He was tossing and turning all Saturday night. Sleep just wasn’t going to happen. Restlessness was predictable before a first start in the NFL for the hometown Broncos.
Nerves, however, didn’t ruin Erik Pears’ pregame slumber. It was Poppa Pears who lost sleep.
“I didn’t sleep well that night,” Dan Pears said. “Then, Erik called me in the morning. I said, ‘How did you sleep?’ He said, ‘Like a baby.’ The whole deal didn’t affect him at all.”
That’s been the case during this incredible turn of events. While everyone else in his world is going wild about his unlikely rise in becoming a pivotal starter for the team he pretended to play for as a 4-year-old, Pears is going with the flow.
“Maybe that’s why it’s working,” his father said. “He doesn’t get too excited about things.”
Maybe that’s how the 6-foot-8, 300-pound Pears has made this journey work. Maybe that’s how he made the Broncos’ practice squad last season as an undrafted rookie from Colorado State. Maybe that’s how he became an instant star in NFL Europe this spring even though he hadn’t played in a real game in more than a year. Maybe that’s how he became a surprise addition to Denver’s 53- man roster this preseason. Maybe that’s how he was selected to take over when star left tackle Matt Lepsis went down with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee Oct. 22. Maybe that’s how he made the Colts’ Dwight Freeney, a Pro Bowl pass rusher, work for everything he got Sunday during his first NFL start.
“Erik’s an incredible story,” said his agent, Brett Tessler. “I’ve never had a client come as far as he has in one year.”
Pears is preparing to make his second start at left tackle for the Broncos at Pittsburgh on Sunday. When he made their 53-man roster on Sept. 2, Pears was considered one of the biggest longshots to survive.
Two months later, he is playing a significant position on one of the most respected and specialized offensive lines in the NFL. Not bad for a kid from Denver’s Kennedy High School.
“Everyone I’ve talked to is asking me about Erik,” said retired Kennedy coach Bruce Abeyta, who in 30-plus years of area coaching never had a player end up with the Broncos. “I watched him the other day on TV. It’s really a wonderful accomplishment for such a great kid.”
Pears had an outstanding preseason, highlighted when he shut down Tennessee defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch. When Lepsis went down in the second quarter at Cleveland, Pears came in for his first NFL regular-season action. He performed well, helping the Broncos win 17-7.
After Lepsis was ruled out for the rest of the season, Broncos coach Mike Shanahan chose to go with Pears over veteran Adam Meadows or moving right guard Cooper Carlisle to left tackle. After practicing for three days with the first string, Pears started against the Colts. Freeney had one sack, but it came when he went to the other side of the field.
“He played really well,” Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer said of Pears. “He was real strong on the run, did good in the pass. That’s what I felt all along he would do. He’s a guy that works hard. We didn’t put him on any islands or make his job real hard, but he went out there and still got after it. I knew he would do that. He’s a competitor. He’s strong. Hopefully he’ll just keep improving.”
While Pears’ promotion has everyone else talking, Pears is mum. Other than right tackle George Foster, the unit’s spokesman, the Broncos’ offensive line doesn’t speak to the media. The tradition fits the reserved Pears well.
“He doesn’t say much, but he is the nicest kid in the world off the field,” said David Duggan, Pears’ coach for the Cologne Centurions in NFL Europe. “But on the field, he’s the nastiest guy there is. He went after people and dominated.”
Duggan was with Pears during his pro turnaround. Dan Pears said his 24-year-old son became a man in the spring league. Pears was named to the all-NFL Europe team. A three-year starter at CSU, he started games at tackle and guard for Cologne.
Denver general manager Ted Sundquist said Pears returned from Europe much improved from his season on the Broncos’ practice squad. Pears, who lost about 25 pounds from his college days, came to training camp and fit right into the Broncos’ system. His emergence led to Denver cutting linemen Dwayne Carswell and Cornell Green.
“Erik’s hard work and size and athletic ability all came together in the past year,” Sundquist said. “He is playing a very important position and is doing well. He got to this point with hard work. We have no reason not to believe he is just going to get better and better.”
Staff writer Bill Williamson can be reached at 303-954-1262 or bwilliamson@denverpost.com.
Lepsis out, Pears in
A look at offensive lineman Erik Pears, who has taken over the left tackle spot for the Broncos in the aftermath of Matt Lepsis tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee on Oct. 22:
Hometown: Denver.
How he was acquired: Signed as an undrafted rookie from Colorado State in 2005.
Turning point: Starred in NFL Europe this spring after being on Denver’s practice squad last season.
Progress report: Pears did a solid job Sunday against Dwight Freeney, the Colts’ star pass rusher.
Upcoming challenge: Continue to get better on the fly at the most important spot on the offensive line.
BILL WILLIAMSON
