Thursday, August 31
Bears open up new Booker



While Edgerrin James, Tim Couch and a host of other rookies have quickly established themselves as everyday players in the NFL, it takes a little longer for some first-year players to make their mark. Chicago Bears wide receiver Marty Booker is a perfect example.

Marty Booker
Marty Booker celebrates a 57-yard touchdown against the Vikings, his first NFL reception.
Heading into Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings, Booker hadn't caught a pass all season. He was inactive for the first five weeks, and was even listed as Chicago's third quarterback last week. However, it's safe to say that after his performance on Sunday, Booker probably won't be taking any snaps.

The third-round pick from Northeast Louisiana took advantage of his first NFL start by making seven receptions for 134 yards and two touchdowns. His first NFL catch was a 57-yard TD grab in the first quarter. He also caught a 25-yard TD toss in the fourth quarter that tied the score with 49 seconds left. While the Bears lost in overtime, Booker won't soon forget his first start.

Here's a look at how some of the league's most intriguing rookies fared in Week 10. Each Tuesday during the regular season, ESPN.com offers its report cards for the Class of '99.

PLAYER, STATS THE SKINNY
Marty Booker, WR,
Bears

vs. Vikings
7 rec., 134 yds.
2 TDs

Booker, who hadn't caught a pass all season, had seven receptions for 134 yards and two touchdowns. His first NFL catch was a 57-yard touchdown. "I'd be lying if I say I wasn't nervous," Booker said. "It's a big jump for me coming from college to my first NFL game. ... I just showed everybody what I can do."
Ricky Williams, RB,
Saints

vs. 49ers
30 att., 99 yds.
3 rec., 57 yds.

The Saints ended a seven-game losing streak Sunday, with Williams coming up a yard short of posting his third 100-yard game. He also caught a team-high three passes for 57 yards. Williams is fourth in the NFC in rushing with 722 yards. However, he still hasn't scored a TD.
Tim Couch, QB,
Browns

at Steelers
18-for-28
199 yds., 2 TDs, 1 INT
2 att., 15 yds.

Couch helped engineer one of the biggest upsets of the season Sunday. Cleveland, which lost its season opener 43-0 to Pittsburgh, rebounded Sunday to stun the Steelers 16-15 at Three Rivers Stadium. Couch led an 80-yard scoring drive on Clevland's opening possession, which was twice as long as the Browns' total yards in their season-opening loss. The rookie from Kentucky finished the game with two touchdown passes, raising his season total to nine.
Edgerrin James, RB, Colts

at Giants
16 att., 108 yds.
5 rec., 72 yds.

The Colts' offensive juggernaut just keeps on rolling, and James is one of the big reasons why. The first-round draft pick rushed for more than 100 yards (108) Sunday for the third consecutive game, bringing his season total to 850 yards, which ranks second in the AFC behind Curtis Martin's 900. James leads the league in yards from scrimmage with 1,221.
Donovan McNabb, QB,
Eagles

vs. Redskins
8-for-21, 60 yds.
9 att., 49 yds.

McNabb's debut as a starter wasn't pretty. However, he did enough to lead the Eagles to a victory over the Redskins. "I never have it in my eyes or my mind that we're going to lose any game," McNabb said. The rookie from Syracuse, who had to wait nine weeks to start his first game, completed only eight of 21 passes for 60 yards, while rushing for 49 yards. He also converted a pair of two-point conversions.
Jevon Kearse, DE,
Titans

at Bengals
2 sacks

"The Freak," as Kearse was known at Florida, continues to find his way to opposing quarterbacks. He had two sacks on Sunday, increasing his season total to 6½, the most among rookies.
Cecil Collins, RB, Dolphins

at Bills
4 att., 0 yds.

Collins' rookie season came to an abrupt halt Sunday when he suffered a broken fibula in the second quarter of Miami's loss to the Bills. While the Dolphins have said that Collins is not out for the season, he will miss at least a month.
J.J. Johnson, RB,
Dolphins

at Bills
12 att., 50 yds.
3 rec., 11 yds.

With Collins sidelined, Johnson will be Miami's featured running back. The second-round pick from Mississippi State has carried the ball 75 times for 244 yards in limited action this year.
Kevin Johnson, WR,
Browns

at Steelers
5 rec., 73 yds.
1 TD

Johnson and quarterback Tim Couch continue to form a solid combination. The rookie wide receiver scored his sixth touchdown of the season on the Browns' opening drive at Pittsburgh. He finished the game with five receptions for 73 yards, pushing his season totals to 37 receptions for 582 yards.
Champ Bailey, CB, Redskins

at Eagles
2 tackles
1 sack

The first-round pick from Georgia recorded his first NFL sack in Sunday's loss to the Eagles. Bailey is third on the Redskins in tackles with 52.
Kevin Faulk, RB,
Patriots

vs. Jets
2 att. 7 yds.
2 rec., 21 yds., 1 TD

The rookie running back from LSU had a 95-yard kickoff return in the second quarter and also scored his second touchdown of the season on a 13-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe.







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