2007 NFL Draft: Steve Breaston a Man of Many Talents

By Jeremy White, NFLHS.com

It's difficult for a wide receiver to have a better collegiate career than Steve Breaston, who was a Mr. Do It All at Michigan. The six-foot, 192 pound receiver and return man has dazzled coaches and fans alike since putting on the maize and blue in Ann Arbor.

At the conclusion of the 2003 season, Breaston was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year by the conference's coaches. He caught 38 passes for 444 yards and three touchdowns that year. He followed with 34 and 26 receptions before putting together a monster senior season in which he was the focal point of Lloyd Carr's offense.

In 2006, Breaston hauled in 58 catches for 670 yards and a pair of scores. On his career, he finished with 156 receptions (fifth in Michigan history) for 1,696 yards and 10 receiving touchdowns.

Breaston (#15) runs with the ball against the Ohio State Nov. 18 at Ohio Stadium.

He was just as dangerous as a return man, though. In fact, Breaston is the all-time leading punt and kick returner for the Wolverines. Over four years he returned 127 punts for 1,599 yards (both are actually Big 10 records as well) and 81 kicks for 1,993 yards. He returned five kicks (four of which were punts) for touchdowns, which is a Michigan record.

Though he's eager to make his mark in the NFL as a receiver, Breaston has no trouble being used in other ways as well.

"I'm happy to go in and contribute any way I can," he says. "If that means just playing special teams in the beginning, that's okay. I have an ability to return kicks, but I also can make some big plays at receiver."

Unlike some players, Breaston has never moaned about playing special teams. Quite the opposite, he relishes the chance to change the game with a big return.

"Special teams is a very important thing in football. If you can make big plays there you can really set your team up," he says. "Field position is very important."

Nor has he shied away from taking his blocking responsibilities seriously. Were he to do that, he insists, he wouldn't have garnered much playing time.

"At Michigan that's one of the things you have to do to get on the field," says Breaston. "I take pride in blocking. That's very important."

Breaston was a quarterback at Woodland Hills High School in Pennsylvania, but switching positions wasn't painful, he says.

"I had a few teams recruit me at quarterback, but Michigan recruited me at wide receiver and I pretty much knew when I left high school I'd be going on to play receiver," he explains. "When the coaches ask you to play a role, you need to play that role and make the plays the coaches ask you to make."

That's good advice for high school football players. Breaston has one more piece of counsel: "Be a competitor," he says, "and take advantage of your opportunities."

Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc.