NEW ORLEANS – Marques Colston’s rise from little known Division I-AA prospect to one of Drew Brees’ go-to receivers has been so sudden, even his coach couldn’t see it coming.
“If we loved him we would have drafted him in the third round or the fourth round, so we liked him,” Saints coach Sean Payton said of the seventh-rounder out of Division I-AA Hofstra. Payton’s eyes were smiling as if he’d just been dealt 21 at a blackjack table.
“We thought he had all those tools that are necessary and yet there’s that uncertainty as to all the other things. So I’m excited about a young player.”
Colston made four clutch catches in the Saints’ season-opening victory over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. All came on third downs — three for first downs, the other for New Orleans’ only touchdown.
He was not even certain to make the roster on draft day, yet Colston strolled calmly from the end zone after his first NFL touchdown. His veteran quarterback was the one who looked like the excitable rookie, leaping up to smack the 6-foot-4 receiver on the helmet and shoulder pads.
