They wanted to celebrate, but the big rookie wouldn't get up off the turf.
“I was just trying to enjoy the moment,” Sudfeld said. “It was good and I am perfectly fine. I just basked in it for a second.”
And why not? After all, moments like this are once in a lifetime - and when you've worked your entire life to get to this rose, it's pretty much understood that you have to stop to smell it - figuratively speaking, for there aren't many roses on a football field, only the field turf...
...and when you combine the smell of that stuff with the olfaction of the food vendors around the stadium, the senses signal to the brain that it's lunchtime at the old tire warehouse, and the gut truck just pulled up.
But it didn't matter. All that did matter was that he was laying on a football field in Foxboro, Massachusetts on a cool, clear summer evening, the nearly full moon gazing back in approval of what it had just witnessed - it could have been anywhere, except that there were nearly 70,000 crazed football fans screaming their approval.
His teammates eventually got him off the turf - perhaps one of them reminded him that if the refs had to blow the whistle to signal a stoppage of play because they thought he was hurt, he wouldn't be allowed to be on the field for his blocking assignment on the extra point, and that would piss coach off...
The play itself confirms everything that we've been led to believe about the 24 year old out of the University of Nevada, and says just as much about backup quarterback Ryan Mallett.
Sudfeld has soft hands, the focus of a sniper and the wing span of a condor - Mallett has a rocket launcher for an arm - and all were on display on a 1st and 10 play from the Buccaneer 22 yard line in the second quarter of New England's 25-21 win over Tampa Bay.
Mallett was in the shotgun flanked by Shane Vereen, with two receivers out wide and one in the slot. Sudfeld flanked the right tackle, came off the line unopposed and sprinted right up the seam, offered a head fake to wedge his way between linebacker Najee Goode and safety help over the top - Mallett threw a laser right at the back of Goode's helmet, and Sudfeld reached over him and snared the ball...
...but Goode hadn't given up on the play and had the presence of mind to slap the ball out of Sudfeld's hands, but the ball flipped into the air and the tall kid that looks more like he should be riding a wave than fighting for a football used his wing span, focus and soft hands to reel the ball back into his body for the score.
“It was a great pass, really. It was probably a better throw than anything." Sudfeld said to his continuously growing throng of media after the game, "Fortunately I was able to come up with it.”
And Sudfeld might be on to something there. We've heard Tom Brady speak of Sudfeld having such a protracted catching radius that all he has to do is get the ball to a spot and let him go get it - which is exactly what Mallett did on the touchdown throw, and also what Brady did earlier in the game on a two-point conversion attempt.
Brady had another guy on his team a few years back that he could throw the ball down the field and let him go get it, and Sudfeld is neither as fast nor as graceful as that future Hall of Fame receiver, but the concept applies - you go get the ball where Brady throws it and he starts to trust you and become comfortable with you and all of a sudden...
...and lets not get too far ahead of ourselves. The kid has a ways to go to be a complete player, or even just competent in all of the skills that tight ends are expected to have on this team, and he's still a medical red flag given his two redshirt seasons in college and six different surgeries - but he's got the three things that can't be coached: Height, natural catching ability and desire, and that's a pretty good place to start.
Hopefully he continues to make plays and dazzle us with a circus catch every now and then - and soon the extraordinary will become the mundane and he will disappoint us because he didn't catch eight passes and score two touchdowns every game - but that'll take a while.
For now, let's just enjoy watching the rookie grow up. Let's have fun with the hype, the epic underdog storyline and watch a young man's life unfold in front of us like a feel-good Hollywood movie, one that starts with a big kid from a small school soaking in the moment in the unpainted end zone of Gillette Stadium.
He’s worked hard,” Belichick said. “Zach’s worked hard to learn our offense. It’s a little different than what they did at Nevada. He’s a smart kid and he’s got some skill. He’s been very diligent in his preparation. He’s been out there almost every day out there practicing. Coach [George] Godsey has done a good job with him. He’s had to learn how to be an on-the-line tight end. He’s making progress but he’s got a long way to go. He’s made a lot of gains. He’s a hardworking kid. He’s smart and tough. He’s got a couple things going for him.
Read more at: http://nesn.com/2013/08/zach-sudfeld-praises-quarterbacks-for-touchdown-two-point-conversion-receptions/
Read more at: http://nesn.com/2013/08/zach-sudfeld-praises-quarterbacks-for-touchdown-two-point-conversion-receptions/
He’s worked hard,” Belichick said. “Zach’s worked hard to learn our offense. It’s a little different than what they did at Nevada. He’s a smart kid and he’s got some skill. He’s been very diligent in his preparation. He’s been out there almost every day out there practicing. Coach [George] Godsey has done a good job with him. He’s had to learn how to be an on-the-line tight end. He’s making progress but he’s got a long way to go. He’s made a lot of gains. He’s a hardworking kid. He’s smart and tough. He’s got a couple things going for him.
Read more at: http://nesn.com/2013/08/zach-sudfeld-praises-quarterbacks-for-touchdown-two-point-conversion-receptions/
“I was just trying to enjoy the moment,” Sudfeld explained, “It’s been such a great experience, this entire thing. The game today was pretty incredible.” the undrafted rookie free agent paused for a moment, then beamed. "And obviously the touchdown was pretty cool."Read more at: http://nesn.com/2013/08/zach-sudfeld-praises-quarterbacks-for-touchdown-two-point-conversion-receptions/
Indeed it was.
He’s worked hard,” Belichick said. “Zach’s worked hard to learn our offense. It’s a little different than what they did at Nevada. He’s a smart kid and he’s got some skill. He’s been very diligent in his preparation. He’s been out there almost every day out there practicing. Coach [George] Godsey has done a good job with him. He’s had to learn how to be an on-the-line tight end. He’s making progress but he’s got a long way to go. He’s made a lot of gains. He’s a hardworking kid. He’s smart and tough. He’s got a couple things going for him.
Read more at: http://nesn.com/2013/08/zach-sudfeld-praises-quarterbacks-for-touchdown-two-point-conversion-receptions/
Read more at: http://nesn.com/2013/08/zach-sudfeld-praises-quarterbacks-for-touchdown-two-point-conversion-receptions/
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