The playful upside of a BB: they're fast, penetrating, punishing and destructive.
The problem with BBs: they can slip through the cracks and be easily forgotten.
And so the 2009 season went for Merced County's favorite BB -- Vikings wide receiver and former Atwater High star Bernard Berrian.
James Burns, sports editor
In a season that saw a rise in talent in the Land of a 10,000 lakes, the one player who stood to benefit the most from Brett Favre's arrival -- Berrian -- was sunk by two separate hamstring injuries.
Berrian went from being the Vikings' top vertical threat and leading receiver in 2008 to fourth this season. And that relationship he hoped to foster with Favre seemed well and good on paper, but never evolved on the field.
Until Sunday night.
On the game's biggest stage to date, and in front of a record audience, Berrian stepped out of the shadows and into the spotlight. No. 87 played like a true No. 1, spinning out of tackles, extending the play, catching virtually everything thrown his way.
He had nine catches for 102 yards in his best individual performance of the season, but...
Like just about everyone else in purple, he fumbled.
Saints cornerback Tracy Porter punched the ball out of Berrian's hand near the Saints' 5-yard line. New Orleans recovered and the rest was a slow nightmare for Berrian and the Vikings.
The hurt won't subside anytime soon.
Berrian posted this on his Twitter page Monday morning: "Thankin God for another day. On the way to the facility. Gonna pick up the film so I can watch this over n over till I can't watch anymore."
* * *
From the small and simple high school fields of the Valley to the glitz and glamour of South Beach, the Sac-Joaquin Section will be well represented in Super Bowl XLIV.
Saints running back Lynell Hamilton was one of the nation's most promising freshman at San Diego State -- touted as the next Marshall Faulk, no less -- but his stardom was derailed by injury.
He was eventually signed to the Saints' practice squad and activated in the final game of the 2008 season.
The former Edison High star is buried on the depth chart behind Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush, but no doubt the pride of Stockton these days.
Indy's Austin Collie figures to be a person of interest over the next two weeks. Super Bowl media love to crown budding young stars and Collie had the kind of game on Sunday to turn heads.
The rookie wideout has emerged as a safety valve for Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, providing a serviceable third or fourth option after Pro Bowlers Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark.
Collie had seven catches for 123 yards and a touchdown on Sunday, including all 80 yards on the Colts' scoring drive just before the half.
On the game-changing drive, he was posterboy.
But who is he?, you ask. Where'd this kid running free and clear in the seam come from?
When Sacramento Bee prep guru and columnist Joe Davidson first spied Collie at Oak Ridge High in El Dorado Hills, he was impressed with more than just Collie's talent.
"This guy competes as hard as anyone I've ever seen," Davidson remembers thinking. "And he's so versatile. He will be a star in college and he might be an NFL possession guy, if work ethic and desire count."
Added Davidson: "What set him apart in high school and at BYU -- and now -- is his desire to learn. He's the first one in the film room every day, hungry to absorb. He isn't the best athlete now, but he's the hardest worker. In high school, he was the best athlete on the field every time and the hardest worker."
Two things Merced County can take away from these section alums: talent can open doors, but hard work and perserverance will carry you through.
* * *
And finally, why you should bet the house on the Saints in their first-ever Super Bowl:
They're a team full of nobody-wants.
Let me explain.
Nobody wanted Drew Brees when San Diego cut him loose with a severe shoulder injury. Nobody but the Saints.
Nobody wanted mercurial tight end Jeremy Shockey. Not the Giants, anways. New York quickly unloaded one of the game's top tight-ends after its Super Bowl win.
Linebacker Jonathan Vilma was undersized and unfit for the Jets' 3-4 defense -- despite being a Pro Bowl talent -- so he had to go.
Darren Sharper, too old.
And once upon a time, Marques Colston was a nobody-want wideout from Hofstra -- a school that no longer offers football.
Nobody wanted them but the Saints. So who dat dem say going to beat these Saints? I suspect this is a team full of nobody-wants that nobody wants to see.
James Burns is sports editor of the Sun-Star. He can be reached at jburns@mercedsun-star.com.
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