NFL Week 1 always brings excitement and nerves for young players. Coming into the league as a rookie can be a harrowing experience, and particularly if you are a highly-touted player with great expectations laid upon you in your first season.
Sometimes the physicality of the game can be too much for rookies, who end up getting injured early on. Number one overall pick Jadeveon Clowney can attest to this, as after only one game, he is lost to the Houston Texans for 4-6 weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his knee. Clowney was injured late in the second quarter in the Texans’ opening week game against Washington.
Atlanta Falcons rookie left tackle Jake Matthews (who was having a fantastic game against the New Orleans Saints) also had to come out of the game early after suffering a high ankle sprain. Fortunately for Atlanta his prognosis is much less serious than Clowney’s and he should be back in action for Week 2.
But during every opening week there are a handful of rookies — some acclaimed and some lesser known — who have coming out parties and make their presence known to the league and fans.
Wide receivers and running backs often fall into this category, and of course, rookie quarterbacks who are given a baptism by fire.
The 2014 season got off to a great start, with some exciting games and a few upsets, and with that, some rookie performances that had everyone reaching for their DVRÂ rewind buttons.
Here are the top 5 rookie performances from Week 1.
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