With Tuesday’s release of Madden 12 and fantasy football drafts occurring on a daily basis, fans are gearing up for the most anticipated NFL season in recent memory.
The lockout struck fear into the hearts of football fans everywhere, but with its end, the upcoming season promises to be one marked by new beginnings, especially for former N.C . State players. While Philip Rivers has received frequent attention since being drafted fourth overall in 2004, this season looks to remind fans that State’s ties to the NFL run much deeper than the three-time Pro Bowl quarterback.
Two former Wolfpack stars bring veteran leadership to new teams, while another seeks to bounce back and lead his team to the playoffs after an injury derailed his 2010 campaign. Everywhere you look, the Pack are poised to make headlines in 2011.
After waiting months for training camps to begin, Jerricho Cotchery , a fourth-round pick of the New York Jets in 2004, was released as a cost-cutting measure, despite having played each of his seven seasons with New York.
His unemployment status was short lived, as he was quickly picked up by the Pittsburgh Steelers. With the addition of Cotchery , the AFC Champion Steelers provide quarterback Ben Roethlisberger with a new, field stretching weapon at wide receiver. The Steelers are hoping that the addition of Cotchery will help maintain their recent success and win their seventh Super Bowl Championship.
Stephen Tulloch made a similar move this offseason, leaving the Tennessee Titans after spending the entirety of his five year career in Nashville. The linebacker, who was drafted in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL draft, kept the public up-to-date on his search for a new team in 140 character increments via Twitter.
Tulloch eventually landed with the Detroit Lions, where he will be starting at linebacker behind one of the most feared front fours in the NFL. His veteran leadership and experience will be a welcome addition to a defense that features many young players, including last season’s Defensive Rookie of the Year, Ndamukong Suh .
“I can honestly say it’s amazing playing behind this D-line in Detroit. This defense is on (its) way,” Tulloch recently said on his Twitter account, adding “The fans here in Detroit have a lot to be excited about..This team is on the right course.”
After leading the Titans with 160 tackles in 2010, Tulloch hopes to guide the Lions to their first playoff appearance since the 1999 season. The addition of the former Pack star, along with other offseason moves, has caused many to believe that this will be the year that Detroit surprises the league, puts their losing ways behinds them, and takes steps towards becoming an elite team.
Mario Williams looks to bring a winning mindset to the Houston Texans as well.
He leads their defense into 2011, with the hope that this year will mark the franchise’s first playoff appearance in its nine years of existence. After five seasons of football, he has yet to taste life in the postseason, despite putting up impressive numbers on a Texans team that has recently harbored high expectations.
The two-time Pro Bowl and All-Pro selection was hampered by a groin injury last season, recording career lows in tackles and games played. This season marks a year where Williams can bounce back and usher the Texans into a new era of success.
While some former State players are looking to accomplish new feats with their teams this season, Philip Rivers is looking to lead his team into familiar territory.
Statistically, Rivers has been one of the most successful quarterbacks since coming into the league in 2004. With Rivers under center, the San Diego Chargers have four playoff appearances and four AFC West titles, and his 4,710 passing yards in 2010 were a career high and led the league.
Despite all the numbers and accolades, he has often been criticized for not performing in the clutch and disappearing in big games, a notion backed by his 3-4 record as a playoff starter. Silencing his doubters will once again be on Rivers mind in 2011 as he leads a Chargers team with its sights set on the Super Bowl.
Whether you’re a fan of the hard-nosed defense of Mario Williams and Stephen Tulloch or the high-powered offense embodied in Jerricho Cotchery and Philip Rivers, State alumni in the NFL have something to offer any fan. No matter what your preference, there is an abundance of storylines that will keep the Pack faithful captivated on Sundays this fall.
