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Mack Runs With Opportunity

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By ANWAR S. RICHARDSON

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 22, 2008

TAMPA - Elbert Mack had every excuse to fail.

Mack was not expected to be successful throughout his football career because he was too small. After seeing his father leave his family, the odds were stacked against Mack becoming a successful man.

Mack not only survived that passage, but also his rough road has a strong possibility of ending on Tampa Bay's 53-man roster. This despite being an undrafted 5-foot-10, 175-pound cornerback.

"God is going to put it in your hands," Mack said. "Whatever he gives you, you got to run with it."

Before Mack learned how to run, he earned the nickname "Nuk" as a crawling infant in Wichita, Kan.

"He never liked any pacifier or nipple," said his mother, Paula Mack. "The only brand that he liked was the Nuk nipple. It's made differently. It dips into the mouth. And so whoever kept him knew that if they lost that Nuk pacifier, he was going to start crying. He had to have the Nuk pacifier, so we just named him Nuk."

"Nuk" eventually howled about wanting to play football.

He was smaller than the other boys in the city league. Family members and friends thought he would get hurt.

His mother never listened.

"My initial thought was Nuk really wanted to do it, so I was behind him even with his size," Paula Mack said. "I really didn't know sports. I didn't know the dynamics of sports and how big you had to be.

"People would tell me he was too little, and I should take him out, but I never did because that's what he wanted to do. I guess Nuk knew what he was up against, and that made him strive harder to prove himself."

Mack's determination became evident as a quarterback at Wichita North High. He accounted for 18 touchdowns as a senior (12 rushing and six passing), while rushing for 725 yards and throwing for 330 yards. He also had 45 tackles and 10 interceptions as a defensive back.

Few college football teams wanted to take a chance on an undersized player, so he signed with Butler County Community College in Eldorado, Kan. After helping his team compile a 20-3 record in two seasons, Mack signed with Troy.

Mack continued to prove his skeptics wrong as a junior by starting 12 of 13 games, finishing with 33 tackles, two interceptions and six passes defended. He helped propel Troy into the New Orleans Bowl in 2006, which was supposed to be the pinnacle of his football career.

Instead, Mack faced another hurdle.

Elbert Mack Sr. died from kidney failure the week of the game. The two had been estranged since Mack's father abandoned the family nearly 13 years earlier.

When faced with the decision to attend the funeral or practice with his team, Mack's choice was easy - he departed immediately for the funeral and came back two days later.

"My dad was set in his own ways, and once I got older I realized that once you're a type of person, you're going to be that person. It was nothing he could control. That is just the way he was," Mack said. "He wasn't trying to put it towards his kids. You only have two parents, regardless. When they're gone, they're gone.

"You only have two biological people in your life, your mom and your dad. I was able to overlook all of that. I know that they love me."

Mack mourned the loss of his father, but his sorrow subsided two days later when he learned he would be a father.

"It was one of those things that when you lose one, you gain one," said Mack, whose son, Wesley, is 1. "I felt like the Lord took one from me, but he blessed me with my son. I was down about my dad, but you never know. That could have been the gift that he gave, which was for me to be a better father to my son."

Mack, who recorded two interceptions in Troy's 41-17 bowl victory against Rice, already was prepared for fatherhood.

He disciplined his brothers - Kameron is now 18 and Chaz 15 - when they were in trouble, encouraged them to study and tried to become a role model for them. To this day, Mack runs his household. And he continues to be his mom's closest friend.

"Nuk is no-nonsense," Paula Mack said. "He knew his dad came with a lot of nonsense, so he was able to deal with that and took the good with the good and the bad with the bad and just went on.

"Even when I was married, he was the man of the house. He's always been my best friend."

Her son has proven to Tampa Bay's coaches that "Nuk" is ready for a man's game.

Mack had one interception, a pass defended and three tackles in Sunday's victory against New England. He has played so well, Bucs defensive backs coach Raheem Morris is giving him a realistic chance of earning a final spot in Tampa Bay's talented secondary.

His production should not be a surprise, considering he led the NCAA with eight interceptions (including one for a touchdown) as a senior while playing with cornerback Leodis McKelvin (a 2008 first-round draft pick by Buffalo).

"He's picked it up a lot faster than some draft picks," Morris said.

"He reminds me of Tanard Jackson last year. When Tanard came and we all were kind of like, 'Wow, he's close to that one,' and, 'Wow, he just missed that one.' Then, all of a sudden, the preseason started and he started making plays. I'm not going to put any limitations on this kid."

Even if Morris did, Mack is used to exceeding his limitations.

Mack was given every reason to fail in life, but found every cause to succeed.

"Making the team, it's very important to me," Mack said. "I wouldn't be here wasting my time if I didn't want to make the team. I want to prove to everyone that no matter how big or how small, where you come from, or how you get there, once you get there, you got to take advantage of the opportunity."

Reporter Anwar S. Richardson can be reached at (813) 259-8425 or arichardson@tampatrib.com.

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