When a member of the Denver Broncos’ media relations office approached Eddie Royal one day and informed him that Jim Rome wanted to have him on his show, Royal gave said member a wary eye.
“’He [Rome] wants to talk to me?’” Royal remembered saying. “I had to ask him twice.”
Such things tend to happen when one puts up the numbers that Royal did this season.
The former Tech standout, a second-round pick of the Broncos in last April’s NFL Draft, recently went on Jim Rome is Burning, and he made a case for the NFL’s offensive rookie of the year honor after having caught 91 passes for 980 yards, with five touchdowns, in his inaugural campaign. His receptions total – a number that ranked seventh in the NFL – was more than the likes of Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Santana Moss, Steve Smith and Marvin Harrison.
Most NFL rookie receivers struggle from day 1. But not Royal. Thanks to a suspension of the team’s leading receiver, Brandon Marshall, for the first game, Royal started from day 1 – and never gave up the job.
“I think it just gets back to hard work and good coaching,” Royal said. “And I’ve had a lot of veteran players who have helped me. They’ve been there for me on and off the field.
“Each guy has played a different role. Brandon Stokley has helped me set up routes and with my release off the line, and he’s also helped me find people to cut my grass and fix my blinds – things like that. Darrell Jackson has shown me what to expect and how to adjust to things, and Brandon Marshall, just seeing the drive in him. He sets the tempo every day in practice.”
Royal was a model of consistency, which came as a surprise considering his rookie status. He caught a pass in every game he played but one and has caught at least five passes in 11 others. His best game came in the season opener against Oakland – a game in which he got the better of former Tech defensive back DeAngelo Hall by catching nine passes for 146 yards and a touchdown. He also caught nine passes in a losing effort to Kansas City and a losing effort to New England. He caught six passes for 164 yards, including one that went 93 yards for a touchdown, in a Denver win over Cleveland.
You want big plays? Well, he made his share. In addition to that 93-yarder against Cleveland, he also caught a 59-yarder for a score against the Jets. He recorded a 71-yard run on an end-around in Denver’s loss to Buffalo late in the season. And he returned a kickoff 95 yards in the Broncos’ loss to Miami midway through the year. He led Denver in kickoff returns with 23 for 600 yards, a 26.1 average.
“I wouldn’t say I’m surprised,” Royal said of his success. “I wanted to come in and make an impact. I set my goal to start, and I’ve worked hard and made the most of my opportunities.
“The thing with this league is that everyone is good. You hear that all the time when you’re preparing for the draft and then in training camp, but it really is true. No matter what the team’s [opponent’s] record is, you’ve got to be ready to compete.”
Not surprisingly, Royal took a proactive approach in getting ready for this season. Though shocked the Broncos took him in the draft, he wasted little time in getting his hands on Denver’s playbook, immersing himself in the Broncos’ complex scheme under [former] head coach Mike Shanahan. He also came to camp in great shape, and throughout the season, constantly took care of his 5-foot-10, 185-pound body. As a result, he never really hit the ‘rookie’ wall.
“The big thing was the playbook,” he said. “I didn’t want the reason I wasn’t playing to be because I didn’t know the plays. We have a ton of different plays and formations, so I came in and learned it quickly. That way, I could get on the field as early as possible.
“And I’ve been fortunate in keeping my body straight. I have some nicks and bruises, and you’re sore the majority of the week. But usually, you feel good by game day. I took advantage of the hot and cold tubs after practice, and I got a massage twice a week. That helped me a lot.”
Royal has a couple of friendly faces in Denver to keep him company, including defensive end John Engelberger. Now in his fourth season in Denver, the media-shy Engelberger makes sure to give Royal plenty of grief at every opportunity.
“I try to ignore him for the most part,” Royal laughed. “I heard so many stories about him when I was at Tech that I felt like I knew him. But he’s a good guy and a great teammate. It’s nice to have him and CP [Carlton Powell] around.”
Royal reports that Powell, a former Tech defensive tackle who was drafted by Denver in the fifth round in April’s draft and missed the entire season with a torn Achilles tendon, is recovering well and should be ready for organized team activities in the offseason.
He also reports that his mother, Pearl, is doing well and still living in northern Virginia, and that his sister, Christina – a Tech grad who once served in the Corps of Cadets – recently got back from Iraq in time for Christmas.
Overall, Royal loves Denver. He has bought a home there and he speaks glowingly of the fans.
“I really like it,” he said. “I didn’t know what to expect when I got here, but the fans here are great. They are very supportive and the stadium [Invesco Field at Mile High] is so loud. It reminds me of Lane Stadium.”
