PRO CAREER: Slated to add his explosiveness to Bears offense in his second season after setting a league record with 6 return touchdowns in a single-season during his rookie campaign… The 2007 Pro Bowl return man also set the NFL mark for most combined kick return TDs in a season with 5 (3 punt return, 2 kick return)… Became first Bears rookie selected to the Pro Bowl since Brian Urlacher (2001)… The first-team All-Pro selection by The Associated Press, Sports Illustrated, USA Today Sports Weekly, Sporting News and ESPN.com became the first player in NFL history to return the opening kickoff of a Super Bowl for a touchdown when he returned Super Bowl XLI’s first play 92 yards for a score… Tied teammate Nathan Vasher’s record for longest play in NFL history with a 108-yard missed field goal return TD at NYG (11/12/06)… Became sixth player in NFL history to record 2 kick returns touchdowns in the same game with returns of 94 and 96 yards at STL (12/11/06)… Set single-season franchise record in 2006 with 600 punt return yards and 3 punt return TDs while ranking 3rd with 47 punt returns and 4th with a 12.8 yards per punt return average… Also established franchise single-game records with 152 punt return yards at ARIZ (10/16/06) and 225 kickoff return yards at STL (12/11/06)… Tied Bears all-time mark and set franchise single-season record with 3 punt return TDs…. Named to Pro Football Weekly/PFWA’s All-NFL, All-NFC and All-Rookie teams as a punt returner and the All-NFC and All-Rookie teams as a kick returner after leading NFL in punt returns (47) and punt return yards (600), while finishing 2nd in NFL in punt return average (12.8) and 5th in kickoff return average (26.4 on 20 returns for 528 yards)… Had NFL-high 11 punt returns of 20 or more yards in 2006, the most in the league since 1997 (Karl Williams, TB, 12)… Returned punt 84 yards for a TD in NFL debut at GB (9/10/06) to become first Bears rookie in 51 years to return a punt for a score in his first game (Perry Jeter, vs. BALT, 9/30/56)… Three-time NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honoree (at NYG, 11/12/06; vs. MIN, 12/3/06; at STL, 12/11/06) earned NFC Special Teams Player of the Month in December of 2006 with 3 return TDs during that month… Became third player in NFL history to return at least two punts for TDs of 80 or more yards as a rookie… Saw time as a reserve cornerback registering 11 tackles and 1 PBU... Rookie recipient of the Brian Piccolo Award, voted by his teammates.
HOW ACQUIRED: Entered NFL as a second-round selection (57th overall) by Chicago in the 2006 NFL Draft.
PERSONAL NOTES: Attended Suncoast H.S. in Riviera Beach, Fla. playing football for coach Jimmy Bell… Widely regarded as one of the top recruits in the nation as a senior and was selected a Parade All-American and USA Today first-team All-American… Rated the No. 1 prospect in Florida and No. 6 player in the nation regardless of position by SuperPrep… Tabbed as the top defensive back prospect coming out of high school in Florida by numerous publications and earned first-team all-state honors as a senior… Rushed for 1,014 yards and 12 TDs on 94 carries while gaining 1,028 yards on 38 catches with 9 TDs in addition to throwing 5 TDs and 225 yards during senior season… On defense, tallied 156 tackles with 3 sacks, 3 forced fumbles and 1 fumble recovery as a senior. |