bubba9497 Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 Giants DT Keith Hamilton mulling retirement EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- If these are the final three games of Keith Hamilton's NFL career, the New York Giants defensive tackle wants to go out playing the same way he came in 12 years ago. In other words, quarterbacks Aaron Brooks of New Orleans, Quincy Carter of Dallas and Jake Delhomme of Carolina better duck if they see No. 75 coming as the Giants (4-9) wrap up a disappointing season. "If we were 12-4, I am still going to try to hit that quarterback and tear his head off," Hamilton said. "That's it. I get double-teammed 80 percent of the time. The time I get free to bust his (butt), do you think I am going to slow down? No! I am going to try to take his head off. It's unfortunate, but it's just the way I think." That aggressiveness has been Hamilton's trademark throughout his career. Hamilton would not say whether this will be his final season, but he knows the choice may not be his. If Jim Fassel is fired after this season, Hamilton isn't sure whether he will fit into a new coach's plans. Hamilton, who made a remarkable comeback this year after missing the final 10 games of last season with an Achilles' tendon injury, also isn't sure he wants to go through the work of getting ready for another season. There are also off-the-field problems for the former Pittsburgh product who was the Giants' fourth-round pick in 1992. Hamilton has been indicted on a cocaine possession charge stemming from a motor vehicle stop in May. If convicted, he faces a prison term of three to five years. He has pleaded innocent. Hamilton said he will discuss his future in the final week of the season. He said he intends to play the final three games as hard as he has ever played. "Whatever legacy I left here, I played hard," Hamilton said. "I played through injuries and did everything I could to help this team win. Every time you do that, that means you are going to be a winner. "If I can walk away from the game and look in the mirror and say I played as hard as I could whether we were 12-4 and went to the Super bowl or 4-12, it will be fine with me." With the exception of a couple of roughing the quarterback penalties in recent weeks and a few defensive holding calls, Hamilton has played well this season. His 56 tackles are one shy of his career best. The one area where he has fallen off is sacks. His 1.5 sacks are his lowest since getting three in 1996, the year Dan Reeves was fired. "I've always said I didn't want anybody running me out of town, talking about his skills are diminishing or he can't do what he used to do," Hamilton said. "That's not the way I want to go out. I wasn't foolish with my money. I saved my money for when that time came when I could not do some of the things I'm accustomed to being able to do, so I could say goodbye." http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2003/football/nfl/12/09/bc.fbn.giants.hamilton.ap/index.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonard Washington Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 "I've always said I didn't want anybody running me out of town, talking about his skills are diminishing or he can't do what he used to do," Hamilton said. "That's not the way I want to go out. I wasn't foolish with my money. I saved my money for when that time came when I could not do some of the things I'm accustomed to being able to do, so I could say goodbye." good for him.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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