New Orleans Saints wide receiver Marques Colston has been released. Colston concludes his Saints career as the leading receiver in franchise history, establishing team records for receptions (711), yards (9,759) and touchdowns (72). His 66.8 receiving yards-per-game ranked second only to Joe Horn. Known as the "Quiet Storm," Colston's personality was a stark contrast to many receivers of his generation. He didn't seek out attention, and often shunned it, in times of both success and failure. "He's one of the most unselfish players I've ever played with," said quarterback Drew Brees in December. "One of the greatest teammates I've ever had. ... I consider myself lucky to have had so far these 10 years with him." In a failed playoff game against Seattle in 2013, Colston was too upset to speak in the locker room after the loss, instead punching a wall in frustration as the team filed off the field. But even in times of great joy, such as his breaking of several franchise records, Colston sent out a statement through the team in lieu of talking about himself. In the decade of the "diva" receiver, such as Steve Smith, Dez Bryant, Randy Moss, Terrell Owens and Chad Johnson, Colston never took the spotlight. He preferred to let his play do the talking. As such, he never made a Pro Bowl, nor did he become a widely recognized name outside of New Orleans. Colston, who wildly exceeded all expectations in his NFL career, hardly cared. A 2006 seventh-round draft pick out of Hofstra, which no longer fields a football program, Colston was initially projected to play tight end in the NFL, despite leaving the school as the team's all-time leader in receiving yards (2,834), a number later surpassed by Charles Sullivan. When Hofstra shut down its football program in 2009, Colston was third with 182 career receptions and still held the record for most receiving yards in a game, racking up 237 yards against Liberty in 2003. His jersey was later retired by the school. - See more at: http://www.nola.com/saints/index.ssf/2016/02/marques_colston_6.html
