For Jarvis Moss, success on the football field has always been there.

Rising above the challenges he faced off the field was the tough part.

As a child, he was constantly shuffled from home to home, under the care of various relatives for one or two years at a time. But the football field was his constant – his anchor – even before he landed at Ryan for high school in 1998.

It was there that he didn’t have to deal with the struggle of a mother addicted to drugs or having to share clothes with his six half-siblings. It was also there that Moss was a notch or two bigger than the fastest kids and a notch or two faster than the biggest kids. He was a perfect defensive lineman.

“That’s his best attribute on the field,” said Ryan head coach Joey Florence. “That speed, that quickness off the line, and his long reach.”

But just when he started to make a name for himself at Ryan, he was nearly stripped of his chances to play at the next level. He was a huge part of the Raiders’ two state titles in 2001 and 2002, but midway through his senior season, after registering 81 tackles and 12 sacks in eight games, he was struck with a mystery illness, later determined to be a bacterial infection in his pelvic bone which caused constant pain and rapid weight loss and which persisted through his first two years as a scholarship player for the University of Florida.

After a medical redshirt, he finally was able to return to his sanctuary on the field in September 2005. The next season, as a redshirt junior, Moss started all 16 games for the Gators, totaling 7.5 sacks and 56 tackles for the SEC championship winners. In the 2006 national championship game against Ohio State, on the biggest stage of his young career, he sacked Buckeye quarterback Troy Smith twice, forcing a fumble on one of the jarring hits as Florida cruised to the title, 41-14.

And a star, or at least a first-round draft choice, was born.

“I really believe that adversity and everything you go through thickens your skin,” Moss said. “Adversity gives me motivation. It’s been hard to keep going sometimes, but I’m stronger for it.”

After his junior season at Florida, it appeared that hard times, battling injury, illness and an instable home life were over. The Denver Broncos took Moss as the 17th overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. But staying healthy in the NFL is never a guarantee, and Moss would suffer yet another setback when he broke his fibula in practice leading up to the Broncos’ November 2007 date with the Detroit Lions.

He played in six games during his rookie year, and the dreaded B-word began to creep up on the young defensive end. There were whispers that he was a bust.

But “the NFL season is a long one,” Moss said. “I can only control my attitude, my approach and how hard I work, so I just wanted to work hard to get back with the team and fill a role.”

And in 2008, Mike Shanahan’s final season as head coach of the Broncos, he found that role. While he wasn’t an every-down lineman, he saw time in 12 games for the Broncos and recorded 2.5 sacks and 25 tackles. He was back on the rise within the organization.

But the latest challenge he’s had to face has been one that has drawn questions toward his ability on the field. When head coach Josh McDaniels and defensive coordinator Mike Nolan came to Denver to replace the outgoing Shanahan, they brought the 3-4 defense with them, which meant a position change for Moss. After playing defensive end since high school, he was now an outside linebacker/rush end. And during training camp, the pressure and sudden change got to Moss like no injury ever has.

He voluntarily missed three days of practice leading up to the 2009 season, citing personal issues.

“I took some time to reflect on football and some personal things,” Moss said. “I had been working hard and trying to find my place again. I’m a team guy, so I will always go with what’s best for the team, but I obviously want my role in the defense to be a bigger one.”

He said that the switch to the 3-4 was a bigger mental hurdle than a physical one.

“The mental cramming and learning the plays was tough,” Moss said. “But lining up, it feels pretty natural. The 3-4 allows guys in my position to do a lot of different things on the field, so it’s pretty exciting.”

But he hasn’t gotten all the way over his latest hurdle just yet. Going into today’s game against the Cowboys, Moss is listed as the Broncos’ third string outside linebacker, behind team leader in sacks (6) Elvis Dumervil and rookie Robert Ayers.

“Jarvis is going to be successful,” Florence said. “He’s struggled on the field before. The kid’s just a winner, and if Jarvis really desires it, he’s going to get there. Whether it’s in Denver or with another team, he’s already proved he can play at the highest level.”

Other than today’s tilt against the Cowboys, Moss has been listed as active on the Bronco roster for just one other game, but he still keeps a keen approach and a sharp mentality going into each week, as if he could be called upon at any time. The Broncos’ defensive front seven has drawn a huge assignment in today’s game – stopping the top-ranked rushing attack of the Cowboys – the team he rooted for as a kid growing up in Denton.

“I was die-hard. The Cowboys were all I knew,” Moss said. “But as for stopping them, it’s going to be all about which team comes out and plays physical with good pad level. We’ve just got to play every down longer and harder than the Dallas Cowboys. We’ve got to be the tougher team.”

When it’s all said and done, the 2009 season may not be the most productive of Moss’ NFL career, but proving his skills and adaptability in a new system will go a long way in making sure that career will be a long one.

“The big thing for me with the new system is making the coaches comfortable with me on the field – making them see that I’m a guy they need out there,” Moss said.

But for many watching from his old stomping grounds, the success Moss has already achieved says more than enough about the man.

“With everything he’s gone through, for him to be where he is – there’s no doubt it’s all made him a stronger person,” Florence said. “To rise to the level of success he’s been able to is a testament to his character, and I couldn’t be more proud of him.”

MATT MARTINEZ can be reached at 940-566-6873. His e-mail address is mmartinez@dentonrc.com .