Welker Joins 4k/4k/2k Club

With a 9-yard punt return in the first quarter of Sunday’s game, Wes Welker reached a milestone that is a testament to his versatility. The return pushed Welker’s career yardage on punt returns to 2004. After three straight seasons floating near the top of the receptions and receiving yardage lists, Welker has more than 4500 receiving yards in his career. Although he does not do much in the way of kick returns any longer, three seasons as an excellent kickoff return man in Miami have moved his kickoff return yardage over 4000 as well.

Welker joins Eric Metcalf (3453 punt return yards, 5813 kickoff return yards, and 5572 receiving yards) as the only two players in NFL history to record a minimum of 4000 yards receiving and on kickoff returns plus 2000 or more on punt returns. Welker may not be the most versatile player in NFL history, as guys like Metcalf (2392 career rushing yards) and Brian Mitchell also contributed in the running game. He may, however, be one of the most dominant WRs to contribute at similarly elite levels in both the kick and punt return game (Tim Brown certainly could have, but after taking the league by storm as a kickoff returner in his rookie season, Brown would have only eight more kickoff returns in his career).

The Brian Kelly Effect

Notre Dame has hired Brian Kelly to replace Charlie Weis as head coach of their football team. The best known achievement from Kelly is undoubtedly his 12-0 record with Cincinnati this year. Why Kelly would walk away from a possible 13-0 season with a shot at the #2 overall ranking in college football to take over a team that went 6-6 this season may be difficult for those outside Notre Dame to fathom. What Irish fans should be asking themselves is not why Kelly is there, but how quickly he can do for Notre Dame what he has done everywhere else during his coaching career: win big time.

Grand Valley State University
Took over 1991.
Kelly’s total record with GVSU: 118-35-2 (.768)
Five seasons prior to Kelly: 44-13 (.772)
Three seasons previous to Kelly: 28-7 (.800)
During his last two seasons with GVSU, Kelly’s teams went: 41-2, winning 20 straight at one point.
Five conference titles.
Six Division II Playoff appearances.
National title in 2002 and again in 2003.

Central Michigan University
Took over 2003.
Total record: 21-16 (won Bowl with interim coach after he left) (.568)
Five previous seasons: 16-41 (.281)
Three previous seasons: 11-24 (.314)
His last season: 10-2.
Team had not had a winning season in the six years before he took over.
He coached them to back-to-back winning seasons.
Two-time Conference Championship.
Won Motor City Bowl (with interim coach)

University of Cincinnati
Took over 2006.
Total record: 34-6 (.850)
Five previous seasons: 31-30 (1-1 in Bowl Games) (.508)
Three previous seasons: 19-16 (1-0 in Bowl Games) (.543)
Took over as coach before bowl game in 2006; Cincy won that game.
2007: second ever 10-win season for Cincinnati
2008: first ever Big East title for Cincinnati
2009: first undefeated regular season for Cincinnati, ranked #3 in BCS
-Highest academic rating for a team in the top 10 of the BCS, with the highest graduation rate among such teams.

University of Notre Dame
Takes over in 2009.
Five previous seasons: 35-27 (1-2 in Bowl Games)
Three previous seasons: 16-21 (1-0 in Bowl Games)

TOTALS
FIVE YEARS BEFORE HIM: 81-84 (.491)
THREE YEARS BEFORE HIM: 58-47 (.552)
RECORD: 173-57-2 (.750)