Wes Welker Named to USA Football/NFLPA All-Fundamentals Team

Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker has been named to the inaugural All-Fundamentals Team, as selected by USA Football and the NFLPA.

The 26-man roster "honors the NFL’s most fundamentally-sound players who also commit themselves to service in their communities," according to the official release.

Welker was credited as being an example for youth players, particularly for his ability to catch the ball with his hands, not his body.

Not surprisingly, Welker said he purchased a machine last year so that he could practice whenever he wanted.

"Whenever I was back home I could always work on it and have my dad out there shooting them to me and stuff and making sure I’m getting out there once every couple days and catching a bunch of balls and kind of getting some work in that way," Welker said at a news conference at Gillette Stadium on Thursday. "And after practice, every Wednesday and Thursday, I hit the jugs machine and get about 25-30 balls just to make sure I’m staying on top of it and catching those balls with your hands. The more you do it, the easier it becomes."

Welker said he learned invaluable fundamentals from Marty Schottenheimer before he was cut from the Chargers.

"I remember when I first got in the league, Marty Schottenheimer told me you don’t catch the ball with your hands, you catch the ball with your eyes, which I thought was very interesting, and it works," Welker said.

Welker was also chosen for establishing the 83 Foundation, which provides underprivileged children in Oklahoma City to "reach their full potential through values and mentoring relationships gained through football."

The players were selected by a six-man committee, which included former Jets and Chiefs head coach Herman Edwards. Other offensive players chosen include tight end Tony Gonzalez (catching in traffic), center Jeff Saturday (snapping and blocking), receiver Larry Fitzgerald (proper catching with hands) and quarterback Drew Brees (throwing mechanics). On the defensive side, selected players include former Patriot linebacker Mike Vrabel (shedding blocks), safety Troy Polamalu (playing the ball), linebacker DeMarcus Ware (pass rush/bull rush) and defensive end Osi Umenyiora (takeoff and pass rush).

The complete teams, along with video demonstration of the players' techniques, can be seen at AllFundamentalsTeam.com.

Players selected to the team will get to choose a youth or high school football program to donate a $1,500 grant for equipment, as donated by USA Football.