Wes Welker has some bad memories from his last Super Bowl that he is trying to erase.
The Denver Broncos receiver is considered a goat from the New England Patriots’ Super Bowl loss to the New York Giants in the 2011 season. With Rob Gronkowski barely able to play in the Super Bowl because of his leg injury, Welker was counted on as the Patriots’ most trusted target. However, he had a poor game and dropped a number of passes, including a critical one late in the game that cost the team.
Welker’s drops in the game caused a rift among the Patriots because Tom Brady’s wife, Gisele, was angry after the game and unleashed one of the greatest quotes ever.
“My husband cannot (bleeping) throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time. I can’t believe they dropped the ball so many times,” Gisele said.
The comment was an angry reaction from Gisele right after the game and a clear shot at Welker. She apologized to him for the remark and he said everything was all good between them.
A year later, it was Welker’s wife who had to do the apologizing.
The Patriots were knocked out of the playoffs last season in the AFC Championship Game by the Baltimore Ravens. One of the big stories from that postseason was Ray Lewis, who was retiring after the season. Many people were pulling for Lewis and hoping he’d win, while others considered his religious front to be phony and still couldn’t shake the murder case he was a part of.
Welker’s wife, Anna Burns Welker, who is a former Hooters model, ripped Lewis on her Facebook page after the Ravens beat the Patriots. She ended up apologizing for her comments.
Welker left the Patriots in the offseason after a long dispute over his contract and signed with the Broncos. He had 73 catches for 778 yards and 10 touchdowns and lived up to his contract. But he still has his reputation as a postseason goat and choker to overcome this time around. How well known are his struggles from the last Super Bowl? When the Broncos attended a Knicks game during the week, a fan sitting behind Welker mocked him for his drops and choking.
Welker won’t let it happen again, and his wife, Anna, will be too smart to cause another controversy.
