Q&A with Eric Decker

After the Draft, I got in contact with Rookie Wide Receiver Eric Decker, and asked him if he'd be interested in doing a Q&A for the blog. He said he would love too, and we exchanged a few emails. So, without further ado here's what he had to say, enjoy!

Broncos Zone: Did you have any ideas or hints from any teams about who might be drafting you?

Eric Decker: No I didn't, but I felt more confident with the teams I did visit, which Denver was one of them.

BZ: How's your foot doing? And how do you think it effected your draft status?
ED: My foot is feeling really good! I am 6 weeks post-(2nd)surgery and have been jogging and increasing my movement sessions, which is positive! I plan to be participating for OTA's in June and full-go by camp in July. If I put a number on my status, it would be 65-70%. As far as the injury effecting my draft status, I can't say. I know teams wanted to see me run but to be honest I believe everything happens for a reason and am very excited I ended up in Denver!!

BZ: What Bronco players have you met? Have you clicked with anybody yet?

ED: On my visit in Denver, I was introduced to a handful of players. Brandon Stokley, is a player (teammate now) I am most familiar with. I was introduced to him after I suffered my injury this past fall and gained a tremendous amount of respect for him. A great player but a better person!

BZ:What are your goals for this season?

ED: My goals this season is to step in at camp, compete for a role on offense and contribute on special teams if needed. I feel my experience of 3 different offenses throughout my college career has helped me become a versatile player, having the ability to easily play inside and out.

BZ: What is your favorite route, and why?

ED: I have a lot of favorite routes, but I'll keep it simple. Post and Post-Corner routes are two of my favorite routes from the outside because, really, we ran a lot of them successfully in college. From the inside, option routes are my favorite because it's successful versus any coverage.

BZ: There's some great corners in the league right now, Denver's Champ Bailey is one of the best. The Broncos play the Raiders twice this season, and the Jets too, Nnamdi Asomugha and Darrell Revis are there starting corners respectively. Those three guys are arguably the best in the business. Who are you looking forward to facing the most, and do you think you can handle them?

ED: I look forward to the challenge every week, and if I have the opportunity to go against Champ, who is one of the best, it will just help me become a better student for Sunday's.

BZ: You wore #7 in college, but that number is obviously not available, as the Broncos have retired the great John Elway's former number. What number are you looking at getting?

ED: I do want to keep 7 in the number, so if I could get 17 or maybe 87 that would be great. I am leaning towards 87, because I idolized Ed Mac growing up and I was picked with the 87th pick... maybe it's a sign!

BZ: What NFL receiver would you compare yourself to? And what WR do you shape your game after?

ED: I'll let all the fans make their own comparisons, but I continue to emulate my game after Larry Fitzgerald. Obviously, one of the elite receivers in the game today, I have the opportunity to work out with him every summer and am amazed by his work ethic. He is a consistent route runner, high points the football, blocks in the running game, just a complete wide out overall. Also, a great leader in the locker room and in his community, which I feel is very important.

BZ: How old were you when you started playing football? Has your love for the game grown?

ED: I started playing organized football in 4th grade. At recess in elementary school, my buddies and I organized a season and played a "Superbowl" before winter and at the end of the school year. From there, my love for the game kept growing and has become the biggest impact in my life, which I feel shaped my values and attitudes.BZ: Which do you prefer Baseball or Football? And, why?

ED: Football! It's the greatest team sport because, literally, every athlete on the field has to fulfill their duties for the offense to move the ball, not give up a big play on defense, and make an impact in the special teams unit. It's a 60 minute battle, played with the toughest, most competitive athletes around. Can't forget to say a stadium filled with 60,000+ people adds just a little extra adrenaline and excitement that is hard to replace!

BZ: What do you do in your free time?

ED: Being from Minnesota, I love the outdoors. Fishing, hiking, snowmobiling, camping, etc. along with sporting events occupied most of my time.

BZ: What is your relationship status?

ED:I am currently "facebook offical" single, but am talking to a girl I dated for 5 years prior..... You make the call.

BZ: What's your first impression of the Broncos' fans? And, what do you think of Denver?

ED: I have heard nothing but great things about Bronco fans! I believe it has been one of the best football organizations in NFL history and that is a tribute to the support and excitement continually shown by fans!

BZ: And now a few questions from our Facebook fans:

Barry Bach asks: What are you doing physically & mentally to prepare himself for his first NFL training camp?

ED: Physically, I am focused on finishing my therapy and getting my foot back to 100%. Working on increasing my strength and condition levels. Mentally, I continue to watch film and become a student of the game. Talking with veteran players about their experiences and tips to successfully prepare myself for the future.

Josh Heath asks: What is your most memorable moment from your career in Minnesota?

ED: Opening up our brand new on-campus stadium my senior year! A memory and game that will always be with me.

James Patrick Owen asks: You scored a 43 on the Wonderlic test at the combine, how does one study for the Wonderlic and how difficult is it?

ED: For the Wonderlic it was not a case of studying for, but getting comfortable with the idea of question recognition and how much time to take on each question. The test started with easier, common sense-type questions and got harder as the test went on. I felt the hardest questions throughout the test were math ones dealing with %'s that took more time to dissect the actual question.

BZ: And a few more from us:

BZ: Have you talked to Coach McDaniels much since Draft Day, what are you thoughts on him?

ED: I spent time with him on my visit and had a brief conversation on Draft Day. He seems like a passionate guy with great football intelligence and a leader of an organization heading in a positive direction. I am excited to get an opportunity to get to know him better and play for him on Sunday's.

BZ: Have you talked with Demaryius Thomas, or any of the other Bronco wide receivers?

ED: Demaryius is actually in the same agency as myself, and we worked out for over 3 months together at API in Phoenix. The man is a beast, and I am excited to compete and push each other to be the best! Eddie is in our agency too, so I am excited to get an opportunity to meet him. Brandon I obviously met before and think very highly of him.

Broncos Zone sincerely thanks Eric Decker for taking time to drop by, and wish him the best. Good luck this year, and Go Broncos!!!

• Eric Decker was the 7th WR Drafted in the 2010 NFL Draft.
• In 41 college games, Decker caught 220 passes for 3000 yards and 24 touchdowns.
• Watch his Minnesota highlights here.
  
• Follow him on twitter! @E_Decker