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

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.

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.”