Oakland likes what it sees in Ekejiuba

ALAMEDA -- Isaiah Ekejiuba is tall, fast and strong. He looks like he has as much body fat as a skinless chicken breast. He's smart, tough and eager to learn. He can shed blocks and tackle.

In short, Ekejiuba -- affectionately known as Ike to his teammates in Oakland -- has the makings of a perfect linebacker. But as he enters his third NFL season, he's still a fringe player on defense. In fact, if he weren't such a good special-teams player, Ekejiuba would have little chance of making the Raiders' roster.

That's what happens when you don't pick up football until your sophomore year of college.

Ekejiuba spent his childhood in Africa, China and London, following his mother, who worked for the United Nations. His mom eventually became a professor at Colgate, moving Ike to upstate New York. Ekejiuba played soccer and basketball and ran track in high school, then went to the University of Virginia to study electrical engineering.

During his sophomore year at Virginia, he walked on to the football team as a wide receiver. Over the next two seasons, he became one of the best special-teams players on the team. He joined the Raiders' practice squad as a rookie in 2005 and was elevated to the active roster later that season. He knew how to break a wedge, but was utterly lost at linebacker.

Most NFL special-teamers (kickers and return men aside) take up the task reluctantly. They were football stars in high school and college, and joined the pro ranks with visions of heroics at running back or tight end. Generally, players don't become known for chasing down kickoffs or blocking punts until they have tried, and failed, to secure starting positions on offense or defense.

Ekejiuba is the exception. He has never been anything but a special-teamer.

"You talk about a guy starting behind," Raiders defensive coordinator Rob Ryan said. "Never played, really. I mean, college ball he played on special teams late, never played in high school. So he improves every day. And if it came down to taking an SAT or something, he'd blow it away. But football's a little different breed of animal."

Because of Ekejiuba's potential, and because he's valuable to have around for special teams, the Raiders are trying hard to make him a linebacker. Position coach Don Martindale has spent hours working with him on the practice field and in the film room, getting him to bend at the knees and helping him diagnose plays.

This year, Martindale started with the most basic fundamentals of playing linebacker, giving Ekejiuba the foundation he lacked when he first joined the team in 2005.

"Oh, man, it was like a different language out here," said Ekejiuba, 25. "The verbiage, everything that's used is so different that if you're not paying attention, like if you miss one of the basic things, you could get lost. So that's sort of how it was for me. If you don't understand the foundation of the defense, then everything else that's put in along the season, it's kind of hard. So that's why this year we started from the building blocks."

During this exhibition season, Ekejiuba has normally been part of the Raiders' second trio of linebackers, along with veteran Robert Thomas and young middle linebacker Ricky Brown. Though far from fluid, he is starting to make plays, like the third-down sack he got against Arizona.

"It all depends how bad he wants it," Thomas said. " He's starting to study a lot of film, which is encouraging. And the sky's the limit for him. He's tall, lean, strong, fast. He has all the tangibles of being a linebacker."

It's the intangibles Ekejiuba lacks -- the ability to read an offensive alignment, to sniff out a play micro-seconds after the snap, and to carry out his assignment swiftly. As long as he continues to excel on the kicking teams, the Raiders will like Ike well enough to keep him around. And their patience may one day be rewarded with a solid NFL linebacker.

GABRIEL AMONG CUTS

The Raiders cut four players to get down to the mandated limit of 75, and three of them were recognizable names.

Doug Gabriel caught 76 passes for 1,206 yards during four seasons in Oakland (plus another 25 for 344 with New England last year); fellow wide receiver Johnnie Morant played three seasons for the Raiders and started two games in 2006; and defensive end Kevin Huntley was the first-team right defensive end at the start of training camp. Quarterback Jeff Otis also was waived.

The Raiders must trim another 21 players by Saturday. That could include running back Michael Bush, who remains on the temporary physically unable to perform list but might be moved to the long-term PUP. But it won't include running back Dominic Rhodes, who will be a roster exemption when his four-game suspension kicks in Friday.

EXTRA POINTS

Bush was the only player on the roster who did not practice Tuesday. Kiffin expects everyone to be ready to play at Seattle on Thursday.

Andrew Walter made a brief appearance in the locker room, but declined to answer questions about his removal from the starting-quarterback competition. "Nope! I'm going lifting," he said.

Justin Griffith will start at fullback, another position that remains competitive.

You can reach Staff Writer Phil Barber at 526-8672 or phil.barber@pressdemocrat.com.