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SR
12-13-2007, 02:10 AM
I actually like this article by Woody Paige. Made me giggle a couple of times.


Dumervil belongs on island
By Woody Paige
The Denver Post
Article Last Updated: 12/12/2007 12:54:39 AM MST


Defensive end Elvis Dumervil, the 126th pick in the NFL's 2006 draft, already has 19 1/2 sacks in just two seasons with the Broncos. (Ed Zurga, The Associated Press )If there is any righteousness in the Pro Bowl balloting, the result will be:

Elvis, Aloha From Hawaii.

And I don't mean The King's performance in Honolulu in January of 1973, the first concert broadcast live by satellite around the world.

I mean Elvis Dumervil doing a medley of his big hits in Hono- lulu in February of 2008.

Elvis has earned a spot in the spotlight at the Pro Bowl. If selected, he should respond: "Thank you, thank you very much."

The fan phase of the voting ended Tuesday, and Elvis — despite having one of the biggest names of all time and one of the best seasons among NFL defensive ends — was not the leader in the locker room. Indianapolis' Dwight Freeney, out for the year after undergoing foot surgery, was No. 1 among AFC defensive ends with 326,753 votes. The players and the coaches will provide the other two-thirds of the vote.

The Broncos' porous defensive efforts will hurt Dumervil, but he has held up his end of the line — with 11 sacks, four forced fumbles, one recovery, five passes deflected, one interception and 30 solo tackles.

Only Jared Allen, Kansas City's defensive end, has produced more tackles and sacks, and Dumervil is up on Mario Williams, who plays for the Broncos' Thursday night opponent, Houston.

Mario was drafted No. 1 overall last year; Elvis was picked 126th.

Of all the Broncos, Dumervil is most deserving for the Pro Bowl. He has been on line with more different men than a woman trying to get a date in an Internet chat room. It seems like every Sunday, Elvis has to turn to the defensive tackle and say: "My name's Elvis; what's yours?"

(His mother was an Elvis fan, naturally. A couple of other Elvises are Stojko, the figure- skating champion, and Costello, the singer, and there are a bunch of impersonators.)

Elvis is 5-feet-11 and 250 pounds — about the same weight as the original Elvis when he was in his late jumpsuit days — but hardly qualifies for defensive coordinator Jim Bates' massive structural demands. (Sam Adams has taken his 350 pounds to the Sunday buffet.)

But, to Elvis, his body is not as important as his body of work.

He wasn't supposed to start this season, given the addition of Sam and Simeon (Beans & Rice) and two other veteran free agents and three rookie defensive linemen. The Little Man has a big heart, though.

The Sackman cometh. In 26 games with the Broncos he owns 19 1/2 sacks. With a couple more this year, he will be tied with Rulon Jones, Trevor Pryce, Alfred Williams and Karl Mecklenburg — all Pro Bowlers — and behind only the Broncos' primo sacker, Simon Fletcher.

But, then, Dumervil was college football's most proficient sacker, with 20 at Louisville in 2005, although he mostly is remember as owning the leg Virginia Tech quarterback Marcus Vick (Michael's brother) stomped on in the Gator Bowl.

Despite setting an NCAA record for forced fumbles (10) and being named an All-American, Elvis lasted until the Broncos' second selection in the fourth round because of his (lack of) size.

But he has gone from winning the Bronko Nagurski Award (nation's top defensive player) to the Bronco Hound of the Dumervil Award (team's top defensive player).

Elvis has one more chance to impress the players and the coaches — in the quasi-nationally televised game Thursday night, especially if he produces against Houston as he did against Kansas City (five tackles, three sacks) and sings better than Mario.

With Freeney finished and after the Steelers' announcement that Aaron Smith has a torn biceps and will miss the final three games, Elvis belongs in the Pro Bowl.

Champ Bailey was the leading vote- accumulator among AFC cornerbacks and will make his eighth appearance in the all-star game, and the Broncos' only other possible participant is Brandon Marshall, who surpassed 1,000 yards Sunday but is fifth in yardage and sixth in catches among wide receivers in the conference.

In the fourth quarter Sunday, I told The Post's Mark Kiszla, Bill Williamson and Mike Klis that if I'm chosen by the voters to go to the Pro Bowl, I will pay their way to join me and Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis. Aloha-ha.

The Broncos sent nine players (and owner Pat Bowlen, who has a house outside Honolulu) to the Pro Bowl of the 1996 season. (Extra credit if you can list them.) But that team won 13 games, and this team has played 13 games.

So it won't be a predominantly orange and blue Hawaii.

sneakers
12-13-2007, 02:19 AM
Thanks for posting SR!

Javalon
12-13-2007, 05:51 AM
While I love having Elvis as a Bronco, I'm not sure he deserves the Pro Bowl. People think playing DE is all about the sacks but it isn't. Sacks are great and are a PART of a DE's job but he needs to be able to play the run as well. So far, Dumervil is just so-so in run defense and can get shoved too easily out of running lanes at times.

He sometimes plays the run well but he needs to be a lot more consistent there before being Pro Bowl caliber, IMO. He's a fantastic specialist but not a complete DE yet... but he might still get there since he's only a second-year guy and is still learning.

Don't get me wrong, I hope Dumervil is here doing his thing for a long time. But next year when he's vying with Crowder, Ekuban, Moss and maybe others for a starting job, I'm not sure he'll be our starter. But I hope the Broncos do what it takes to keep him around for quite awhile.

SR
12-13-2007, 06:00 AM
I agree for the most part. He's improving his run defense gradually. It'll come with time.

Good to see ya Javalon...don't be such a stranger.

Astrass
12-13-2007, 01:17 PM
probowl voting is a joke anyways.....

BaiLeY324
12-13-2007, 01:42 PM
Champ... 8 pro bowls in 9 years.

Yeah, Canton bound.

Oh and Boyfriend Marshall(<33333333333 4/29/06), I love you baby.