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By Andrew Mason
DenverBroncos.com
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Little by little, Ebenezer Ekuban continues to work his way back to 100 percent.
The most experienced of the three former first-round picks acquired from the Cleveland Browns spent the bulk of the offseason recovering from knee and shoulder surgeries, the result of playing the entire 2004 season with pain in both areas.
But Ekuban didn't miss a game last fall and posted a career-best eight sacks in the process, and now only two weeks separate him from being at optimum health for the first time since last season opened.
"When they had a quarterback school (in May) I didn't really do anything, so (at team camp) I worked in individual drills," Ekuban said. "Then by the mini-camp I should be good to go. I'd say by July I should be 100 percent."
He would have rather been at that level for the Broncos' team camp, which they completed two weeks ago.
"You always want to be ready as soon as you can -- especially as a new player, so you can get adjusted to the play calling and you just get the vibe from the teammates, and get everything going," Ekuban said. "I definitely want to be ready for the team camp, just so I can get a heads-up on how everything's going to be when it goes full-speed at mini-camp."
When that happens, the process of building to his potential can continue. While Ekuban is preparing for his seventh NFL season, it's only his ninth as a defensive lineman; he played tight end for his first two seasons at North Carolina and was still regarded as something of a developmental project when the Dallas Cowboys utilized a first-round selection on him in 1999.
"When they drafted me, they knew that it was going to be an upside kind of thing where they would groom me the first couple of years," Ekuban said.
Only now does Ekuban feel comfortable at his position -- a condition that transferred over to his play last season, when the 6-foot-3, 275-pounder posted more sacks than he'd had in the previous three seasons combined while also setting a career standard with 54 total tackles.
"Through all these years, I feel like I'm starting to know everything now," Ekuban said. "Me coming to a new team and learning a whole new defensive scheme, that just broadens my knowledge about how the whole defense works and how I can become a better player. I think from the success I had last year in Cleveland -- the best year I've had -- hopefully that's a stepping stone for years to come."
Ekuban always possessed a quick first step as one of the league's fastest defensive ends. But it was his cerebral adjustments that helped him tap into his potential last year.
"Early on in my career, I focused on using my speed and athletic ability to make plays, whereas as I've gotten older, I realized that doesn't necessarily cut the cake," Ekuban said. "You have to use tips that offensive linemen give you. You have to use cues that a quarterback gives you, so I can get a jump on the ball or guess what play's coming my way, so I can be in good position to make those plays. I think a knowledge standpoint is where I've really accelerated my game."
It's just in time for Ekuban to capitalize. While he has six years and The end of Ekuban's career isn't in sight; with only six years and 76 games on his NFL résumé he could be just entering his prime.
He hopes that Denver will be the place where he's ultimately most remembered.
"I would like to retire here," Ekuban said. "I told my wife that all this moving around is getting too hectic, especially when you have kids. Hopefully this will be my last stop, I'll have a good career here and ride off into the sunset."
Whether Denver is Ekuban's last stop or not, the Broncos are banking on it being a successful one.
http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=334&storyID=4261
DenverBroncos.com
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Little by little, Ebenezer Ekuban continues to work his way back to 100 percent.
The most experienced of the three former first-round picks acquired from the Cleveland Browns spent the bulk of the offseason recovering from knee and shoulder surgeries, the result of playing the entire 2004 season with pain in both areas.
But Ekuban didn't miss a game last fall and posted a career-best eight sacks in the process, and now only two weeks separate him from being at optimum health for the first time since last season opened.
"When they had a quarterback school (in May) I didn't really do anything, so (at team camp) I worked in individual drills," Ekuban said. "Then by the mini-camp I should be good to go. I'd say by July I should be 100 percent."
He would have rather been at that level for the Broncos' team camp, which they completed two weeks ago.
"You always want to be ready as soon as you can -- especially as a new player, so you can get adjusted to the play calling and you just get the vibe from the teammates, and get everything going," Ekuban said. "I definitely want to be ready for the team camp, just so I can get a heads-up on how everything's going to be when it goes full-speed at mini-camp."
When that happens, the process of building to his potential can continue. While Ekuban is preparing for his seventh NFL season, it's only his ninth as a defensive lineman; he played tight end for his first two seasons at North Carolina and was still regarded as something of a developmental project when the Dallas Cowboys utilized a first-round selection on him in 1999.
"When they drafted me, they knew that it was going to be an upside kind of thing where they would groom me the first couple of years," Ekuban said.
Only now does Ekuban feel comfortable at his position -- a condition that transferred over to his play last season, when the 6-foot-3, 275-pounder posted more sacks than he'd had in the previous three seasons combined while also setting a career standard with 54 total tackles.
"Through all these years, I feel like I'm starting to know everything now," Ekuban said. "Me coming to a new team and learning a whole new defensive scheme, that just broadens my knowledge about how the whole defense works and how I can become a better player. I think from the success I had last year in Cleveland -- the best year I've had -- hopefully that's a stepping stone for years to come."
Ekuban always possessed a quick first step as one of the league's fastest defensive ends. But it was his cerebral adjustments that helped him tap into his potential last year.
"Early on in my career, I focused on using my speed and athletic ability to make plays, whereas as I've gotten older, I realized that doesn't necessarily cut the cake," Ekuban said. "You have to use tips that offensive linemen give you. You have to use cues that a quarterback gives you, so I can get a jump on the ball or guess what play's coming my way, so I can be in good position to make those plays. I think a knowledge standpoint is where I've really accelerated my game."
It's just in time for Ekuban to capitalize. While he has six years and The end of Ekuban's career isn't in sight; with only six years and 76 games on his NFL résumé he could be just entering his prime.
He hopes that Denver will be the place where he's ultimately most remembered.
"I would like to retire here," Ekuban said. "I told my wife that all this moving around is getting too hectic, especially when you have kids. Hopefully this will be my last stop, I'll have a good career here and ride off into the sunset."
Whether Denver is Ekuban's last stop or not, the Broncos are banking on it being a successful one.
http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=334&storyID=4261
