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.
Bayless has had trouble getting consistent minutes in his year and change with the Blazers, but Portland was without Rudy Fernandez and Travis Outlaw due to injury, so Bayless played 29 minutes last night against the Suns. He responded with 29 points, four assists, three rebounds, and hit 9 of 15 shots from the field, spearheading a 105-102 win for the Blazers at the Rose Garden.
