"I wasn't on the snow once (in the off-season)," the former U.S. Olympic skier said yesterday after he practiced with his Philadelphia Eagles teammates in the searing heat at the NovaCare Complex.

Some might think Bloom still is trying to pull off a snow job by convincing people that he can make the transition from world-champion skier to major NFL talent.

"There are always going to be doubts," Bloom said after finishing a week in which it became more likely than ever that he would open the 2007 season as the team's punt and kick returner. "It's the same in skiing, the same in football, and the same for every athlete in this building. There are always going to be people who say I can't.

"They look at me and see I'm a smaller guy, but I've dealt with (the doubters) my whole career — even in skiing. That's always helped motivate me a little bit more."

One person who doesn't have any doubts that Bloom can do the job is new special-teams coach Rory Segrest. With Bethel Johnson released after failing a physical because of a leg stress fracture, Bloom has become first on the depth chart for returning punts and kicks.

A year ago, Bloom's season consisted of two kick returns in the preseason and a trip to the injured reserved list because of a strained hamstring. Now, he wants to overcome a three-year absence from the game — he wasn't eligible to play his last two years at Colorado because of skiing endorsements — and emerge as not just a quality returner but also as a contributing receiver.

If nothing else, he's getting advice and encouragement from two of the league's elite players. Bloom said he has sought and received advice about punt returning from teammate Brian Westbrook, who proved to be a game-breaking punt returner in his second season with the Eagles.

"He's been a great help to me being back there and catching balls," Bloom said. "Any time Brian opens his mouth, I listen, because he's phenomenal at making people miss and seeing holes and catching punts, so he's been helpful."

Segrest said he has seen considerable improvement from the 25-year-old Bloom in the punt-catching department.

"Last year, he was a little bit shaky," Segrest said. "He had been out of the loop a little bit. I think he's put a lot of work and a lot of effort into that area. He's very solid at catching punts right now."

Westbrook seems to think that Bloom is the right man for the return jobs.

"When I see Jeremy, I see a lot of quickness," Westbrook said. "He's fast, he works well in small spaces, and for punt returns that's what you really need. You make a couple of people miss and pick up a couple of key blocks and you have a lot of yards to make out there. I've seen some tapes of him when he was at Colorado, and he was able to make people miss and pick up a lot of yards. I don't doubt in any way that he'll be able to do that at this level."

Bloom also has consulted Carolina's Steve Smith, who has made the Pro Bowl as a returner and a receiver. The two were introduced last year by former Eagles returner Reno Mahe when the Panthers played at Lincoln Financial Field. At 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds, Smith is similar in size to Bloom, who is listed as 5-9 and 180.

"We've talked quite a bit, actually," Bloom said. "Any time I have questions for him, whether it be on offense or special teams, he always helps me out. He invited me to his celebrity golf tournament last month and I tried to pick his brain as much as I could down (in Charlotte). He's just a guy I really look up to because of the way he plays the game. I think he plays it with the right attitude and mentality. It's unbelievable to watch him on tape."

Bloom knows his foot into the NFL door probably will be as a returner this season, but he doesn't want to limit himself to that aspect of the game.

"I know my biggest opportunity right now is in special teams, and I love that opportunity," Bloom said. "That's a part of the game that I really appreciate and study, but receiver is just as important to me.

"Ultimately, it's about helping this team win football games, and if I can do that by putting myself in a position to get that fourth-receiver status or third-receiver spot either this year or later down the line, that's my goal."