Vernon Kay goes from fan to player in the BAFL. 10
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PASSING OF A CHAMPION
As the NFL World comes to terms with the death of veteran linebacker Junior Seau, George Sawyer looks back on an incredible career, as well as the wider implications of the loss of ol’ 55.
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unior Seau, a homegrown superstar who was the fistpumping, emotional leader of the San Diego Chargers for 13 years, was found shot to death at his home Wednesday morning. He was 43.police Chief Frank McCoy said Seau's girlfriend reported finding him unconscious with a gunshot wound to the chest and lifesaving efforts were unsuccessful. A gun was found near him, McCoy said, and police were investigating the possibility that Seau's death was a suicide. Police said no suicide note was found and they didn't immediately know to whom the gun was registeredSeau's death in Oceanside, in northern San Diego County, stunned the region he represented with almost reckless abandon.
The same intensity that got the star linebacker ejected for fighting in his first exhibition game helped carry the Chargers to their only Super Bowl, following the 1994 season. A ferocious tackler, he'd leap up, pump a fist and kick out a leg after dropping a ball carrier or quarterback.�iIt's a sad thing. It's hard to understand," said Bobby Beathard, who as Chargers general manager took Seau out of Southern California with the fifth pick overall in the 1990 draft. "He was really just a great guy. If you drew up a player you'd love to have the opportunity to draft and have on the team and as a teammate, Junior and Rodney (Harrison), they'd be the kind of guys you'd like to have." Quarterback Stan Humphries recalled that Seau did everything at the same
speed, whether it was practicing, lifting weights or harassing John Elway. "The intensity, the smile, the infectious attitude, it carried over to all the other guys," said Humphries, who was shocked that Seau is now the eighth player from the '94 Super Bowl team to die.Seau's mother appeared before reporters outside the former player's house, weeping uncontrollably. "I don't understand ... I'm shocked," Luisa Seau cried out. Her son gave no indication of a problem when she spoke to him by phone earlier this week, she said. "He's joking to me, he called me a 'homegirl,' " she said. Seau's death follows the suicide last year of former Chicago Bears player Dave Duerson, who also shot himself in the chest..n October 2010, Seau survived a 100-foot plunge down a seaside cliff in his SUV, hours after he was arrested for investigation of domestic violence at the Oceanside home he shared with his girlfriend. The woman had told authorities that Seau assaulted her during an argument. There was no evidence of drugs or alcohol involved in the crash and Seau told authorities he fell asleep while driving. He suffered minor injuries. "I just can't imagine this, because I've never seen Junior in a down frame of mind," Beathard said. "He was always so upbeat and he would keep people up. He practiced the way he played. He made practice fun. He was a coach's dream. He was an amazing guy as well as a player and a person. This is hard to believe."Cont.eau's ex-wife, Gina, told the Union-Tribune San Diego that he texted her and each of their three children separate messages: "I love you." She later confirmed to The Associated Press that Seau texted the family. Seau, who played in the NFL for parts of 20 seasons, is the eighth member of San Diego's lone Super Bowl team who has died, all before the age of 45. Lew Bush, Shawn Lee, David Griggs, Rodney Culver, Doug Miller, Curtis Whitley and Chris Mims are the others. Causes of death ranged from heart attacks to a plane crash to a lightning strike. Gina Seau said her ex-husband sustained concussions during his career. "Of course he had. He always bounced back and kept on playing," she said in a phone in-
terview. "He's a warrior. That didn't stop him. I don't know what football player hasn't. It's not ballet. It's part of the game." Gina Seau said she didn't know if the effects of concussions contributed to Seau's death. "We have no clues whatsoever. We're as stunned and shocked as anyone else. We're horribly saddened. We miss him and we'll always love him," she said. W h e n Humphries joined the Chargers in a 1992 trade, he said it was obvious Seau was "the person who had the most energy, the most excited, the guy who tried to rally everybody." Humphries said Seau "brought out a lot of youngness" in older players. He also helped younger players. "So sad to hear about Jr Seau," tweeted New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who was with San Diego from 2001-05. "Junebug. Buddy. The greatest teammate a young guy could ask for. This is a sad day. He will be missed greatly." Chargers president Dean Spanos called Seau an icon and a friend. "I can't put into words how I'm feeling right now. I'm shocked and devastated," Spanos said in a statement. "Junior was my friend. We all lost a friend today. Junior was an icon in our c o m m u n i t y. He transcended the game. He wasn't just a football player; he was so much more. He was loved by everyone in our family, our organization and throughout the NFL. "This is just such a tragic loss. One of the worst things I could ever imagine. My prayers go
JUNIOR TO SENIOR SEAU’S CAREER IN PICTURES
Seau began his journey as a USC Trojan.
Seau was selected in the first round of the 1990 Draft by the San Diego Chargers, whom he represented for 14 years.
out to Junior's family. It's heartbreaking." Seau called many of those around him "Buddy" and often referred to teammates as "my players." "As a young linebacker, Junior was my hero growing up and once I had the opportunity to meet him I saw that he was everything I hoped he would be and more," former Dolphin Zach Thomas said in a statement. "Get ting the chance to play alongside of Junior Seau, the greatest linebacker to ever play the game, m a d e m y dreams c o m e true. I am absolutely devastated to hear this news.
Today I lost my hero, my friend, my buddy." Jason Taylor, who also played with Thomas and Seau on the Dolphins, said he was "devastated." "It would be easy for me to say he was a great friend and teammate, and a tremendous competitor, but that would be selling Junior short," Taylor said in a statement. "Junior Seau was an individual of great honor and integrity, Chargers president Dean Spanos a leader of men and someone with a deep-rooted passion for During his career, giving of himself to make the people, the Seau amassed community and especially the children 1,849 tackles, 56.5 around him better. This is an immeasurasacks, made 18 in- ble loss for so many. My heart and prayers go out to Junior's family, Gina and their terceptions and was selected to an children. I'm going to miss you buddy."Commissioner Roger Goodell sent amazing 12 Pro his condolences to the Seau family on Bowls. Twitter and NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith said, "The NFLPA player family today joins with the Seau family to mourn a brother lost too soon." USC athletic director Pat Haden called Seau "one of the greatest legends" in school history. "He will always be remembered by USC as the original No. 55," Haden said in a statement. Seau's greatest game may have been in the 17-13 victory at Pittsburgh in the AFC
“He wasn't just a football player, he was so much more. My prayers go out to Junior's family. It's heartbreaking.”-
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Championship Game in January 1995 that sent the Chargers to the Super Bowl. Playing through the pain of a pinched nerve in his neck, he spread out his 16 tackles from the first play to the second-tolast. San Diego lost 49-26 in the Super Bowl to San Francisco. Humphries also recalled Seau recover- - Dolphins CEO, Mike Dee ing Elway's fumble to seal a comeSeau joined the Dolfrom-bephins in 2003 and hind was a standout pervictory former in his first in the season. However 1994 injuries curtailed his opener at Dennext two season ver. and he was placed Seau left on IR in 2005 the Chargers after the 2002 season when the team uncereNow a veteran, moniously told Seau was signed him he was free to pursue a trade. He held a farewell news conby the Patriots ference at the restaurant he owned in and went played Mission Valley, and later was traded to a major role in Miami. "Junior was a fierce competitor whose the side’s almost passion and work ethic lifted his teamperfect 2007 mates to greater heights. His enthusiasm season, before for the game was infectious and he passed that on to everyone who was announcing his around him. He loved the game so much, retirement in and no one played with more sheer joy," January 2010. Dolphins CEO Mike Dee said in a statement."Junior was one-of-a-kind. The league will never see anyone like him again," Dee said. Seau retired a few times, the first in August 2006, when he said, "I'm not retiring. I am graduating."Four days later, h e signed with the New England Patriots. He was with the Patriots when they Seau was found dead lost to the New in his California home York Giants in the Super Bowl followwith a gunshot wound ing the 2007 season, to his chest. He was which ended New England's quest for a 43. perfect season."For four seasons, after every game he played, he would always
find me in the locker room just to give me a big hug and squeeze tighter than anyone I remember. It was one of the many things I enjoyed about him," Patriots chairman and CEO Robert Kraft said in a statement. "He was passionate about football and always spoke with great conviction. He may have been one of the most charismatic Patriots players in franchise history. I loved listening to him when he addressed an audience. I will never forget presenting him with his AFC Championship ring at Seau's Restaurant in San Diego before our game against the Chargers in 2008. It was a memorable moment shared by both Patriots and Chargers fans, who that day celebrated pregame together as Junior Seau fans. He was beloved in his hometown of San Diego and quickly became a fan favorite in New England "Today, the fans of the teams for which Junior played -- San Diego, Miami and New England -- lost more than a legendary football player. We lost our 'Buddy.' " Seau's last season was 2009 and last fall, finally retired for good, he was inducted into the Chargers Hall of Fame. "Twenty years, to be part of this kind of fraternity, to be able to go out and play the game that you love, and all the lessons and the friends and acquaintances which you meet along the way, you can't be in a better arena," Seau said in August. More than 100 people gathered outside of Seau's home, only hours after he was found dead. Families showed up with flowers and fans wearing Chargers jerseys waited to get news. Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres held a moment of silence for Seau before their game Wednesday against the Milwaukee Brewers. Several hours after Seau was found, his body was loaded onto a medical examiner's van and taken away as fans snapped pictures and raised their hands in the air as if in prayer. Family friend Priscilla Sanga said about 50 friends and family members gathered in the garage where Seau's body lay on a gurney and they had the opportunity to say goodbye. "Everybody got to see Junior before they took him away," Sanga said. "He looked so peaceful and cold. It was disbelief. We all touched him and kissed him."
"Junior was one-of-a-kind. The league will never see anyone like him again."
NFLUK May 2012
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SIBLING RIVALRY
Bleacher Report’s Judd Cohen takes a look which is the better Manning?
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s a result of the Giants beating the Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI, Eli Manning has two Super Bowl rings, leaving him with one more than his older brother, Peyton. This shocking development has left one question burning in the minds of football fans nationwide: Is Eli better than Peyton? When judging the career of a top-class modern quarterback (within the past 30 years), there seems to be two different trains of thought in measuring greatness. The first school, known as the “clutch group,” equates the greatness of a quarterback to the number of championships won in their career. The leaders of this class are Joe Montana, Tom Brady, John Elway and Troy Aikman. The second group focuses more on the statistics of the player, while looking past the number of championships won. Cont... In this class are Dan Marino, Brett Favre and Peyton Manning. Depending on your point of view, you might be a supporter of either category. Placing your perspective on either side of the argument can show problems with the opposite viewpoint. Can Joe Montana really be the best quarterback of all time if he didn’t have better numbers than Dan Marino? Can Marino be considered the best quarterback of all time if he never took his team to a championship despite all of his individual records? Questions like these will never be answered easily or definitively. With Eli’s second Super Bowl victory in hand, he may be well on his way to firmly planting himself on the opposite side of the argument from his brother. This in itself is no small feat. A couple seasons after Eli joined the NFL in 2004, no one in their right mind would have ever told you that he could end up being remembered as a better quarterback than No. 18 on the Colts. At the time, Peyton was standing alongside Brady as the best quarterback of his era and was already thought to be one of the best quarterbacks of all time.
Part of the argument for the Montanas and Bradys is that they were better in the clutch; they always found a way to win. But rather than give the quarterbacks all the credit, what if the teams behind them were just better? A quarterback may have a lot of responsibility, but they are never the sole reason a team wins or loses. The Rams may have had a better team than the Patriots in the 2001 Super Bowl, but the Patriots’ staunch defense forced the game to be close enough to where Tom Brady could march up the field for the winning field goal. The same goes for Eli in 2008: The Patriots may have had a better team, but the Giants’ defense held them to only two touchdowns. Eli only had to score 17 points to lead his team to victory. In fact, in that same year, Peyton was able to score 20 points on that same Patriots defense, but the Colts, in turn, could not hold the Patriots to 14 points, giving up 24 points in defeat. In a team game, it’s hard to say that one player deserves all the credit for a team’s record when the entire team is instrumental in winning or losing each game. You can’t necessarily say that Eli is better in the clutch than Peyton because Peyton’s inferior teams may not have presented him the same opportunities. The fact that Eli’s teams held its opponents to fewer points, whereas Peyton had to score more points to make up for his defense, is an overlooked factor in the equation of a great quarterback. As for my money, I would take the statistically better quarterback over performance in the clutch and make it my responsibility to build a championship-caliber team around him. If you structure the team around a great quarterback like Peyton Manning, he will have the chance to be the total package, providing statistics and championships. Only once Peyton and Eli’s careers have ended will we be able to decide where each player ranks historically. If Eli goes on to win a few more championships, he will firmly cement himself in the column with Montana and Brady. On the other hand, if Peyton manages to steal another ring in the next few years to equal Eli’s total, there would be no argument for Eli as the better brother. Have your say As of now, Eli’s two rings and his ability to beat the on the debate Patriots are the only at NFLUK.com - Sports Illustrated’s Lee Jenkins things making Peyton’s superiority dissupport them makes it easier to understand why this is the putable. case. Although Eli has shown dominance in the postseason, this can be partially attributed to the phenomenal pass-rushing talent that Eli was blessed with during his two Super Bowl runs. The fact that Eli has had better defenses, which has aided his success in the postseason, is something that will forever cloud the argument. There will always be a what-if involved. What if Peyton had a better team around him? Would he then have been able to defeat New England like the mighty Giants did? These questions will likely remain seriously debated and largely unanswered. One solution to the issue would be the off chance that Peyton recovers from his neck injury in time to play next season. If he joins forces with a team of great defenders in need of a quarterback, such as San Francisco or Washington, he could go on to win another title. This would build on the argument that Peyton was tragically on a highly-flawed team for most of his time in Indianapolis.
Much to Eli’s credit, the fact that eight years later this is even a question is mind-boggling. Still, one can’t help but think that the idea that Eli is a better quarterback is still a bit offbase. Statistically speaking, Peyton is king. Peyton’s winning percentage is 68 percent; Eli’s is 58 percent. Peyton’s completion percentage is 64.9 percent; Eli’s is 58.4 percent. Peyton’s touchdown percentage is 5.5 percent; Eli’s is 4.7 percent. Peyton’s interception percentage is 2.7 percent; Eli’s is 3.3 percent. Peyton’s QB Rating is 94.9; Eli’s is 82.1. Ranging to even the most technical statistics, Peyton reigns over Eli. There is one statistic, however, that Peyton can’t hold over his little brother, and it might just be the most important measure of all: 2-1, their respective Super bowlrecord. Eli also has two Super Bowl MVPs to Peyton’s one. The playoffs are the one area where Eli has been able to outshine his big brother. While this might come as a shock in viewing each quarterback individually, looking at the teams that
"He may never outperform Peyton, but on the right night Eli can at least keep up with him."
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