SoCalBronco
06-30-2005, 03:18 PM
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Mauck: Confident and Eager
By Andrew Mason
DenverBroncos.com
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Being on the 53-man roster as a rookie was something Matt Mauck didn't expect. Being on the practice squad, however, was.
BRONCOS TV: VAN PELT: FROM THE BOX BACK TO THE FIELD
As it turned out, his rookie year brought both experiences.
So when injuries forced signings that nudged Mauck off of the active roster two weeks into his rookie season and onto the practice roster -- where he would remain for most of the next three months -- he merely shrugged. It was all part of what he foresaw for his first NFL campaign.
"I kind of knew going in that Denver's had a two-quarterback system the past couple of years," Mauck said. "I was really happy when I found out that they put me on the roster at the beginning but I knew in the back of my mind that if someone like Trevor (Pryce) got hurt, they would need to do something. I was just fortunate that they brought me back up at the end of the year."
Mauck didn't get onto the field as the No. 3 emergency quarterback, but that wasn't part of the plan for his rookie season. Learning and absorbing the offensive scheme was the order of the moment; positioning himself to be a viable contender for the No. 2 slot in this upcoming season was the long-term goal.
As he learned and toiled on the practice squad, he realized he was a little more prepared for the NFL than he first thought -- based on his experience at LSU.
"I think I was lucky to play in the (Southeastern Conference); it's a pretty fast league," Mauck said. "A lot of people consider it to be the closest step to the NFL. So I was lucky in that and lucky in that the coaching staff at LSU ran a pro-style offense."
But with the demands of class time, Mauck couldn't invest the time in tape study that he can now that his life is focused upon the sport at hand. Being able to place that kind of focus on football leaves him with no excuses for stalled development, he believes.
"Here it's just football," Mauck said. "It's definitely something you have to get used to, and I think you should be able to make huge strides from your first year to your second year."
Those strides could have come in the NFL Europe League, as Broncos brass considered both Mauck and fellow 2004 seventh-round pick Bradlee Van Pelt for allocation to the league. But the two passers stayed in Colorado, and the offseason work that they've undertaken justified the choice from Mauck's perspective.
"I said, 'Whatever you think is the best, I'm willing to do,'" Mauck recalled. "I think the good thing here is that we've had some quarterback meetings, we've been in QB camp, so I think for us we throw enough that it is beneficial to stay.
"I think some other teams don't do as much, or don't have as structured an offseason as the Broncos (and for those) Europe's a big help."
The two months to come will help determine whether the choice helped or hindered Mauck. For now, with less than a week left until the Broncos' mini-camp, Mauck's confidence has never been higher.
"I feel so much more comfortable the second time around," he said.
Mauck: Confident and Eager
By Andrew Mason
DenverBroncos.com
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Being on the 53-man roster as a rookie was something Matt Mauck didn't expect. Being on the practice squad, however, was.
BRONCOS TV: VAN PELT: FROM THE BOX BACK TO THE FIELD
As it turned out, his rookie year brought both experiences.
So when injuries forced signings that nudged Mauck off of the active roster two weeks into his rookie season and onto the practice roster -- where he would remain for most of the next three months -- he merely shrugged. It was all part of what he foresaw for his first NFL campaign.
"I kind of knew going in that Denver's had a two-quarterback system the past couple of years," Mauck said. "I was really happy when I found out that they put me on the roster at the beginning but I knew in the back of my mind that if someone like Trevor (Pryce) got hurt, they would need to do something. I was just fortunate that they brought me back up at the end of the year."
Mauck didn't get onto the field as the No. 3 emergency quarterback, but that wasn't part of the plan for his rookie season. Learning and absorbing the offensive scheme was the order of the moment; positioning himself to be a viable contender for the No. 2 slot in this upcoming season was the long-term goal.
As he learned and toiled on the practice squad, he realized he was a little more prepared for the NFL than he first thought -- based on his experience at LSU.
"I think I was lucky to play in the (Southeastern Conference); it's a pretty fast league," Mauck said. "A lot of people consider it to be the closest step to the NFL. So I was lucky in that and lucky in that the coaching staff at LSU ran a pro-style offense."
But with the demands of class time, Mauck couldn't invest the time in tape study that he can now that his life is focused upon the sport at hand. Being able to place that kind of focus on football leaves him with no excuses for stalled development, he believes.
"Here it's just football," Mauck said. "It's definitely something you have to get used to, and I think you should be able to make huge strides from your first year to your second year."
Those strides could have come in the NFL Europe League, as Broncos brass considered both Mauck and fellow 2004 seventh-round pick Bradlee Van Pelt for allocation to the league. But the two passers stayed in Colorado, and the offseason work that they've undertaken justified the choice from Mauck's perspective.
"I said, 'Whatever you think is the best, I'm willing to do,'" Mauck recalled. "I think the good thing here is that we've had some quarterback meetings, we've been in QB camp, so I think for us we throw enough that it is beneficial to stay.
"I think some other teams don't do as much, or don't have as structured an offseason as the Broncos (and for those) Europe's a big help."
The two months to come will help determine whether the choice helped or hindered Mauck. For now, with less than a week left until the Broncos' mini-camp, Mauck's confidence has never been higher.
"I feel so much more comfortable the second time around," he said.