So, I was clearing out some old boxes the other day, found this Saints hat I bought way back. Got me thinking ’bout some of those guys. And Marques Colston popped into my head. Number 12. The ‘Quiet Storm’, they called him. Always struck me how this dude, a seventh-round pick from a small school, just came in and owned it for so long.
Got me curious, you know? Like, really curious beyond the usual fan stuff. Decided I’d spend a weekend, maybe more, just trying to figure out his game properly. Not just watching ESPN clips. So, I started digging. Fired up the old computer, tried finding full game replays. Not as easy as you’d think for games from like, 2007, 2008. Some sites were sketchy, others wanted money. Spent a whole Saturday afternoon just hunting down decent quality footage.
My little project breakdown looked like this:
- Find watchable games (harder than expected!).
- Focus on Colston before the ball was thrown. Where did he line up? What was his release like?
- Tracked his targets, not just catches. See how often Brees looked his way in key moments.
- Tried to ignore the commentary, just watch the player.
Honestly, it was kind of a grind. Eyes getting tired staring at the screen. Had to make notes, scribbled stuff down on a pad. Felt like I was studying for a test nobody was gonna give me. My kid asked what I was doing, told him I was “doing football science,” haha.
What I Reckon I Learned
The big thing? He wasn’t flashy, but man, was he smart. Knew exactly where the holes in the zone were gonna be. Seemed like he had this built-in GPS for the first down marker, especially on third down. Brees obviously trusted him like crazy.
And his size. He used it perfectly. Shielding defenders, making contested catches look way easier than they were. It wasn’t about burning guys deep; it was about being dependable, being there. Catch radius was huge too. Brees didn’t have to be pinpoint perfect sometimes, Colston would just go get it.
This whole thing, digging into Colston, it just showed me again how much grit matters. Forget the draft hype sometimes. This guy came in, worked his tail off, understood the system, built that connection with his QB, and just produced. Year after year. Made me appreciate those kinda players more. The guys who aren’t screaming for attention but are just doing the job better than almost anyone else. Solid. Real solid.
