Brent Celek may not care much for personal recognition, but if he continues to produce the way he has recently he may not have a choice.
Through eight games, Celek leads NFC tight ends with 486 receiving yards. He ranks fourth in the league in that same category, trailing some impressive company that includes Indianapolis' Dallas Clark (703), San Diego's Antonio Gates (590) and Houston's Owen Daniels (519). He trails Dallas' Jason Witten and Atlanta's Tony Gonzalez in third-down receiving among NFC tight ends, with 11 catches for 127 yards in those situations (11.5-yard average).
And as opponents discover on a weekly basis, the 6-foot-4, 255-pound Celek is terrific in the catch-and-run phase. In fact, almost half of his receiving yards have come after the catch.
For Celek, exceling at his position at this level is all about consistency.
"My goal is to play good, consistent football each and every week," Celek said. "You have to bring it every day in practice and then every week in the game. A lot of guys have a big game here or there. To do it every game, every day, is what makes you a special player, and that is my goal."
Bottom line: In a relatively short time, Celek has risen from a little-known fifth-round draft pick to a standout tight end in a division, conference and league filled with them.
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-- Posted by Bob Kent, 2 p.m., November 10
