VISION QUEST
Elbert Mack
As a boy  Bucs cornerback Elbert Mack watched many of his favorite NFL players wear protective visors and wanted one of his own.  But he refused to wait for his parents to purchase one. Mack went the unconventional route. He cut out a section of a clear plastic 2-liter pop bottle and attached it to his youth league helmet using twist ties.  "Those were the most fun days I had " Mack said. "I even played with it in the games  too."  His ingenuity is no surprise for a young man who years later still is proving his ability to make something out of nothing.
 Division I football seemed a long shot when Mack enrolled in junior college out of high school in Wichita  Kan. Making an NFL roster looked improbable when he went undrafted out of Troy in 2008. And securing a long-term role on an NFL defense appeared implausible even after the wiry  baby-faced prospect surprisingly made the Bucs' final roster last fall.
 But Mack  23  has established that he's the sort of player the new regime in Tampa Bay is looking for to stock its roster.
 During a great first week of training camp  Mack was one of the most intriguing players on the field. He made numerous interceptions in full-squad drills and got his hands on many other passes. He also was willing to mix it up physically in a new defensive scheme that often calls for cornerbacks to engage receivers at the line of scrimmage.
 "We're definitely a little bit more in-your-face defense " he said.
 "I like people to think they're going to push me over " he said. "Then  when they see the fight in me  it changes things. I'm not going to say that I'm going to always win  but I'm definitely going to fight."
Mack is holding up just fine.
 In Mack's likely role as the nickel back  Morris said Mack can expect to be viewed as a weakness. When the defense goes to a three-cornerback lineup  the third one to enter the game is the most likely to be targeted. Who better to fill that role than perhaps the team's most defiant player?
 Mack has been in this position before. At Troy in Alabama  balls flew in his direction as opponents tried to avoid testing his feared teammate Leodis McKelvin  the Bills' 2008 first-round draft pick. And Mack snatched eight interceptions to lead the nation his senior year.
 The next phase of Mack's development is to thrive in his expanded role. He also will look to establish himself as a possible long-term solution when Barber  34  departs.
 "I'm not trying to replace Ronde " Mack said of his fellow 5-foot-10 cornerback. "Ronde will never be replaced. But you can't play the game forever."
 If Mack can follow in Barber's large footprints  he will continue a trend he started long ago.
 "Everywhere I go  it seems like I go through the back but leave out the front " Mack said. "This is the last step  so hopefully I can leave that legacy here."
As a boy  [TGT] watched many of [TGT] favorite NFL players wear protective visors and wanted one of [TGT] own.  But [TGT] refused to wait for [TGT] parents to purchase one. [TGT] went the unconventional route. [TGT] cut out a section of a clear plastic 2-liter pop bottle and attached it to [TGT] youth league helmet using twist ties.  "Those were the most fun days I had [TGT] said. "I even played with it in the games  too."  [TGT] ingenuity is no surprise for a young man who years later still is proving [TGT] ability to make something out of nothing.
 Division I football seemed a long shot when [TGT] enrolled in junior college out of high school in Wichita  Kan. Making an NFL roster looked improbable when he went undrafted out of Troy in 2008. And securing a long-term role on an NFL defense appeared implausible even after the wiry  baby-faced prospect surprisingly made the Bucs' final roster last fall.
 But [TGT]23  has established that [TGT]'s the sort of player the new regime in Tampa Bay is looking for to stock its roster.
 During a great first week of training camp  [TGT] was one of the most intriguing players on the field. [TGT] made numerous interceptions in full-squad drills and got [TGT] hands on many other passes. [TGT] also was willing to mix it up physically in a new defensive scheme that often calls for cornerbacks to engage receivers at the line of scrimmage.
 "We're definitely a little bit more in-your-face defense " [TGT] said.
 "I like people to think they're going to push me over " [TGT] said. "Then  when they see the fight in me  it changes things. I'm not going to say that I'm going to always win  but I'm definitely going to fight."
[TGT] is holding up just fine.
 In [TGT]'s likely role as the nickel back  Morris said [TGT] can expect to be viewed as a weakness. When the defense goes to a three-cornerback lineup  the third one to enter the game is the most likely to be targeted. Who better to fill that role than perhaps the team's most defiant player?
 [TGT] has been in this position before. At Troy in Alabama  balls flew in [TGT] direction as opponents tried to avoid testing [TGT] feared teammate Leodis McKelvin  the Bills' 2008 first-round draft pick. And [TGT] snatched eight interceptions to lead the nation [TGT] senior year.
 The next phase of [TGT]'s development is to thrive in [TGT] expanded role. [TGT] also will look to establish [TGT] as a possible long-term solution when Barber  34  departs.
 "I'm not trying to replace Ronde [TGT] said of [TGT] fellow 5-foot-10 cornerback. "Ronde will never be replaced. But you can't play the game forever."
 If [TGT] can follow in Barber's large footprints  [TGT] will continue a trend [TGT] started long ago.
 "Everywhere I go  it seems like I go through the back but leave out [TGT] said. "This is the last step  so hopefully I can leave that legacy here."