If you’re an NFL fan that is unfamiliar with Elvis Dumervil – get familiar. The four-year linebacker out of Louisville is having a tremendous 2009 season and currently leads the league in sacks with 15. TSR recently sat down with Elvis to talk about a variety of subjects, including his transition from defensive end (the position he played the first three years in the league) to outside linebacker, what first-year head coach Josh McDaniels is like and how defensive coordinator Mike Nolan has helped him become the rising star he is today.
The Scores Report: People talk about you emerging as one of the best young defenders in the game, but you recorded 8.5 sacks in your rookie season and 12.5 sacks in your second season. So obviously you’ve had success before. Do you feel that people have been sleeping on your ability?
Elvis Dumervil: I do sometimes feel as though my production has often times gone unnoticed, which I credit to the fact that I really stay under the radar for the most part. It’s something that has followed me through my entire career – even in high school and college. It keeps me striving everyday to work hard and prove my value out there. Like my mom always tells me: There is nothing wrong with hard work. I don’t take it personally; I know that I am a valuable asset to the Broncos defense and I have been an integral part of the team since being drafted 2006. As long as the team is doing well, and benefiting from having me out there, the personal praise is not necessary.
TSR: What has the transition been like for you from defensive end to a hybrid outside linebacker/defensive end?
ED: It’s has been very challenging transition I must say, but also very exciting and fun. I was fortunate to have a coaching staff that could see my potential to thrive at this position and allowed me the opportunity to run with it. I definitely had to make some changes to my diet and had to humble myself in order to learn a craft and a skill set that I was unfamiliar with.
TSR: How has Mike Nolan helped you develop into the rising star you are today?
ED: Mike Nolan has been a tremendous part of my success. He has pushed me day in and day out to challenge myself to be better a better player than I was the day before. I couldn’t ask for a more inspiring mentor.
TSR: You went from being coached by a veteran in Mike Shanahan to a first-year guy in Josh McDaniels. What has been the biggest change since McDaniels took over?
ED: I have the utmost respect for coach Shanahan; he was a players coach. He gave me the opportunity to play defensive end in this league, and I will always be thankful to him for that. Coach Shanahan is undoubtedly an outstanding coach, and has received honors and accolades to validate that. Coach McDaniels is a younger coach, who in my opinion, is destined to have a long and successful coaching career in the NFL. Coach McDaniels is an extremely smart and a very passionate coach, and he demands perfection in every phase of the game. Personally, I really excel and enjoy playing for McDaniels because he coaches with so much emotion. I know that he truly loves the game just as much as us players, and I feel that when your coach is as passionate as McDaniels is, it is extremely infectious.
TSR: You said in September that going against offensive tackle Ryan Clady in practice has helped you become a better player. Now that you’ve racked up 15 sacks this season, who is getting the best of the matchup these days in practice?
ED: Ryan Clady has always been a good battle for me at practice since the day he arrived in Denver.
TSR: I try to ask this question to all the defenders that I’m fortunate enough to interview: Who is the toughest running back to bring down in the league?
ED: To me they are all the same simply because every time I step on the field I am out there to do my job, regardless of who I’m up against.
Photo from fOTOGLIF
