Marshal Yanda came to the Ravens in the third round of this year's college draft, projected as a player who would patiently wait his turn at offensive tackle behind Jonathan Ogden and Adam Terry.
Fewer than two dozen snaps into the 2007 season opener in Cincinnati, the process for Yanda sped up exponentially when Ogden, the perennial All-Pro already battling a hyperextended big toe, sprained his foot.
Yanda's number was called.
"I was pretty nervous; I'm not going to lie," Yanda recalled this week. "I had two false starts. I had a holding penalty. It was a pretty bad game for me. I was nervous because I didn't expect to play. You've just got to be ready. From then on, I tried to improve every game."
Along with fellow rookies Ben Grubbs, the team's first-round draft pick, and Jared Gaither, who was picked in the supplemental draft after leaving Maryland, Yanda has given the Ravens their offensive line of the future.
"The best thing about Marshal is that he doesn't repeat mistakes," offensive line coach Chris Foerster said. "The things he learned a week ago, those mistakes usually don't show up again; it's a new set of things. Eventually, he'll get to a point where - when he's seen everything - there won't be a lot of mistakes."
Yanda, who has since replaced a banged-up Terry at right tackle after Ogden returned, will face perhaps his stiffest test when he matches up at times tomorrow against Miami Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
For Yanda, it's another opportunity to learn.
"Each game is a really big challenge to me," Yanda said. "I'm still learning how to play at this level. The big thing I try to do is I try to focus on those guys during the week, see what they're good at. I try to look at their tendencies so when they come up in a game, I'm not surprised by it."
Though there have been more than a few bumps and breakdowns along the way judging by the number of times quarterback Kyle Boller - and Steve McNair before him - has been sacked, hurried and generally harassed, Yanda's effort has been appreciated by his teammates.
"He's a lineman, meaning that things [breakdowns] irritate him, upset him," Ogden said. "He's got the right mentality to make it in this league. He's not the biggest [6 feet 3, 310 pounds], strongest guy, but he plays tough, he plays hard, and he's learning on the go. He's been a very pleasant surprise for us."
