On the first day of the Gridiron Dreams Football Academy at Rocky Mountain High, the biggest instructor found himself with the smallest group of campers.

While young players rushed off to play quarterback and receiver, even defensive back and defensive line, 6-foot-6, 325-pound Ryan Clady instructed a tiny contingent of offensive line wannabes Saturday morning.

Apparently not everyone has gotten the memo about the value of a left tackle - or what being a dominant one can mean to your wallet.

Clady, a former Boise State star and the first-ever Bronco to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, returned to Boise this weekend for two charity events and the two-day football camp.

An immediate starter after being selected No. 12 by the Denver Broncos in 2008, Clady had few campers learning at his impressively quick feet.

"He really emphasized hand speed, how to stay quick and make sure you have really good hands," said Nampa High left tackle Tim Olmsted, who was one of four high-school aged campers to get instruction from the future NFL All-Pro. "He was a lot of fun to be around, but he made sure we came off the field with something."

Surely Clady - a lightly recruited defensive linemen out of Rialto, Calif., who transformed himself into a sure-fire first-rounder as an offensive tackle after his junior season at Boise State - had plenty of knowledge to dispense.

He spent his rookie season wowing teammates, coaches, opponents and commentators with his stellar play at one of the toughest positions in professional football. Responsible for protecting the quarterback's blindside, Clady allowed a half-sack in 16 games despite battling an ankle problem late in the year.

"It was a lot faster. I had to adjust to that," Clady said of the difference between the NFL and college football. "After you do that, it's not tough at all."

His remarkable rookie campaign has him pegged for stardom in a league where rookies seldom come in and dominate like he did.

"Clady's special," said Buffalo Bills tight end Derek Schouman, another instructor Saturday. "There's not a lot of guys who can do that and he's one of them."

Then-Denver coach Mike Shanahan told Sports Illustrated late in the season: "I've never seen anybody do what he's done as a rookie. He doesn't have penalties, doesn't have missed assignments. We don't double-team his guy."

NO. 1 OVERALL?

His incredible season had some wondering if he wouldn't have been the No. 1 pick in this year's draft if he stayed for his senior season. Clady signed a five-year contract worth $14.75 million with $11 million guarantees last year. The No. 1 pick in this year's draft - quarterback Matthew Stafford - signed a six-year, $72 million deal with more than $41 million guaranteed.

Clady is not worried about such hypothetical scenarios. With his money, he remodeled his father's house in California (something he said all along he would do), created a foundation and donated money to the Gridiron Dreams camp. Plus, he already has a year of NFL experience under his belt.

"You've just got to establish that you made it and that you're an elite player in the league," Clady said. "That's what I'm trying to do year after year, get better every year."

Clady also got his first introduction to the business of the NFL this offseason. Denver dropped its final three games of the season and missed out on the playoffs. Shanahan, a two-time Super Bowl champion, was fired, news Clady got from his agent.

"I didn't see it coming at all," he said.

Then new coach Josh McDaniels had a falling out with quarterback Jay Cutler, and Denver shipped the emerging star signal-caller to the Bears. McDaniels, formerly an assistant coach with the Patriots, is installing a new offense in Denver.

"That's definitely going to be a hard transition. It's a whole different offense. It's a little bit more complicated than the last offense," Clady said. "It's going to take some time to get used to it and to be able to perform well in it."

Clady insists he is not worried about the change, not concerned that the coach who drafted him has been replaced by a new regime.

"I don't think I have to prove myself to new people just because of the simple fact that they can put on the game tape," he said. "I want to show that last year wasn't a fluke and try to do the same thing again or even better."

WARM RECEPTION

Here is one of the best players to ever play at Boise State and instead of adoration, he is received with almost detached admiration.

Clady got to Friday's charity basketball game late after flying in from Denver, where the Broncos finished up practice. Organizers stalled the game to make sure Clady would be able to play. A bit bewildered by his immediate insertion into the game, Clady scored a basket but generally stayed out of harm's way. He received respectful applause from the crowd when he entered the gym and drew a sizeable autograph line in the lobby following the game.

But it was nothing compared to what would have happened if, say, Ian Johnson had been the special guest.

Despite his lofty draft status and bright future as one of the NFL's best left tackles, Clady will never be beloved in Boise quite like Johnson or many others from the past few dominant Bronco teams.

Part of it is his position. Offensive linemen are never going to sell as many jerseys as quarterbacks or running backs. Part of it is his personality. Shy and reserved, Clady is reluctant to do media interviews. Denver's offensive linemen only did interviews this season when threatened with fines by the NFL.

But get Clady comfortable around teammates and friends and his personality shines. He boasted about the Lakers claiming a spot in the NBA Finals with the other camp instructors and smiled as Alex Guerrero - the camp organizer and a close friend - teased him throughout the day. Clady even allowed pint-sized campers to push him around during drills, something NFL defensive ends found much more difficult on Sundays last fall.

"You watch TV and you see him playing and then you get here and he's even bigger than you thought," Olmsted said.

Brian Murphy: 377-6444