i thought i'd get him started off on his NFL career with an insightful discussion from DraftDaddy (like always) about the bias he will have to overcome throughout his NFL tenure...
I think I will love this guy and he can be a shut down corner like Champ Bailey. Make no mistake about it, he shut down Calvin Johnson who is REALLY good..
There is no way Eric Weddle will be allowed to play corner. Look at the history; Dustin Fox was a standout performer at corner for a perenial top 10 team in Ohio St. He had better workout numbers than Weddle 4.45, 43.5 inch vert. Look where he is employed Eagles Practice squad as a saftey. Edited by: ToughJ.Riggins
Memo to Weddle say your a freaking CB!! I would just love for Weddle to come out and say he would like to play CB at the next level and just brag about how badly he shut down Calvin Johnson.
some love for Eric from big time analysts: Clark Judge: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/sportsline/main10123560.shtml Pat Kirwan, who has him as top ball hawk of the upcoming draft!: http://nfl.com/draft/story/10124927
Eric Weddle article that breaks down the battle for starting strong safety. "In San Diego, Weddle will be asked to play but two positions. On running downs, he will be an in-the-box safety; in obvious passing situations, he will slide outside and serve as a cornerback, matching up against the slot receiver. If he can handle both roles proficiently, he has a chance to start from day one."
Wow, nice of them to start the white boy if he is good enough to do two jobs, instead of just one like everybody else. Any black DB who played both like that would be considered a superstar. But white boy has to be happy with just getting an opportunity to play.
As we all know, Eric Weddle was without question one of the top 3 overall athletes available in the draft. Personally, I would have liked the Patriots to have made him their top selection (as the Chargers aren't known for starting/signing/drafting white DB's). But then again, who is, right? The NFL is honestly a joke of a league in terms of who is allowed to "play."However, I'm not ready to give up just yet, as I believe our guys are making strides at positions previously denied to them. Other than Weddle, I would say that Ethan Kilmer from my school, PSU, will have the best shot at a starting job at CB with the Bengals.
It's the last year of Jue's contract so hopefully they'll just let Weddle start and see what he's made of.
I would have liked the Patriots to have made him their top selection (as the Chargers aren't known for starting/signing/drafting white DB's). Neither are the Patriots. They'll start white on defense, but only at linebacker and defensive line. I can't remember the last time I even saw a reserve white in the defensive backfield for the Pats.
whiteafflete15 "Neither are the Patriots. They'll start white on defense, but only at linebacker and defensive line. I can't remember the last time I even saw a reserve white in the defensive backfield for the Pats." Actually, Shawn Mayer (though mostly a special teams player) played for the Patriots (and actually saw a fair amount of time at strong safety) from 2003-2005. This is before being cut by the Patriots, Falcons, then playing in NFL Europe. He's now on the Browns. As I said, there isnt a single NFL franchise known for giving white DB's a fair chance. The fairest team to white DB's overall (and on defense in general) is currently the Bills.
If he wore #39 with the Patriots, I know who you're talking about. He was a good special teamer. I never saw his face and always assumed he was a light skinned black. However, Mayer did not see much playing time at all. I've watched every minute of every Patriots game and he would only go in in blow out games, if even that since players such as James Sanders, Gus Scott, and Dexter Reid usually filled in then. (Unless he received more PT during the 2003 season, which I don't remember as well.)
Mayer led the Big 10 in tackles as a senior -- a phenomenal feat from the safety position. All the guy did was make tackles and big plays, buthis lack of "superb" measurables was the NFL's pretext for ignoring him. He could have been a fine NFL safety.Mayer reminds me in that way of Pat Tillman, whose athleticism was regularly ridiculed even after he made over 200 tackles for the Cardinals one season, simply an unbelievable total for a safety. It wasn't until Tillman joined theSpecial Forcesfollowing 9/11 that the media let up on him.
Totally agree. Its like these a$$holes just can't accept the fact that a white DB can be athletic and good.
From what I have seen in file photos there are two Sean Mayers one is white and the other is black so maybe that's why there is some confusion about him. The black Mayer seems to be fairly dark so there isn't any confusion about whether he is white. Last night on ESPN the midnight host mentioned how in the past the black Jim Thorpe file photos would always be displayed whenever the native/white Jim Thorpe was mentioned in greatest athletes ever polls........
don't be so pesimist, they jsut released their previous SS and traded a whole lot to get him, he'll start sooner or later this season.
I hope that they give him enough time to adapt to the pro game. Coaches make or break careers that way. They decide whether to write a player off or to let him develop. Weddle won't get much time to develop so he'll have to have great performances from the start and get his name called without a growth period. Most defensive backs get a lot more of a growth period. I hope he can put us at ease with some great plays in the preseason and I really hope he DOESN'T GET INJURED.
Nice interception by Weddle. It really is a no-brainer for the Chargers to keep him on the team and give him a shot at starting sometime soon.
Madden had some nice things to say about Weddle. Some may disagree but I think Madden gets an A in my book because he doesn't have "the routine" down of bashing white athleticism on a consistent basis. If a white player is athletic and or fast he will say it. To me he is a model of fairness in announcing.