With all the hoopla surrounding Tom Brady and Randy Moss during the Patriots' record-breaking regular season, wide receiver Wes Welker, a.k.a., "the short fast white guy," has gone somewhat unrecognized. Watching "NFL Live" the other day, I was dumbfounded when I heard how many receptions Welker had in 2007. I know he's Mr. Third-Down Conversion and the receiver Brady looks to whenever the fit hits the shan, but Wes Welker had A LOT more grabs than I'd imagined during the regular season. If I'd had to guess, I'd have said he had 75, maybe 80, since I've seen just about every Pats game this year and Welker has caught at least 71 third-down conversions. However, I was stunned to learn that Wes Welker, who came into this season with 96 career catches in two seasons in Miami, caught 112 passes in 2007, which is tied for the 12th-highest season total in NFL history.

Despite this outstanding season, Welker is not going to the Pro Bowl next month in Hawaii, because Moss, Reggie Wayne, T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Braylon Edwards won out in voting for the four AFC receiver slots. None of them had a higher catch total than Welker (Housh had 112 as well). Then again, none of them was the second-best receiver on their own team, and Welker was clearly that: probably the reason why his peers didn't vote him to the Pro Bowl. That said, he can still take solace in knowing he's not the first ridiculously prolific wide receiver not to make the trip to Honolulu -- and he probably won't be the last.

In 1995, Brett Perriman caught 108 passes for the Detroit Lions. At the time, that was the 10th-highest season-catch total in NFL history. Unfortunately for Perriman, it was only the second-highest on his own team that season -- and 5th highest in the NFL.

1995 was the season EVERYONE decided to duck and chuck. Perriman's teammate Herman Moore set a then-NFL record with 123 catches, followed closely by Jerry Rice and Cris Carter with 122 apiece, and by "The Playmaker," Michael Irvin, who caught 111 passes for Dallas. As Brett Perriman can no doubt tell you, those four receivers shared one thing in common that year: They all played in the NFC. Perriman, like Welker this year, became a victim of numbers when it came to the Pro Bowl. Moore, Carter, Rice and Irvin all got invited to Hawaii, while Perriman probably got invited to sing the Star-Spangled Banner at a Pistons game. At least he could take solace in the Lions' playoff appearance...a 58-37 drubbing at the hands of the Eagles.

Wes Welker certainly won't be resting on his laurels during these playoffs. After all, Welker, unlike teammates Brady and Moss, has no laurels to rest on yet.