| John McMullen. 11th September, 2005 - 1:56 am
 Minnesota Vikings’ running back Onterrio Smith was considered a first round talent in the 2003 draft but fell to the fourth round, largely because of off the field issues.
When Smith finally arrived in Vikings’ training camp after a two-day holdout, he promptly dubbed himself “S.O.D.” for “steal of the draft.” Smith actually didn’t disappoint right away. A punishing, powerful, natural runner, he looked like he could be a feature back for years.
But the personal demons that banished the former Oregon star to the fourth round in the first place bubbled to the surface in the off-season. A starring gig as “The Original Whizzinators’ “ pitchman left the hippie lettuce loving Smith suspended for the 2005 NFL season.
But a round earlier, the Vikings actually got the real steal of the 2003 draft, albeit a much quieter one, in wide receiver Nate Burleson.
Burleson’s senior season at Nevada-Reno was a statistician’s wet dream. The Seattle, Wash. native caught 138 balls for 1,629 yards and 12 touchdowns. The 138 receptions were the second most in NCAA history. Not surprisingly Burleson received All-American honors from the American Football Coaches Association, The Sporting News and CNN/SI.
With a resume like that, you would have expected that Burleson would be a first round selection. Instead, he went in the third round as the 71st overall selection to the Vikings.
The fact that Burleson toiled at Nevada and didn’t possess 4.4 speed dropped him down the board in most NFL scouts’ minds. The Vikings and their head coach, Mike Tice couldn’t have been happier that Burleson slid to them. When Tice talked about Burleson that word that kept coming out of his mouth was “polished”.
And Tice was right; Burleson ran routes and blocked like a five-year veteran as a rookie.
Perhaps coming from a family loaded with athletic talent and his familiarity with the Twin Cities eased Burleson’s transition to the pros. His father, Alvin, played for the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL and his brother Kevin was a point guard on the University of Minnesota basketball team from 1998 through 2002.
Either way with Tice, it’s the little things that count. Athletically, a lot of players are capable of catching and running with the ball but what sets young players apart in the coach’s mind are those little things and Burleson quickly separated himself from the pack of young receivers with the Vikings.
When veteran D’Wayne Bates went down with a foot injury, Burleson seized the opportunity and a lot of playing time as a rookie. He played in all 16 games and started nine catching 29 passes for 455 yards and two touchdowns.
In 2004 the Vikings added another big play threat (Marcus Robinson) and expected Burleson to settle into the third receiver spot and get even more opportunities.
But early on, there was little doubt Burleson was just too good to leave on the bench and would be the Vikings number two receiver playing opposite the league’s most dangerous threat, Randy Moss.
Burleson saw plenty of single coverage and he kept making big plays. But it wasn’t until Moss went down for five games with a hamstring injury that people finally started to catch on that Burleson was a number one target in his own right.
When it was all said and done, Burleson finished 2004 with 68 receptions for 1,006 yards and nine touchdowns. The versatile receiver also reached the end zone with a 91-yard punt return and added four more receptions and another touchdown in the playoffs.
The eve of the 2005 Vikings’ season begins with Moss in Oakland and a roster that boasts three receivers that were selected in the top 10 picks of the draft, Travis Taylor, Troy Williamson and Koren Robinson.
But there is no doubt who is number one in Minnesota.........the “real steal” of the 2003 draft.
-You can reach John McMullen at jmcmullen1@comcast.net. |
