Eric Young is still an amateur when it comes to football, but he’s had a preview of the NFL experience. And he didn’t even have to go to an NFL city to get it.

Instead, he spent the last NFL draft in Russellville, Ala., with the family of his friend and former Tennessee teammate, Arron Sears, who was taken in the second round by the Tampa Bay Bucs.

“It was so great to hear his name called,” Young said. “I was so excited for him. It was like it was me.”

Next year, it might be Young. He has followed his buddy’s lead on the UT depth chart.

Young, who started all last season at right offensive tackle, moved into Sears’ vacated spot at left tackle in the spring. He will be protecting Erik Ainge’s blind side this fall, and the senior quarterback can only hope Young is as competent as Sears.

“Having Arron Sears, you could just say, ‘Block the defensive end,’ and you never worried about it,” Ainge said. “I think ‘Big E’ could be that guy.

“He’s not there yet. I’m not there yet. Nobody is where they need to be right now. In another three weeks, I really believe he can be that guy.”

Young showed flashes of being “that guy” last fall in his first full season as a starter. He had his best game against the best defensive end tandem in the SEC, Georgia’s Quentin Moses and Charles Johnson, both of whom were taken in the third round of the draft.

His performance was no accident, and Sears had a hand in it.

“Sears emphasized that we had to watch all kinds of film that week,” Young said. “I think that’s why we played so good.

“Moses was a great athlete, quick and explosive. Man, he was quick. It was like you’re going against a receiver.

“I remember during the game, looking over at Sears and saying, ‘I feel like I’m in the NFL, these guys are flying around so quick.’ ”

Georgia was the biggest game of Young’s junior season. Arkansas was his biggest regret.

“I wish I had the mental approach to that game as I did the Georgia game,” he said.

Moses and Johnson entered the 2006 season with all sorts of preseason hype. But by last November, Arkansas junior end Jamaal Anderson had surpassed them. Young didn’t realize that until it was too late.

“It was mind-boggling,” Young said. “I was shocked. I thought, ‘Oh my God, he’s really good.’

“He was a great athlete and a football player. He was like 6-6, 285 with long arms. He could run. He could do it all. I guess that explains why he was a No. 8 pick (in the first round).”

It helps explains a couple of other things, too: The best players in the SEC aren’t always the best players in preseason; an offensive left tackle in this conference rarely has an easy match-up.

In Young’s first SEC game this season, he will have to deal with Florida’s preseason All-American defensive end Derrick Harvey, who was the defensive MVP of the national championship game in January. Mississippi State’s Titus Brown is also an accomplished pass rusher. Despite losing Anderson, Arkansas is still strong at the position with Antwain Robinson and Malcolm Sheppard, who was dominant in the spring.

“In this league, you’ve got to have your A game every week,” Young said. “Everybody you play against is as big and strong as you are. In high school, you could just line up and play.”

Recalling his struggles against Anderson last season should help Young this year. Having played and practiced with Sears should help him even more.

“I learned a lot from Sears,” Young said. “He taught me the importance of watching film and how to practice. It was unbelievable how he practiced. Every day, it was like a game to him.”

Achieving Sears’ consistency is Young’s challenge. No one has questioned his athleticism. He’s 6-4, 305 pounds, and is credited with a 4.8-second 40. He was a Parade All-American football player and a state high school champion in the shot put in his hometown of Union, S.C.

He proved what he could do last October against Georgia. Now, he must prove he can do that one Saturday after the next.

The well-being of his quarterback and his pro aspirations could be hanging in the balance.

Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knews.com.

© 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.