Wichita's Elbert Mack continues to defy odds in NFL

The first thing people notice about Elbert Mack is his size. It's always been that way, so much so that many of his relatives, nearly frantic, pleaded with his mother, Paula, not to let him play junior football in Wichita.

Mack must have pushed 75 pounds in those days and by the time he reached North High as a freshman in 2000, he had made it close to 100.

In a strong Kansas wind, Mack had difficulty standing up straight. He toyed with the idea of wrestling during his first year at North, then found out he would have to gain weight to compete at 103 pounds. Whoever heard of a wrestler having to gain weight to compete in the lowest weight class?

Those who have been around Mack the most, though, ultimately look through his stature and to his heart, which overwhelms them.

Mack doesn't think there's anything athletically he can't do, and so he defies his body's limitations. He played some of the peskiest quarterback you'll ever see as a senior at North in 2003, when he led the Redskins to the state playoffs and an 8-3 record.

He showed enough to be recruited by Butler Community College, where he became a lock-down cornerback. Next up was Troy (Ala.), which recruited him to play in its defensive backfield.

Put an obstacle in this kid's way and he'll knock it down every time.

To the point now where Mack, who has blossomed into a 5-foot-10, 175-pound behemoth, is in his third season with the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

What do those relatives think now?

"They're not saying very much,'' said Paula Mack, who used to work two jobs so Elbert and her other two sons, Kameron and Chaz, could play sports.

They were an outlet, especially for Elbert. Or Nuk, as his friends called him. "Nuk'' is the brand of pacifier Mack used when he was a baby. Yes, it's unique.

But why wouldn't it be? Mack is unique, perhaps the most unlikely NFL player today.

This kid was all knees and elbows in his youth, a scrappy athlete who looked like he could use a few table scraps.

He loved playing quarterback in the Greater Wichita Junior Football League, though he could barely see over the line and didn't pack much of a passing punch.

Mack loved to run the ball, though, and was especially adept at dodging tacklers. And he has always brought a special something to every team he has played for.

"I remember him for his unbelievable leadership, his enthusiasm and how he was always one of the first kids to jump in when you needed something,'' said Joe Belden, Mack's coach at North. "He never acknowledged how small he was. He was just a catalyst who was able to raise the level of play of everyone around him.''

North was 1-8 during Mack's freshman, sophomore and junior seasons. But he never hung his head or complained, although he frequently lobbied to play quarterback in addition to his defensive duties.

Belden figured there wasn't anything to lose, so he granted Mack his wish. And the Redskins took off, inspired by a short, skinny quarterback who thought he was Brett Favre.

"He wasn't a guy who ever wanted to sit out,'' Belden said.

He recalled a game at Heights when Mack wasn't feeling well. Against his better judgment, Belden allowed Mack to play quarterback, although he took him off the defense.

"He made a game-winning run in that game and made six or seven people miss him,'' Belden said. "We found out after the game that he had pneumonia. But he was mad because we didn't let him play defense.''

Mack's best decision might have been to take a scholarship offer to Butler. Most college coaches who looked at Mack in high school came away with a similar impression; that he was dynamic but just too small to help at a higher level.

Butler assistant coach Steve Braet, though, saw a kid who had too many intangibles to ignore. After a couple of impressive seasons with the Grizzlies, Mack accepted a scholarship to Troy, where he had 84 tackles and 10 interceptions in two seasons.

But even the most dedicated Mack supporter thought Troy was the end of the line. It had to be. Didn't it?

Mack wasn't drafted in 2008, but some NFL teams came sniffing around. He ultimately went to camp with Tampa Bay and, lo and behold, made the roster. He played in 15 games during his rookie season, much of his time spent on special teams. Last season, Mack had 26 solo tackles and three interceptions.

"He's an amazing story,'' longtime North teacher and coach Kyle Sanders said of Mack. "He just keeps over-achieving. He did some phenomenal stuff for us at North, got better at Butler, kept improving at Troy and the next thing you know he's playing on TV every Sunday.''

How does he do it?

"I think it's because Elbert has really had to prove himself at every stop,'' Butler coach Troy Morrell said. "It's kept him hungry.''

At Butler, Mack played cornerback opposite of Jonathan Wilhite, who was chosen in the fourth round by the New England Patriots after two seasons at Auburn.

At Troy, Mack played on the other side from Leodis McKelvin, the 11th player taken in the first round of the 2008 draft by the Buffalo Bills.

Mack used them as a barometer for his own development. And though overshadowed by their accomplishments, he found a way to get noticed.

It's always been that way.

"I don't ever get sick of being the, quote, little guy,'' Mack said. "I look at it more as a positive. I know there are a lot of bigger corners out there who don't really want to hit anybody. I don't mind mixing it up. That's what I do.''

Mack's first mark in the NFL was a black one. He was suspended for a game during his rookie season after a helmet-on-helmet blow to Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan.

Mack isn't a dirty player, but borders on being overzealous. For as long as he's played football, he has had to go to extreme measures to keep his spot.

"In a strange way, I suppose I could say that hit helped me get established,'' Mack said. "I guess it came up on the ESPN ticker, and they talked about it on 'Rome is Burning' and a lot of other places. A lot of people called me after that and there was a lot of buzz. That's how a lot of people found out I was in the league. Not many even knew.''

Mack felt the hit in more ways than one. The suspension was without pay.

"So my first paycheck as an NFL player was a lot smaller than I expected it to be,'' Mack said. "There were a lot of deductions.''

Mack has always impressed his coaches with his character and work ethic, and it's been that way in Tampa Bay. His role continues to expand with the Bucs, but he'll never take one second of his professional career for granted.

Mack wasn't raised to take anything for granted.

He was estranged from his father, who died when he was a boy. His mother did everything she could to provide and to allow her sons to follow their athletic dreams.

"He never doubted or questioned himself about what he planned to do,'' Paula Mack said. "Even when we were having financial problems, I think he thought that when he made it to the NFL everything was going to be OK. When no one else believed in him, he believed in himself.''

Mack still does, with the proper dose of humility and appreciation.

He knows he's in Dreamland and cherishes his time there.

"If you're not a first- or second-rounder in this league, you're going to have to fight for your job every year,'' Mack said. "As far as the NFL goes, there's never a comfortable stage for a guy like me. You can never feel secure because the next guy is trying to take my job.''

They've been coming at Elbert Mack for a long time now, and sure they could topple him. He's always been a dwarf in the land of giants, a football player whose critics are still scratching their heads as to how a guy like this could make it to the NFL.

"I've been fighting the odds forever,'' Mack said. "It's nothing new to me. I just have to keep fighting and having the time of my life.''

This story was originally published June 13, 2010 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Wichita's Elbert Mack continues to defy odds in NFL."