Kickin’ Back with Mack

Cornerback Elbert Mack is one of the nicest guys you’ll meet, until he gets immersed in a heated game of pool with Aqib Talib. And you have to respect a man who can wear a pair of sky blue and pink basketball shoes.

What’s the biggest difference between Tampa and your hometown of Wichita?

The weather is a lot different. We have a dry heat up in Kansas. You have a whole bunch of humidity here. You sweat so much down here. Other than that, it’s about the same. I just can’t see my mom every day. And definitely more palm trees and more water.

What is this about you assigning nicknames to your teammates? Do they know about it, and what’s the funniest one?

Oh, they know. I’d say the funniest one right now is (safety) Jermaine Phillips. I nicknamed him C-7. That’s one of our defenses where he’s on the backside and he comes down into the box. You ever noticed how when linebackers are in the box they have that linebacker stance? If you watch Flip walk around the building, why does he always look like he’s getting ready to tackle somebody? He’s got his shoulders slumped over and everything. I told him, “Hey, you don’t always have to look like you’re in the box, man.”

Have you had an embarrassing or eye-opening NFL moment yet?

Actually, my first embarrassing moment was the (personal foul) against Matt Ryan. What was embarrassing about it was being on the (screen crawl) on ESPN. I got all these calls and texts from people asking me, “Man, what are you doing down there?”

Here’s one of my weekly questions: What’s on your iPod?

Mostly R&B. I like Lil’ Wayne, too. A lot of people probably think it’s bad music, but if you really listen to his words, you can relate that stuff to a lot of things in life. I really like to listen to that before games.

What Web site do you visit most?

I’m on Facebook and Myspace. I try to stay in touch with a lot of people. That’s a good way to stay in touch with people who I either don’t want to have my number or something like that. But really, I’m on sneakerhead.com a lot. That’s my thing. Any kind of shoe you can think of. But, for the most part, I have a lot of (Nike) Air Force 1s. All day.

You must have all the different styles and designs. How many we talking about?

I don’t even know. Probably 30 or 40 pairs.

Have you worn them all? And what’s the pair that is the most bizarre and hard to match?

I think so. I’ve probably worn them all once or twice, at least. As for the ones I have trouble matching, I’d say it’s a pair that’s like sky blue and pink. And they have some flower designs on them, too. It’s a man’s shoe. I don’t know. I just liked the design on it at the time. And I had a shirt to match it. I try to wear them, but I can’t. I don’t have anything to match.

You’re not a big guy, which makes it amazing you play this game. Do people believe you when you say you’re an NFL player?

A lot of people don’t believe me. Even if I was a superstar in this league, I probably could walk into Wal-Mart and people still wouldn’t know it was me. Like Kevin Carter, if he walks in Wal-Mart, you know it’s Kevin Carter. Me, they probably think I’m a Bucs fan wearing a Bucs T-shirt. It’s a good thing.

What’s some of the crazy stuff you’ve heard?

The craziest thing I’ve heard is when I first got to Troy. I was in the financial aid office trying to get my aid together. I told one of the ladies who worked there that I played football. The first thing she asked me was if I was a kicker. Why do I have to be a kicker just because I’m small?

I hear you and Aqib Talib roll together. What kind of trouble are you guys getting into these days?

Me and Talib play a lot of pool. He bought a pool table for his house, and we could play for hours and hours. Now, never mind that neither one of us can really play. That’s the thing. We act like we can.

Aqib looks like he talks a lot of smack. True or false?

All day. He’s just like I am. With both of us in a room together, it’s just crazy.

St Petersburg Times

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Month Later: Poteat Back in Green

A reporter asked Hank Poteat in the Jets locker room late this morning if he feels as if he’s a kind of “hired gun.” Poteat said he didn’t see it that way.

Another possible description would be journeyman. But perhaps the best way to capture the veteran defensive back is that he’s a survivor and sometimes a thriver.

Poteat is back for his third tour of duty (or is it his fourth?) with the Jets as of today. Asked if his role will be changing much from what he was doing at training camp before he became a final cut, he chuckled.

“I don’t know. We’ll see when I go out there and practice,” he said. “I’m not exactly sure.”

This summer Poteat was working with the Jets corners as usual, even seeing action at safety along with David Barrett as head coach Eric Mangini, coordinator Bob Sutton and secondary coach Jerome Henderson continued to seek position flexibility. After posting the first two interceptions of his career last season, he came up with another in the preseason opener at Cleveland.

Full Story: NewYorkJets.com

Seahawks Rise Above Adversity

In April, 252 players were selected in the NFL draft, and none of them was named Michael Bumpus. But as he’s done much of his football career, the former Washington State University star persevered and now is gaining notice as a wide receiver and punt

Patience is certainly not one of Michael Bumpus’s virtues.

When the University of Southern California informed him that they planned on redshirting him as a freshman, Bumpus gave the football powerhouse a thanks-but-no-thanks and headed off to Washington State University.

When 32 teams passed on him in the April NFL draft, Bumpus shrugged his shoulders and set out to play as a rookie.

And when the Seattle Seahawks gave him his first significant action at wide receiver last Sunday, Bumpus didn’t wait very long to reward them with a touchdown.

“Things can happen so fast, which I’ve learned,” he said. “You’ve got to keep working hard and be ready.”

As an NFL player, Bumpus has come a long way since that dark day earlier this month when he got his first pink slip. Bumpus was sitting in Seattle teammate Bobby Engram’s Qwest Field suite, proudly sporting a throwback Drew Bledsoe jersey and watching his WSU Cougars get pounded by Oklahoma State, when he got the dreaded call.

“It was an unrecognized 425 number, so I knew what the call was. I was like, ‘Here we go,’” he said. “Sure enough, I got cut, and then I was on the practice squad the next day having to start all over again.”

That was three weeks ago, and since that date Bumpus has been added to the active roster, given punt-return duties, settled in as the injury-riddled team’s slot receiver and caught his first touchdown pass.

It’s been quite a ride for Bumpus as of late.

“I’m just grateful,” Bumpus said on Sunday, clutching the ball he caught a couple hours earlier for his first career touchdown reception. “It’s been like a fairytale. From an undrafted free agent to getting to play in the second and third games, I couldn’t ask for more. This is the happiest I’ve been since I graduated from high school.”

When Bumpus graduated from Culver City High School in 2004, the ballyhooed receiver was on his way to play at USC. He signed with the Trojans, but Bumpus said that he backed out after the school recruited Dwayne Jarrett and told Bumpus that he would have to redshirt.

“I wanted to play, and the rest of the schools (in the Pac-10) were going to let me play, so I went to go play,” said Bumpus, who ended up at WSU.

By the time he finished his four years in Pullman, Bumpus was WSU’s all-time leader in receptions (195) and punt return yards (801). He caught a team-best 70 passes as a senior, earning honorable mention all-conference honors.

In April, 252 players were selected in the NFL draft. None was named Michael Bumpus.

“I knew what to expect,” Bumpus said of draft weekend. “There was a chance I would be drafted late, but I knew what was going on. My agent was honest with me. I knew what to expect, and I told my family.”

While Jarrett and other USC wideouts like Mike Williams and Steve Smith went on to become first-day picks, Bumpus had to try to make an NFL roster the hard way. But he said he doesn’t regret his decision to back out of his initial letter of intent.

“When it comes to the media (attention) and being drafted, I might’ve had a better chance if I had gone down there,” he said about USC. “But I don’t regret going to Wazzu at all. I love Wazzu. To this day, I still walk around proud, even though we’ve gotten whooped.

“… I might’ve had some (national championship) rings right now, but I don’t have any rings. But it’s all good. Maybe I’ll get a Super Bowl ring one day.”

The state of Washington has been pretty good to Bumpus, who has caught four passes and returned seven punts since being added to the active roster. Injuries at the position forced him into action earlier than expected, and Bumpus responded.

“He’s done a nice job with it, for a guy that wasn’t even on our roster to start the season,” quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said after Sunday’s win over St. Louis. “He has come in and played well. He made some nice tough catches. He is still learning as he goes, but I think he has been a pleasant surprise.”

All Bumpus needed was the opportunity.

“It happened at the expense of other good people, which is bad,” he said. “But you just have to go out and take advantage of your opportunity.”

Engram and Deion Branch are expected back from injuries after this weekend’s bye, while recent addition Koren Robinson is also expected to start contributing in the near future. Bumpus could continue returning punts, but his snaps at receiver are probably a thing of the past.

When he got the chance, Bumpus certainly made the most of it.

“When I signed with the practice squad, I felt I would have an opportunity somewhere,” Bumpus said. “But I had no idea it would happen so fast.”

Source: HeraldNet

Eugene Wilson Smashed by Mack Truck

When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers claimed rookie OL James Lee off waivers Sunday night, it meant they had to make room for him on their 53-man roster.

The first place they looked to trim was with the group of nine defensive backs, where the debate was between veteran Eugene Wilson, with the experience of two Super Bowl titles in New England, and rookie Elbert Mack, an undrafted free agent from Troy.

Goodbye Wilson. Hello Mack.

“Against all odds,” Mack said after practice Monday. “I’m amped up.”

Mack led NCAA Div. I-A with eight interceptions in 2007, including one returned for a touchdown. He played opposite Leodis McKelvin, whom the Buffalo Bills selected in the first round (11th overall) in April.

“The more you watched Troy, the more you said, ‘Who’s this other guy?’ ” Coach Jon Gruden said. “And he had a great camp for us.”

Darn good exhibition season, too. The 5-foot-10, 175-pound Mack had some big hits and an interception during the four games. He’ll figure prominently on special teams, starting with Sunday’s season opener at New Orleans.

Wilson, the sixth-year pro, signed as a free agent in March. He didn’t do much to distinguish himself in the preseason and got caught up in a numbers crunch at a position that featured starters Ronde Barber and Phillip Buchanon, plus rookie first-round draft pick Aqib Talib.

Chiefs add Micah Rucker to Practice Squad

Kansas City Chiefs President Carl Peterson announced on Wednesday that the club has added WR Micah Rucker to its practice squad. As per Chiefs policy, no other terms of the agreement were made available.

Rucker (6-5, 219) originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with Pittsburgh in 2008. He attended training camp with the Steelers, but was released prior to the start of the regular season. Rucker spent the first week of the 2008 season on Pittsburgh’s practice squad.

The Bonita Springs, Florida native started 24 games at Eastern Illinois after transferring from Minnesota. He was a two-time All-Ohio Valley Conference performer, finishing his collegiate career with 108 receptions for 1,819 yards (16.8 avg.) and 21 TDs. He prepped at Estero High School in Estero, Florida.

Mack Looks to Prove Himself

Everyone was aware of No. 34. He was the all-everything cornerback with the game-changing speed capable of returning punts and kickoffs for touchdowns.

Leodis McKelvin was his name, and he was the reason NFL scouts flocked to Troy football last season, and NFL coaches spent hours watching video and dreaming.

Now, who was No. 13?

“The more you watched Troy the more you said, ‘Who’s this other guy?’ ” Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden said.

That would be Elbert Mack, Troy’s other cornerback, whose eight interceptions led Division I-A football last season.

Because of McKelvin, the turnout of NFL coaches and scouts at Troy’s pro day was larger than usual, and because of McKelvin, eight Troy players found themselves in NFL camps this summer.

“A lot of people had a chance to put their best foot forward,” Mack said.

Mack’s best foot earned him a spot on the Bucs roster. The undrafted free agent spent last Saturday waiting for a call that would summon him to One Buc Place, where the team would collect his playbook and wish him well.

Mack did receive a phone call. It came after 6 p.m., after the regular season rosters were set. It was from the Bucs’ Raheem Morris, who welcomed Mack to the NFL.

“That was my draft day phone call,” Mack said.

A few months late, but Mack is not complaining.

“It’s tough enough to make the team as a rookie, but to be an undrafted free agent, it’s against all odds,” Mack said.

Not really.

Undrafted free agents make NFL rosters all the time. Mack did with an impressive camp. So impressive, in fact, the Bucs felt comfortable releasing Eugene Wilson, the six-year vet they signed in the offseason to add depth and experience to the defensive backfield.

“He had a great camp for us,” Gruden said of Mack.

The 5-foot-10, 175-pound Mack turned heads during the preseason with an interception against the New England Patriots and his ability to be around the ball.

Splash plays is what Gruden calls them, and Mack made a few.

Mack plays fast and understands the defensive scheme. More importantly, he understands how the offense wants to attack the Bucs defense.

“You get a lot of chances to make big plays like Ronde Barber’s been showing everyone for 12 years. When you’re in the right spot at the right time, you make the right play,” Mack said.

Though he led the nation in interceptions, Mack was told at best he would go in the later rounds of the draft. He watched it from start to finish. No one called his name.

The Bucs offered a chance to compete for a job. All he wanted was a chance.

Now he has a spot on an NFL roster.

“I’m amped up,” Mack said. “It’s just like playing my first football game ever. It takes me back to my Little League days when I first put on a helmet. It’s the same feeling. I started off as a little kid, and now I’m playing at the highest level in the world. I’m happy.”

Bumpus Signed

As expected, the Seahawks have signed former Washington State wide receiver Michael Bumpus to their 53-man roster.

Bumpus had been on the practice squad, but got a lot of snaps in practice this week and likely will see a lot of playing time in Sunday’s home opener against the San Francisco 49ers.

To clear a roster spot, the club released …

Not rookie Brandon Coutu, so they still have two kickers.

Not Baraka Atkins, so they still have five defensive ends.

No, they released wide receiver Samie Parker, who was just signed Wednesday.

Crazy? Not really. Parker showed next to nothing in practice Wednesday, got limited reps Thursday and worked primarily with the scout team Friday.

But the coaches wanted to be sure Bumpus knew the offense well enough and could help out until Bobby Engram and Deion Branch are able to return — probably after the Week 4 bye.

Against the 49ers, Logan Payne and Courtney Taylor will start. Bumpus will see time in the slot on the three- and four-receiver sets, and also could return punts.

The other options at receiver are backup QB Seneca Wallace and Billy McMullen, who also was signed this week after Nate Burleson was lost for the season after tearing a knee ligament in last week’s season opener.

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Lions coach building team in his image

To understand what Lions coach Rod Marinelli wants in a player, look no further than new starting nose tackle Chuck Darby.

Darby is 32 years old. He’s only 297 pounds. And he’s so vertically challenged at 6-feet that even Marinelli, his biggest fan, calls him “Shorty.”

But, as Marinelli said, “I saw something in him. I could feel it.”

Marinelli was Tampa Bay’s defensive line coach when he pushed the Buccaneers to keep the undrafted Darby in 2000. This offseason, Marinelli was entering his third year of remaking the Lions into his image when he pushed team president Matt Millen to sign Darby, a free agent from Seattle.

He also persuaded Millen to trade the team’s once-promising nose tackle, Shaun Rogers, to Cleveland. Rogers is bigger (6-4, 340) and younger (29) than Darby. But he’s also the one thing Marinelli hates most: an underachiever.

Darby, on the other hand, is a classic overachiever.

A long shot to make the Bucs’ roster out of South Carolina State eight years ago, Darby did everything Marinelli asked. He’d line up with the first team, second team and third team with no rest in between. He’d go one-on-one against each member of the first-team offensive line, one after the other, with no rest. He’d do everything Marinelli asked.

“Rod gave me my opportunity,” Darby said. “Everybody else just looked at me as just a short guy, not big enough to play this game.”

Darby made the Bucs’ practice squad in 2000. He made the roster in 2001. He started in Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl XXXVII victory. He also played in Seattle’s Super Bowl XL appearance.

Eight years after discovering Darby, Marinelli is still looking for tough guys to transform a dismal franchise. Only 13 players remain from the roster Marinelli inherited in 2006. Several new faces have connections to Marinelli, including three defensive starters who played in Super Bowl XXXVII: cornerback Brian Kelly, former Viking safety Dwight Smith and an old guy nicknamed “Shorty.”

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