第一个进NFL的小中

稍懂美式足球知道left tackle的重要性.
Michael Lewis专门写过一本书, The Blind Side(不懂足球这个书名也说明问题,指的是四分卫的盲点)
这小中个子真大!
身高6'5",体重300多磅. 40yard 5.2,bench 225十次.
不过在职业left tackle里还是小尺寸.
报道说他父母是70年代中国奥运队选手. 不认识.

还是VT的.
祝这位开华裔先河的马到成功!
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Getting to Know NFL hopeful Ed Wang

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Every time Robert and Nancy Wang shipped DVDs of their son's football games to family members back home, they pretty much knew how the next telephone conversation would go. Whenever a highlight of Ed Wang's stellar Virginia Tech career was included as an e-mail to a brother, sister, aunt or cousin, the Wangs could count on the same type of reply in return.

Explain, please.

Back home for this 6-foot-5, 315-pound tackle's parents, is Beijing, China. Not exactly football country. Wang was born and raised in Virginia, but both parents are Chinese. Robert and Nancy met as members of China's Olympic movement in the 1970s -- he a high-jumper and she a hurdler. They competed in the 1984 Games in Los Angeles before immigrating to the United States.

"Just the other day, my dad was talking about how after he sends videos of me, [family members] always call and ask, 'what's he doing on this play? Why is he running in that direction? What does it mean when he's hitting another player?'" Ed Wang said. "They don't really know a lot, but they're learning and asking questions."

Many football fans don't know a lot about Ed Wang. But they should. He hits people and he does it so well that Wang will become the first Chinese-American player drafted into the NFL, perhaps as high as the second-round by some projections.

It will be a significant barrier-breaking moment for Chinese-Americans, a proud moment for the parents who always convinced him to ignore perceptions. It also will be a potential marketing plum for the team that drafts him. But beyond the cultural significance, Wang is a humble, high-quality player who overcame stereotypes and could open a lot of doors for Asian-Americans.

"I've embraced it," Wang said. "I definitely take pride that I could be the first Chinese-American to play in the NFL. "My mom always told me to live a low-key life. You don't have to brag or talk about yourself a lot. Just do the right things and you'll be noticed.

Wang's Virginia Tech career certainly proved to be a marvelous one, known for all the right reasons. He was a popular figure on campus, one of the many campus leaders and athletes looked upon for support after the 2007 shootings that killed 32 on the Hokies' campus. After switching from tight end to the offensive line, Wang started 34 consecutive games, mostly at left tackle. He has since wowed scouts at the Senior Bowl and put together impressive numbers at the NFL Combine.

"I started playing when I was six," Wang said. "My parents didn't know anything about football and neither did I. We learned it together."

His career always was one of overcoming stigmas, if not outright racism. Opponents and peers often made fun of Wang's heritage, his family, his name and his eyes.

"It was usually just black kids and white kids that played football," said Wang, who was named Virginia's high school player of the year in 2005. "My mom told me, 'You're going to have some of those things happening in your life. There are going to be people like that. But it's something you just have to put up with.' It was harder when I was younger, because I just didn't understand why they were doing those things. The way I've always approached it is, just take the opportunity and make the most of it and it will all work out."

Even Wang's Hokies teammates didn't always quite know what to make of their Asian teammate, or even the basics of pop-culture Geography. When Wang first arrived on campus, someone gave Wang the nickname, "Godzilla," which is a Japanese character. The name stuck.

The next time Wang's parents write or e-mail relatives, they're going to have some more explaining to do. What is this NFL?

"It's a dream come true," Wang said.

[weston]

回复lzr的评论:
Not sure he'll be a starter. Bills is alright.

[weston]

回复日光岩的评论:
cool!

[lzr]

Though I think this is a good thing, I just don't like the Bills.

[日光岩]

Ha! My co-worker just showed me this article yesterday. Ed Wang attended the same high school as her son, who is a football player as well. A lot of football players’ parents are very excited and hope Ed will go back to high school and share some of his fortune ;-)

[weston]

回复peasant的评论:
you need a real QB to have a shot at patriots :)