scskinsfan Posted July 26, 2004 Share Posted July 26, 2004 http://www.redskins.com/news/newsDetail.jsp?id=574 Clinton Portis Q&A Interview By Gary Fitzgerald Redskins.com July 26, 2004 Running back Clinton Portis spoke with Redskins.com following Monday's practice at Redskins Park: Q: Clinton, what was your mindset at the first practice today? A: "I'm of the mindset that camp has started. I was out there running around today. It's serious. People complain about camp, but at the same time you're glad camp is here. I know that in a week, my back is going to feel tight from all the work. There's a pain that comes with camp. Once you're done with camp, hat's when you start having fun, that's when the season comes around. Right now, it's kind of like, 'Camp is here and I know I'm going to be hurting.' And you almost don't want to go through it. If you can find a way to skip camp, you would, but it's something you have to go through." Q: Joe Gibbs said earlier this offseason that you were not like any back he's had before. What are your thoughts on that? A: "Now he's had some great backs, some legendary backs, players like Coach [Earnest] Byner and John Riggins. Like I said, I go out and play the way I play. I try to play with excitement. Those guys played with excitement and passion in a different way. I know Coach Byner played with a lot of heart. He made the best of his talent. He wasn't necessarily a great 'athlete,' so to speak. He was more of a 'run-through-the-wall' type of back." Q: What are your thoughts on Ricky Williams' sudden retirement from the NFL? A: "The NFL is losing a good back. I don't know what his situation is, but I think Ricky could have been one of the great players." Q: Were you surprised at the timing of his retirement? A: "Oh yeah, I was surprised. I looked up at the TV screen and it said Ricky Williams was retiring and I didn't believe it at first. There's probably more to it than anybody knows, but he's been going out and taking a pounding over the last few years, considering all of the carries he's had." Q: Would you be upset if a teammate ever walked out on the team just a few days prior to the start of training camp? A: "It wouldn't upset me because you never know what's going on in someone's life. It's hard to wake up every morning and go out and run and take a lot of hard hits. You really wouldn't be upset because you wouldn't know what's going on. This is a game. If a man wants to walk away, he should walk away. Now if the team had walked away from him, nobody would have questioned it. Nobody would have said, 'The Dolphins did Ricky Williams wrong.' It would have been that they didn't need him anymore." Q: What's the approach of this Redskins coaching staff compared to the coaches you played for in the past? A: "I would say they're excited. I think I worked with a great coaching staff out in Denver, having Coach [Mike] Shanahan there. I think this coaching staff is very excited. They're on to something big and I'm glad to be a part of it. They have a plan that they're selling, and everybody's buying." Q: How excited are you to be playing your former team, the Denver Broncos, in two weeks at the Hall of Fame Game: A: "In the back of my mind, I'm thinking if I can get one carry for 85 yards and a touchdown, I probably won't have to play the rest of the game. It is going to be exciting to play Denver for the first time. I think [broncos linebacker] Al Wilson is probably one of the best linebackers in the game. Playing against Al Wilson and knowing the type of player he is and the type of desire he has, that's going to be exciting. And playing against [broncos defensive tackle] Trevor Pryce and [broncos safety] Kenoy Kennedy, it's going to be fun." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted July 26, 2004 Share Posted July 26, 2004 They're on to something big and I'm glad to be a part of it. They have a plan that they're selling, and everybody's buying." Gotta love it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cphil006 Posted July 26, 2004 Share Posted July 26, 2004 The only Clinton I like, will be in D.C. for 8 more years...Gotta love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terpfan Posted July 26, 2004 Share Posted July 26, 2004 I like Portis. Can't wait to see ihm break his first 80 yarder... that's something we've been missing for a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
[[ghost]] Posted July 26, 2004 Share Posted July 26, 2004 yeah, i seriosly can't wait for the season. does pre-season really start in 2 weeks. i though people were talkin about major camp development or something, but we'll get too see our players in action for real in 2 weeks?!? i can't wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rypien 91 Posted July 27, 2004 Share Posted July 27, 2004 Originally posted by scskinsfan A: "I would say they're excited. I think I worked with a great coaching staff out in Denver, having Coach [Mike] Shanahan there. I think this coaching staff is very excited. They're on to something big and I'm glad to be a part of it. They have a plan that they're selling, and everybody's buying." [/b] Best quote of the story...only 2 weeks!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.