Broncos

(CBS4/DenverBroncos.com) As Paul Ernster fielded a phone call from the Broncos on the final Sunday afternoon in April, he couldn't help but sense a future in Denver. The incumbent at his dual-pronged position, Jason Baker, was not among the league's leaders in punts and kickoffs; it seemed as though the door was wide open for Ernster to step in and provide an immediate jolt.

There was an ongoing, massive reconstruction of the special teams that weekend, as Ernster was the third of the six picks who had the potential for significant contributions on special teams, along with cornerback/returner Darrent Williams and offensive lineman Chris Myers, who took up long snapping at the Senior Bowl three months prior.

"When they actually called me, everybody saw I was pretty excited," Ernster recalled. "They were obviously at the top of my list, because they had a need for a punter, and it was a good fit.

"I had them at the top of my list."

A month later, the landscape was unrecognizable. The Broncos had acquired Todd Sauerbrun, the only man ever to lead either conference in gross-punting average for three straight years, doing so from 2001-03 and nearly extending the streak last autumn when he averaged 44.1 yards per punt -- just .0728 of a yard behind Washington's Tom Tupa.

It would have been easy for Ernster to be daunted by his impending competition, but that was anything but the case, and Ernster's typically relaxed demeanor didn't fail him when he heard the news.

"You can't really let it get to you. They just want to be careful; they were really lacking in that area last year," Ernster said. "It's one of those things (where) you don't question what they're doing, and then they won't question what you're doing. If I go out there and do my job, things will work out for the best."

Things worked out fairly well during Ernster's four years at Northern Arizona University, particularly last fall, when he assumed punting duties in addition to the placekicking chores he handled from 2002-04, and kickoffs, which he manned all four years there.

Last season, Ernster 47.8 yards per punt, a statistic that some question because NAU is located in Flagstaff, Ariz. -- elevation 7,011 feet, or 1,983 feet higher than Denver. Few players ever have to deal with a drop in elevation in joining the Broncos, but Ernster believes he'll be unaffected.

"I put (kickoffs) out the back (of the end zone) in Flagstaff; I can put them out the back here," he said. "Punts, you can still kick them just as far, just as high. The only difference is from when you go from here to a sea-level school like Portland State or one of the Bay Area schools. That's the only big difference you notice. Everything else is the same -- if you hit the ball well, it's a nice punt."

Outside of the community of fans of Division I-AA NAU, Ernster was scarcely known to the public when the Broncos selected him with their final draft pick, sending reporters scurrying for Google -- Ernster's favorite Web site.

A few clicks of the computer later, and one reporter had something worth sharing -- a link to a student Web site on the NAU server where Ernster was described as a preteen genius who was abducted and forced into a Japanese biotechnology weapon development program at the age of 12.

A few reporters gathered around the laptop monitor to peruse the page and collectively chuckled, as if to say, "Who is this guy?" As it turned out, this guy was just a fellow having fun with an undegraduate assignment.

"I just put a bunch of stuff on that would catch someone's eye. I got an A," Ernster said. "People know it's just a joke. I was just messing around, having a good time."

It not only shed a glimmer of light onto Ernster's puckish side, but onto his aspirations away from football. Before an NFL opportunity went from pipe dream to realistic hope, Ernster had his sights set on a career writing code for and designing Web sites, and earned a degree in computer information systems.

"I graduated in December; I was writing Web sites for Northern Arizona University, developing a Web site for one of the departments," Ernster said. "It was a Web site where people register to study abroad, like an application process, storing the data, all kinds of databases. It was pretty complicated.

"I was about halfway to three-quarters of the way through it when things started picking up."

NFL teams began to beckon, interested in the fact that he could handle both kickoffs and punting work. Ernster worked out for several clubs, including the Broncos, and honing himself into shape for the sessions trumped the duties he had left for NAU.

"I started working less and less and started working out more and more," he said. "I worked on it for so long then I figured I'd go somewhere, so I kind of started backing off, and they brought the new people in a couple of days before I left, so I really didn't have time to get them acquainted."

Even now, Ernster helps supervise the completion of the project, communicating via e-mail with his replacements back in Flagstaff. The guts of the Web will always remain of interest to Ernster; he'd like to design a personal Web site once he establishes himself in the NFL.

For now, he'll simply attempt to maximize his detour into the NFL.

"Things just worked out," Ernster said. "I'd probably still be programming right now if I didn't get a shot with the Broncos."

And he's confident about his shot, even though he'll duel with arguably the league's strongest leg.

"I understand that they want to bring as many guys in as they can to compete for the job," Ernster said. "The best man will win."

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