CTPatsFan
Rotational Player and Threatening Starter's Job
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August 16, 2006
Alan Greenberg, Courant Staff Writer
<SNIP>
Not only was it the first NFL game Maroney played in, it was the first NFL game he'd ever attended. His mother flew in from St. Louis to see him play.
"My first NFL game," Maroney said. "I was just lucky to play in it. The holes closed a lot faster. It's still football. It was a lot of fun."
Did he receive a lot of congratulations afterward?
"To tell you the truth, I never really got around to checking my messages."
When it comes to running the ball, there's not much of a learning curve, even when you're making the jump from college to the NFL. At running back, it's fairly obvious from the get-go whether you've got it or you don't. Maroney's got it.
Belichick says that the most difficult thing for a rookie NFL running back to learn is the passing game - how to run his routes, how and who to block in pass protection. Maroney only had a few chances in pass protection Friday night, but when he did, he didn't just settle for a draw, he slammed his man. And when he wasn't on the field - he only played in the first half - he could be seen talking to Tom Brady, absorbing some wisdom. Smart move.
"It was a good learning experience," Maroney said of his first game. "But it's in the past. I made a couple of good runs, but I can't take anything from that. It was just one game. I have to do it day in and day out. I have to be consistent."
http://www.courant.com/sports/footb...ug16,0,2728726.story?coll=hc-headlines-sports
Alan Greenberg, Courant Staff Writer
<SNIP>
Not only was it the first NFL game Maroney played in, it was the first NFL game he'd ever attended. His mother flew in from St. Louis to see him play.
"My first NFL game," Maroney said. "I was just lucky to play in it. The holes closed a lot faster. It's still football. It was a lot of fun."
Did he receive a lot of congratulations afterward?
"To tell you the truth, I never really got around to checking my messages."
When it comes to running the ball, there's not much of a learning curve, even when you're making the jump from college to the NFL. At running back, it's fairly obvious from the get-go whether you've got it or you don't. Maroney's got it.
Belichick says that the most difficult thing for a rookie NFL running back to learn is the passing game - how to run his routes, how and who to block in pass protection. Maroney only had a few chances in pass protection Friday night, but when he did, he didn't just settle for a draw, he slammed his man. And when he wasn't on the field - he only played in the first half - he could be seen talking to Tom Brady, absorbing some wisdom. Smart move.
"It was a good learning experience," Maroney said of his first game. "But it's in the past. I made a couple of good runs, but I can't take anything from that. It was just one game. I have to do it day in and day out. I have to be consistent."
http://www.courant.com/sports/footb...ug16,0,2728726.story?coll=hc-headlines-sports