SANTA CLARA – The question seemed like a ridiculously easy one for Clinton Portis: Which former University of Miami tailback is the best NFL rusher?

Like most ex-Hurricanes, Portis doesn't lack self-esteem, and he has a well-developed sense of humor. The question was a softball, and the Redskins running back would oblige by hitting it out of the park. The next words out of his mouth would be "Clinton Portis."

Instead, his smile disappeared and he grew serious.

"Honestly, I always thought Frank was the best one out of all of us, and I'm big on myself," Portis told the NFL Network in June.

When you're a key player in a high-profile college program, you don't always root for your understudy to succeed. But to hear Portis and Frank Gore tell it, there wasn't a speck of jealousy between them at Miami.

Gore said Portis, who was a junior when Gore was a freshman, treated him like a younger brother, teaching him the playbook and letting Gore hold his car – an old, gold Toyota Camry – whenever Portis was away. In return, Gore's mother, Liz, threw Portis the mother of all draft parties at her home in Coconut Grove, Fla., when Portis left Miami for the Denver Broncos in April 2002.

Portis said he was impressed with Gore even before the latter set foot on campus. While Gore was in high school, Portis and his Miami teammates sat in the stands as Gore's school, Coral Gables High, took on the school of future Miami wide receiver Sinorice Moss.

"They ran a four-receiver, run-and-shoot set and just gave (Gore) draws," Portis recalled. "He single-handedly ran through Carol City (High School), and they were the top team. That wowed me."

Far from begrudging him playing time, Portis said he would remove himself in the second half of games to give Gore extra carries. Before Miami was to play Nebraska in the 2002 Rose Bowl, Portis turned to his roommate.

"He said, 'I'm going to give you the rock,' " Gore said. " 'This is my last game. Now you've got to hold it down for me.' I was excited about that. Now I get the chance to be the man."

Which isn't to say the former Hurricane tailbacks don't have a brotherly rivalry.

The two have gone head to head only once, in 2005 when Gore was a backup to Kevan Barlow. Late in that game, Gore broke a 72-yard touchdown run, and he finished with 89 rushing yards.

Portis, however, was 12 yards better, and he scored three touchdowns in a 52-17 Redskins rout.

Gore also knows Portis has the edge over him this season in rushing yards, 1,407 to 978.

"We're so competitive we always want to outrush each other," Gore said. "He got me this year, but you know, I'm going to try and come back this Sunday and outperform him. We've got to win. If I do that and win, hey, we're good. Happy New Year to me."

(sacbee.com0

Clinton Portis won't list this game in his pantheon of highlight performances, but the Pro Bowl running back did score the touchdown that lifted the Washington Redskins past the visiting Philadelphia Eagles 10-3 in Sunday's home finale.
Portis finished with just 70 yards on 22 carries, but coming on the heels of five losses in six games and against the NFC's top defense just two days after he woke up with back spasms, it was satisfying.

"I don't think nobody on our team had been Christmas shopping," Portis said. "I haven't bought one gift. [Now] you tend to buy a gift you wouldn't normally have. Before this week, everybody would probably [have received] $50 gift certificates."

The biggest gift Portis received Sunday was the fumble that defensive end Jason Taylor forced and linebacker London Fletcher recovered and advanced 12 yards to the Philadelphia 18-yard line 3:33 into the third quarter. Five plays later, Portis ran off left tackle and into the end zone from a yard out for his first touchdown in eight games.

"I really wanted to spike the ball, spin on my head, jump into the crowd, but they throw the flag for everything," Portis said, referring to the $10,000 fine the NFL levied on receiver Santana Moss for a touchdown celebration a week earlier in Cincinnati.

Portis, who already had played with injuries to his knee, hip, neck and ribs and who missed time Sunday with a bruised left hand, surprised himself by overcoming his ailing back.

"I didn't think I was going to play," said Portis, whose 1,407 yards are the third most in a season in team history, trailing his 1,516 in 2005 and Stephen Davis' 1,432 in 2001. "As soon as I walked in [the locker room], Santana said, 'You look like you're walking good.' Once you get the vibe of the locker room, guys start depending on you. Everyone looking [at you], you can't let your teammates down."

(washigtontimes.com)

Since Clinton Portis's mansion was featured on MTV cribs while he still played for the Broncos, "Portis" and "stripper pole" have been joined like leg to metal.

But old news doesn't make it any less irresistible. If you're a young lady and you show up at his summer pool party and find yourself in a vaguely burgundy and gold room with a sliver of silver in the middle, you have to stop and pose for pics (and then post them on Facebook). And if you're a blogger and you find these pictures in your inbox, you have to post them, even if the only response you'll get is "Yup, that's a pole in a vaguely burgundy and gold room."

In other pool party pic news, Portis appears to own a large bobblehead of himself, an interestingly toned bar, an expansive swimming pool and some sort of grotto-with-waterfall. That last pic, though, featured some bikini-clad revelers, so I left it out. This is the Washington Post, after all. We have standards




(washigtonpost.com)

7 proCanes will be heading to Hawaii in February for the 2009 NFL Pro Bowl. They are: Clinton Portis, Jon Beason, Jeff Feagles, Reggie Wayne, Andre Johnson, Ray Lewis, and Ed Reed.

I think Clinton Portis is going to be in front of us one day for Hall of Fame consideration. Two games shy of seven full seasons, and he's already past 9,000 yards. He's 27 years old. Can he muster 4,000 more yards? I'd think he will. If so, he'll be in Eric Dickerson territory.


(cnnsi.com)

After a team meeting on Wednesday in which he declared he wouldn't let the dustup become a distraction, Washington Redskins coach Jim Zorn met with running back Clinton Portis to sort out their differences.

"I saw 'em a while ago shaking [hands] and joking around with each other," quarterback Jason Campbell said before practice. "That's a positive. Sometimes what you think about someone may not be what's true because you never really sat down and had a conversation with each other."
Less than 24 hours earlier, Portis had called out his coach during his weekly paid appeareance on the team-owned radio station, ESPN 980, still angry over what he considered a benching during the team's loss on Sunday to the Baltimore Ravens.

Portis was on the bench for all but two of the Redskins' second-half offensive snaps, replaced after the first series by Ladell Betts and Mike Sellers. The Redskins, meanwhile, have lost two games in a row to fall to 7-6 on the season; one more loss could sink their dwindling playoff hopes.

"We got a genius for a head coach, so I don't know. I'm sure he's got everything figured out," Portis said during Tuesday's episode of "The John Thompson Show." "All I can do is when he calls a play is to go out and execute to the best of my ability."

Portis and Zorn both conducted interview sessions after practice.

"We had an excellent conversation and got things clarified and came out to practice," Zorn said."Hopefully we'll be able to get around to the business at hand, which is preparing for Cincinnati."

Said Portis: "I wasn't hoping to accomplish anything. It was something on my chest that I needed to get off and I did. Now that was yesterday. Today, I'm at work. We're getting ready to play the Cincinnati Bengals."

Linebacker London Fletcher led a players-only meeting before Zorn's gathering, though it had been scheduled before Portis' on-air tirade. Most players agreed that they wouldn't let the situation become a distraction, nor did the players take sides in the squabble.

"[Questioning the calls] is not something you should do as a player," Fletcher said. "Coaches coach and players play. Regardless of whatever the call is, you go out there and execute that play to the best of your abilities. That's the way most of the guys are around here. We'll get the rest to buy into it.

"Clinton's a great teammate," Fletcher added. "I love Clinton, the way he approaches the game. Clinton's not one of those guys. You watch him play and there's no doubt, he's out there fighting, giving his all. He believes in what's going on, what's being called. He's going to go out and do his job and somebody else's. He's not a guy you have to get that message across to at all."

Wide receiver Santana Moss, who also played with Portis at the University of Miami, understands his buddy as well any Redskin.

"[Clinton] will never give us nothing less [than his best]," Moss said. "You can't fault him sometimes for the way he might express himself. He gonna speak his mind. He's still going to go out there, hit somebody in the mouth, take a mean hit when he run the ball, when you catch the ball, he'll be knocking somebody out downfield for you. He never stops playing. He just expresses his feelings a little differently than other guys.

And a number of players, such as 13-year veteran Pete Kendall and former Falcons and Raiders defensive back DeAngelo Hall, said they'd seen much worse and much crazier during their various stops around the league.

"Two of the most competitive guys here, emotional guys, too. It's not hard to figure out how either one's feeling," Kendall said. "If you can't tell by looking at 'em, you just have to ask. Maybe that's a little bit of what happened. I expect it will blow over. I don't think they need to hug in front of the team. We'll be OK."

(washigtontimes.com)

Listen to the Interview here

So we officially have a chemistry problem. Clinton Portis unloaded on Jim Zorn during today's John Thompson Show appearance, over and over again. He swore, he suggested maybe he should go on the injured reserve, he offered to become a cheerleader, and he said this, when asked what adjustments should be made.

"We got a genius for a head coach, I don't know, I'm sure he on top of things. He's got everything figured out. Hey, that's up to him. All I can do is when he calls a play is go out and try to execute to the best of my ability."

And then later, on the big picture, he had this to say:

"I don't know where it went wrong, all I know is it's going wrong. So, you know, maybe I'm the problem. Maybe I'm the problem since I don't practice, since I'm the only person that don't practice and come out and play and try to give it what I've got, maybe I'm the problem. So I might need to be on IR."

Zorn's response, an hour later, to Portis's claims that he was benched?

"Well, any time you don't go in, that's the way you feel," Zorn said. "And he is a big part of our offense and he's sitting on the bench, he's got to feel like he's benched, I don't blame him for that."

And Zorn on the IR question: "No, I think he's gotten himself healthy, I think he felt a lot better after this game and I'm looking forward to having him out there on every snap, practicing [and] getting ready for the Cincinnati Bengals so we can use him as our every down back."

And lastly, Zorn on the practice issue: "It wasn't that we weren't getting the running ability, he was doing great things, his effort was high. He would tell you this and I agree with him wholeheartedly, that when he is playing the game he's giving you his best effort and I've said this over and over again, he's very wicked on the playing field, he's what you want....Each week I felt like in certain parts of the game he was getting out on routes but it wasn't exact and quick. And I thought, 'ok here's an opportunity for us to get Ladell in, who HAS practiced.' And he knows it just because he's rehearsed it and rehearsed it. I think [Portis is] a confident player and he would believe he can do it without reps, I just made the decision not to give him that chance.

More Portis quotes:
On his coaches: "If my coaches don't feel like I can get it done, put me on the sidelines. You feel like I can help this team, put me on the field, and that's all I've got to say about it....I don't have to confront them. They know what they've got. They know what's standing on the sideline. Five weeks ago, three weeks ago, four weeks ago when I'm sitting first in the NFL and all of the sudden we don't run the ball no more? I'm hurt, and that's why we ain't running it? Cmon. You [kidding] me?"

On the lines of communication: "It ain't lack of communication with me because that's some BS to go out and say I don't know what's going on. When have I missed a meeting? Let me start missing meetings. Let me not come out and practice, let me sit my ass in the training room if I don't know what's going on. What am I standing outside for?"

On being benched: "You know, London Fletcher played in the game and didn't practice all week. All of the sudden it gets aggravating to [see me] standing on the sideline and you see me step into something and pick it up and understand what's going on. I haven't missed a meeting, I haven't missed a practice. I'm outside, I hear everything everybody else hears. It kind of shocked me too, but hey that's what the man said. You go back and watch film, I guarantee you won't see me make no mistakes. Maybe he's watching a different film than me."

On his understanding of the situation: "If it's an issue with me, you tell me that. Outside of Jim Zorn and the coaches on that team and maybe the quarterbacks, I guarantee you I know our system better than anybody else, I guarantee when we go over blitz pickups I don't miss my man. I don't know what it is, bro. If anybody got a problem with me, they need to talk to me. I don't know whats going on."

On his plans: "I'm gonna go out there and try to make sure I don't get hurt and I'll make sure I get out in every pass route. If my man ain't coming, I ain't chipping nobody, I ain't doing nothing I ain't supposed to do. I'm gonna get out in my pass route and that's where I'll be. If somebody else give up a sack or anything else, that's on them."

On communication: "Hey, they don't tell me nothing. They don't have to answer to me bro. One day it's fun, it's nice, you smile, you happy for me, you appreciate the way I play on the field, you just wish I would practice. If I could practice, I'd practice. If my injuries weren't legit than the training room wouldn't hold me out, they'd have me on the field. I think people get caught up into the conversation of the media but then tell you not to get caught up into the conversation....

"I go out there and give it everything I've got. If I can run through the week I'd practice, if I can't then I ain't. And I'm not gonna force myself to go onto a field and do something crazy, and then all of the sudden I'm out. What I need to be around for is Sundays and that's what I try to be around for. So I mean, if you've got a problem with me not practicing and can't do it that way, maybe you feel like you need to sever ties, split ties with me? Split ties with me. But don't sit here and throw me out like I don't pay attention, like I don't know what's going on, like I'm making mistakes, I'm the problem. You know, so, it is what it is, bro."

On his blocking assignments: "You know, one day it's chip on your way out, then if you don't chip and you get out and the quarterback gets sacked it's like, 'Oh, you need to help this man out.' So they don't know what they want. They want you to chip, they want you to block, Jason's on his ass all game long, you're trying to stay in and help, and then it's, 'Oh, you should have gone out, they was coming to you.'

"I've been wide open, they don't come to me. But then he over there and came free and he done got the wind knocked out of him from getting sacked and getting hit in the back, then it's, 'Aw man you've got to help out, you've got to chip.' So you know, I don't think they know what they want me to do. You know, when things going good you're getting praised. I don't know if people getting aggravated with me getting attention. I don't know what it is."

On how he'd like to be used: "Hey, bro, it ain't rocket science how to use me. They can figure that out. If they want to put the ball in my hands I can try to help the team win. They don't I'll try to do whatever I can. If I need to cheer Ladell on, I'll cheer Ladell on. I'm not gonna be bitter about the situation. I think Ladell went int and made some big plays. When he came off to the sideline I was the first one sitting there to talk with him about what I seen, which wasn't much, but I think he did a hell of a job."

On his health: "I'm fine. I'm totally healthy after not playing against Baltimore. So the good thing about it is I'll be at practice tomorrow."

ASHBURN, Va. -- Washington Redskins coach Jim Zorn has indicated he feels backup tailback Ladell Betts was better prepared than Clinton Portis, particularly when it came to passing situations, which the Redskins were in plenty while trailing throughout Sunday's game.

For weeks, no one -- least of all Zorn -- complained publicly when the tailback repeatedly sat out of practice because of a series of injuries, including to his knee, hip and neck. Portis was, after all, the NFL's second-leading rusher heading into this weekend.

According to Zorn, Portis was not transitioning from pass protection to getting open as a safety valve for quarterback Jason Campbell against the Ravens.

Portis finished the game with 11 carries for 32 yards and three catches for 14 yards. Betts had six carries for 3 yards and three catches for 57 yards.

(nbcwashington.com)

Running back Clinton Portis watched practice from the sideline yesterday at Redskins Park. It has been a familiar spot for him between games recently.

"Just whole body sore. Getting old," Portis said during a group interview as his teammates entered the locker room. "It's rough out there."

Hampered by injuries throughout the season, Portis -- the NFL's second-leading rusher -- suffered a neck injury during Sunday's 23-7 loss to the New York Giants at FedEx Field. Despite an array of physical problems, including severe knee and hip pain, Portis has not missed a game and must push forward, he said, with Washington's once-promising season threatening to slip away.

The Redskins (7-5) hope to end their slide when they face the Baltimore Ravens (8-4) on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium. Portis is determined to play and do his part to help Washington remain in contention for an NFC playoff berth. Taking it easy in practice until then would make sense to him.

"It's always the same with running backs," said Portis, who has not hidden his disdain for practice even when he has been physically sound. "Just fight through, find a way to get to the game. This ain't nothing new for me. Every year you're fighting through it. Every year when I wasn't practicing there was something wrong with me.

"I know people thought I was just sitting out and doing nothing. I came and played [in games], but ask any running back in the NFL if they banged up. When you go and give it your all on Sunday, you really don't recover [until] Wednesday, Thursday, where you start feeling like you can do something."

This season, it's often even later in the week for Portis. He has spent much of his time between games in the training room, working with Redskins medical personnel in an effort to join his teammates at game time.

"Every running back in the NFL has to be a tough guy, particularly the elite running backs, and I don't think it's a stretch to call Clinton an elite running back," left guard Pete Kendall said. "He's as tough as they come, but most running backs have to be. If you're going to have longevity in this game at that position, you have to be a tough son of a gun."

The seven-year veteran has performed at a high level -- perhaps the highest of his career, several teammates said -- and shouldered much for an offense in transition under Jim Zorn, a rookie head coach and play-caller. Portis has rushed for 1,228 yards with a 4.8-yard average and seven touchdowns, and has continued to block with "ferocity" in the passing game, running backs coach Stump Mitchell said recently.

Portis attributes much of his success to his "teammates giving it all they got. Knowing you're out banged up, knowing you're laying it on the line, I think it elevate the play of others around you.

"Our offensive line been playing great and guys [receivers] blocking downfield. When you step on the field, it's just a determination factor. When we determined to run the ball, the O-line block great, the receivers block great."

Portis has barely been able to move at times on the sideline between series and then made big plays when he re-entered games, and "you can only be impressed by what he's gone out there and done," quarterback Jason Campbell said. "Clinton definitely is a big part of our offense, and he's a guy you know you can count on no matter what he's going through. He's been banged up all year, and you know he's hurting now, but we're struggling as an offense and we need him out there."

The Redskins have the league's fifth-best rushing offense with an average of 139.4 yards per game, but they rank 28th in scoring at 17.3 points per game. Washington went 1-3 in November, scoring only 23 points in losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys and Giants on their home field. Portis totaled fewer than 70 yards in those defeats. He had a season-low two-yard average against New York.

Baltimore ranks second in the league in overall defense and rushing defense. Led by Pro Bowl middle linebacker Ray Lewis, the Ravens excel at pressuring quarterbacks, shutting down running games and forcing turnovers in their aggressive 3-4 scheme.

"It's going to be a tough game," Portis said. "That's just like playing Philly, you know it's going to be tough. It don't matter what the scheme is you come up with [on offense], or how good you think you going to run the ball, it's just going to be a tough, physical game. You just got to be ready for it."

Although Zorn has said he would prefer to have every member of the 53-man roster participate in every practice, he has eased off Portis. "He's not really ready to practice," Zorn said, "where you feel like he could grit and go."

Backup running back Ladell Betts has regained form after missing three games in late October and early November because of a knee injury, and Betts and special teams standout Rock Cartwright "are going to have to help us," Zorn said. "No question."

A lot is at stake for the Redskins in their final four games, Portis said, and the final quarter of their season begins against the Ravens. "It's really playoff hopes for both of us," he said. "This game mean a lot to them also because the AFC is in a tight race as well. They got a tough four-game stretch left, and we got a tough four-game stretch left.

"Every game you can get right now at this time in the season is critical. For us, we need to win. I think [a win would] change the morale, get us back on track, keep our hopes alive. Everyone know we got to elevate our game. Everybody got to look at themselves and find out what can you do to help this team get through the month of December."

(washigtonpost.com)

Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis said there’s “no doubt in my mind” he’s playing Sunday night at Baltimore.

But after another practice in which Portis did not participate Wednesday at Redskin Park, coach Jim Zorn said the reality of having to sit Portis for a game because he’s so banged up is creeping up on the Redskins.

“At some point and I don’t know if it’s this game, I just have to say, ‘Hey, let’s shut this thing down. Let’s give him a week [off] so he can actually practice,’” Zorn said. “But I can’t do that right now. The problem is that every one of these games keep building and building. That third quarter [of the season] – we lost to three awesome football teams.”

The Redskins’ last three losses have come against Pittsburgh, Dallas and the New York Giants, three of the NFL’s top 10 rush defenses. Portis has sustained ankle, hip, leg, knee, rib cage and neck injuries in the last five games.

“My whole body is sore,” he said. “I’m getting old and it’s Week 14. It’s rough out there.” Portis’ 255 carries are third in the league and his 1,228 yards the second-most. He has not practice since Week 9.

(washingtontimes.com)

Washington Redskins coach Jim Zorn said he hasn't ruled out resting Clinton Portis on Sunday night against the Baltimore Ravens.

Portis, who led the NFL in rushing before being held to 22 yards on 11 carries in Sunday's 23-7 loss to the New York Giants, added a jammed neck to the oblique muscle he pulled the week before at Seattle and the left knee he sprained Nov. 3 against Pittsburgh.

Asked Monday whether Portis would be able to survive Washington's final four games, Zorn said, "We want him to do more than just survive. Either we have to rest him ... Clinton has a real stiff neck. We gotta try to get him out there ... and go, I'm hoping."

While Portis came up huge with 143 yards on 29 carries at Seattle, the Ravens' third-ranked run defense is much more akin to that of the Giants (fifth) than that of the Seahawks (22nd). Ladell Betts, who filled in admirably when Portis missed the second half of 2006, will start if Portis can't go.

If the slumping Redskins (7-5) can afford one more loss and still make the playoffs, it's this one. Two of their final three games are more critical NFC contests; the other is against 1-10-1 Cincinnati.

(washigtontimes.com)

First comes the gate, a heavy metal barrier that halts visitors' cars about 100 feet from Clinton Portis' waterfront condo in Miami. It's manned by a security guard who reaches out from behind thick glass to check the ID of each driver and passenger, while high-tech cameras snap pictures of their faces and license plates, before allowing them to pass. The immaculately groomed grounds of cobblestone and palm trees are fortified with well-disguised cameras by the front door, the loading dock, the concierge desk and the private guest elevator. After navigating past those, plus a metal door secured with a dead bolt and a wall-mounted computerized alarm system, guests are finally allowed entry into Portis' sanctuary in the sky.

Enjoying a rare weekend off, the NFL's second-leading rusher is on his couch, yawning constantly while watching college football. He's wearing pajama pants, orange footies and a white T-shirt emblazoned with a picture of friend and departed Skins teammate Sean Taylor. Favoring a sore left knee, Portis shuffles across his marble floor to show off the views. To the east, windsurfers ride the glassy waters of the bay. To the west, Miami's skyline. And behind the blinds to the north: another shiny condo tower, where a woman stands on her balcony, peering directly at a startled Portis.

The moment perfectly captures how NFL players feel these days. On Nov. 26, 2007, Taylor was shot by intruders in the bedroom of his Miami home while his girlfriend and 18-month-old daughter hid under the covers. The botched robbery attempt was another horrific chapter of a crime wave against pro athletes, one that's shocked NFL players into a paradigm shift in self-awareness and security. Yet no matter how closely they protect themselves, many still can't shake the feeling that someone is out there, just beyond the blinds, lurking. "I don't think the NFL is gonna ever be the same," says Portis. "As a football player, Sean thrived on instilling fear in people on the field. Then you wake up in the middle of the night, and you hear something rattling around in your house, and in a split second—now the fear is in you."

You can see the impact of Taylor's death in the body language of 315-pound Chiefs rookie Branden Albert as he leaves a club, checking and rechecking his rearview mirror to make sure he isn't being followed. It's in the nervous laughter of Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger when he recalls the time a weapon was waved in his face. It compels Jaguars running back Fred Taylor to use the car with the less showy factory rims when he goes out at night. It's in the candid conversations Titans center Kevin Mawae says happen in every locker room around the league. And it's in the near whisper of Texans cornerback Dunta Robinson as he talks, for the first time publicly, about his own home invasion.

When asked about their fears, players cite the same frightening flashpoints: New Year's Day 2007, when Broncos defensive back Darrent Williams was shot and killed outside a Denver nightclub while riding in his limo; November 2007, when Taylor was murdered; June 2008, when Oakland receiver Javon Walker was robbed and beaten unconscious near the Vegas strip; and September 2008, when Jaguars lineman Richard Collier was paralyzed and had to have his leg amputated above the knee after he was shot 14 times in what police say was a retaliatory shooting. "We are targets," says Buccaneers corner Ronde Barber. "We need to be aware of that everywhere we go."

Violence against athletes is not new, of course, and not isolated to the NFL. Just last summer in Chicago, NBA players Antoine Walker and Eddy Curry were robbed in their homes. But more than any other league's, the culture of the NFL—the wealth, fame, brutality and air of invincibility—makes its players vulnerable. Broncos security chief Dave Abrams, who was hired full-time shortly after Williams was shot, says the hardest part of his job is convincing players of their own mortality. To excel at such a violent sport, he explains, they must be fearless; they think of themselves as the kind of untouchable warrior who would never require the protection of a bodyguard, an alarm system or even a locked door. The night he was murdered, Sean Taylor had neglected to turn on his home security system, even though his house had been burglarized just nine days earlier.

The NFL is attempting to flip this it-can't-happen-to-me mindset. The league provides a security consultant to each team, and most teams also have their own head of security. At his State of the League address before Super Bowl XLII, commissioner Roger Goodell said that players becoming targets was "a big issue." "We have to do everything we can to educate our players of the simple things they can do to protect themselves" Goodell said.

Portis has gotten the message. Security measures that used to be an afterthought are now part of his daily routine. Alarms that used to go unused are now turned on each night. Doors are dead-bolted. Windows are locked. Others are taking even more drastic steps. Robinson recently became a gun owner. Roethlisberger uses bodyguards for public appearances. Mawae, the NFLPA president, runs background checks on potential babysitters.

Fred Taylor, meanwhile, has equipped his Jacksonville home with every conceivable security apparatus. "I still don't think I have enough," he says. "Who knows what's enough? I wouldn't say I'm safe.

"I don't know what safe is."

(espn.com)

Under his game jersey, Redskins running back Clinton Portis, 27, always wears a T-shirt honoring his late teammate, safety Sean Taylor. Powered by his friend's memory, Portis is on pace for one of his best seasons ever—and resolute that fear won't control his life when he steps off the field.

Right now, who is better to target than an athlete? Bankers are losing jobs. Real estate gurus are losing jobs. Wall Street is losing jobs. Lots of people getting humble, but an athlete's money is constant.

I know a lot of players who think, Oh, man they ain't gonna get me. I watch where I'm going. No one's sneaking up on me. I say to them, Anybody can be touched. If somebody wants to get to you, there ain't no limits. Sean was home with his family, and they got to him.

But even with what happened, I can't walk around in fear. Out of fear your reaction is going to be totally different. If I don't know you and you walk up on me too fast, do I shoot first and ask questions later? Because I'm living in fear? You could be running to tell me my car lights are on. It's tricky, though. When you put on that uniform, you have to be fearless—and it's hard to turn off. A banker in Sean's position would've probably just called the police that night. But as an athlete, Sean's reaction was embedded in him.

I don't think the NFL is ever going to be the same. It's less fun now. Everything's a worry, on and off the field. People feel like you are obligated to them. I was at a charity event the other night and I had a man come up to me and grab me, hard, as if we were close friends. It was one of those hard grabs, around the neck, the way people who don't know you shouldn't touch you. So I turned around looking at him like, uh, do I know you? And his response was "I pay your salary, I'm a season ticket holder." Now, what do season tickets cost? Twenty thousand dollars? Pay my salary? Man, I don't make $20,000.

I worked hard for what I got. This life wasn't given to me. It wasn't eenie, meanie, miney, mo: I win. I've been fighting for what I got my whole life and it was hard work. I've seen everything. I've lost family members. I've held an AK-47, I've held assault rifles. I've seen crack sitting beside me. I've seen cocaine sitting beside me. But I stayed clean and found a way to steer myself away from all that. People are upset with me because I'm successful? You should try being successful too.

But remembering Sean gives me a power, a will to fight through. Earlier this season against the Steelers, we're down 23-6, and the game's kinda over with, and I'm just in there for blitz pickup to knock heads with a linebacker. But I'm still fighting, looking for someone to punish. It's that kinda toughness. That's what I get from thinking of Sean.

(espn.com)

For one drive last night, both Clinton Portis and his offensive teammates looked like they had rediscovered their early-season swagger. The first time the Washington Redskins touched the ball, they needed 10 plays to reach the end zone. Five of those plays were Portis's runs, which netted 29 yards and an average of nearly six yards per carry.

But this wasn't October -- when Portis ripped through NFL defenses to seize the league rushing lead -- and the franchise running back wasn't the same player who won NFC offensive player of the month honors. He didn't practice all week after spraining his medial collateral ligament against the Pittsburgh Steelers two weeks ago, and he was a game-time decision last night. After that first drive, Portis gained just 39 more yards, and the Redskins didn't again find the end zone in their 14-10 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

In a brief interview with ESPN 980 before leaving the locker room, Portis said he made the decision to play right before the game, after testing his knee well before the rest of his teammates took the field.

"Once you get adrenaline and all that going, you block out the pain," he said. "I'll sit back and be like, 'Ow, man,' [on Monday], but I'll be all right."
Whether the running game will recover its early-season form remains to be seen. When the Redskins were cruising last month, Portis was their engine, rushing for at least 120 yards in five straight games, four of which were wins. He led all NFL players with 616 yards from scrimmage in the month of October, and after the Redskins' victory over Detroit to close the month, he had 260 more rushing yards than any other back.

Then came the loss to Pittsburgh, in which the offense stagnated as Portis was held to 51 yards on the ground. He said his left knee stiffened in the days after the game, and he couldn't straighten his leg early last week, missing the entire week of practice.

"Actually, I was surprised that he played," quarterback Jason Campbell said. "If you looked at him earlier in the week or looked at him Friday, you would have thought no way. It just goes to show the toughness of the guy, how much he really is willing to be out there with his teammates and fight through all the pain and everything he was going through. . . . I kept asking him sometime was he all right, he kept saying he was fine, he was ready to go. Even in the huddle, he was still just acting like the normal Clinton. You couldn't tell if the guy really was hurt."

But Portis's injury became an issue in the fourth quarter. Backup Ladell Betts, who had missed three games with his own knee sprain, returned last night, but aggravated his injury just before the end of the third quarter.

"I really don't know what happened, I don't know if it got twisted or hit funny or what, but it just aggravated," said Betts, who said his knee was "not even close" to being 100 percent even before it was re-injured.

"It felt good enough to where I felt like I could go out here with my teammates and try to push through it," Betts said, but he didn't return in the fourth quarter and was walking gingerly after the game.

With Betts out, Portis was slow to get up during Washington's final drive, but after missing one play, he came back in.

"I know [I'll be sore], but I'll worry about that when it get here," Portis said. "I think I had an opportunity to get [out] and help my teammates, so I needed to be out there."

And his teammates appreciated the effort. The pass game was hurt by sacks and the inability to find open receivers, but teammates said that Portis's effort and work rate had not changed despite the injury.

"He certainly looked good as he ran past me a few times," guard Pete Kendall said. "He was running the ball downhill, particularly on that first drive, and he didn't seem much worse for the wear. I'm sure he was, but he looked good."

"I knew he was gonna play," fullback Mike Sellers said. "I know C.P. I know how he is. He's a fighter, he's not just going to sit out. C.P. did what C.P. can do when he was given the opportunity. He's always gonna be a fighter, he's always gonna play hard."

Redskins Coach Jim Zorn said that Portis's conditioning was likely affected from missing a week of practice, and television cameras showed him with an oxygen mask after halftime. He has lost the NFL rushing lead, and his team has lost two straight games. If the offense is to right itself, Portis will likely be part of the solution.

"He's a tough-nosed guy, he really is," center Casey Rabach said. "Anytime Clinton can go, it adds another dimension to this team. It's very unlikely that he was 100 percent, but we'll take him any way we can get him. Definitely a morale booster. Anytime we can get Clinton out on the field is good for us."

(washigtonpost.com)

Washington's Clinton Portis spent Wednesday in the training room trying to get ready for Sunday's game against the Cowboys. He remains a game-time decision, but coach Jim Zorn sounded more optimistic than he did earlier in the week.

Why?

"Well, today he could straighten out his leg,'' Zorn said after Wednesday's practice at Redskins Park. "It was hip, hip hooray.''

Portis has a second-degree sprain of a medial collateral ligament in his left knee. He injured the knee in the loss to Pittsburgh earlier this month but continued to play.

"He's going to go if he can,'' Zorn said. "But it would be foolish for us to put him out there if he's 60 or 70 percent.''

(dallasnews.com)

Clinton Portis is questionable at this point and his chances of facing Dallas on Sunday are "50-50," Coach Jim Zorn said after practice today. Portis has a knee sprain that has worsened since the team last played Nov. 3.

Zorn remains optimistic that Portis will play, but conceded that "it would be a major issue for all of us," if he cannot. Zorn said that second-string back Ladell Betts may be back from his knee injury for Sunday's game, but that he is not "expecting" that result.

Should the Redskins be without Betts and Portis, Zorn said RB Rock Cartwright would continue to return kicks, but would have some of his other special teams work curtailed given the shortage of available runners. If Betts returns and Portis is out, Zorn said Betts would play ahead of Shaun Alexander, but that it very well could be " a community position."

Santana Moss's hamstring is still "a little tentative," but Zorn said he expects Moss to play Sunday.

(washingtonpost.com)

Everybody is raving about Saints quarterback Drew Brees being the midseason choice as the league's MVP. I have a vote, and Washington running back Clinton Portis has mine right now. Yes, Brees has a shot at breaking Dan Marino's single-season yardage mark, but there's more to winning this award than stats.

The Saints are an exciting team, but are hovering around .500 and might miss the playoffs. The Redskins, like the Titans, are one of the season's shockers so far. And, no one, including a no-interception-throwing Jason Campbell or first-year coach Jim Zorn, has done more for Washington's 6-2 record than Portis.

Granted, Portis can be viewed as a diva — an unflattering term generally reserved for quarterbacks and receivers — but he has produced consistently this season.

Heck, Monday night against the Steelers, Portis will shoot for his sixth straight game with at least 120 yards rushing, potentially tying a streak accomplished by the Rams' Eric Dickerson in his famous 1984 season.

Heading into Week 9, Portis led the NFL with 944 yards rushing with seven touchdowns and a 5.0 yards-per-carry average. He was also the leader in first downs, with 52, two more than Mr. Cowboy, Marion Barber.

Portis can be a hothead and that's why Broncos coach Mike Shanahan traded him to Washington in exchange for stud cornerback Champ Bailey. But no one can argue with his production and physical toughness. Portis runs hard inside and he has the burst to bounce outside for long gains. On the field, you can count on Portis to deliver.

Now, he can be a bit of a problem child. Granted, he's no angel like Barry Sanders was for the Lions. His pride can get in the way of the team, but I sense that he's learning his lessons this year.

A few games back, Zorn allowed Portis to call a game-changing play in the fourth quarter. Of course, last week Zorn and Portis had a heated sideline exchange when the coach kept backup Shaun Alexander in the game. Basically, Zorn didn't like Portis running onto the field once his helmet was fixed, simply doing as he pleases.

Portis called the incident a miscommunication. "I take it personally and I shouldn't have," he said. "I have to [be] accountable to my teammates. It was blown out of proportion. Coach was excited and I was excited."

It may seem tame on television, but an NFL sideline can be a confusing place, especially for a new head coach. Zorn was told by running backs coach Stump Mitchell that Portis was ready to go. He figured Portis was in the huddle and called a play for him. Instead, Alexander was running with the ball. Zorn said he was surprised to see that. Then, Portis ran on to the field and when Zorn saw that, he took him out of the game. Zorn explained that he didn't want any of his players thinking they can go on the field whenever they feel like it.

That's when the argument ensued.

Bottom line is that Zorn did want Portis on the field. It's just that he wasn't ready when he was supposed to be. So, what's wrong with him going out there when he was ready?

Yes, Zorn and Portis are still sorting out the bugs in their football relationship. It makes for great Sunday television. But the bottom line is that right now, Portis is playing at an MVP level. If he keeps it up, the Redskins should be in the playoffs and Zorn will be competing with coaches like Jeff Fisher, Dick Jauron and Mike Smith for Coach of the Year.

(foxsports.com)

New York, NY (Sports Network) - Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis, Carolina Panthers linebacker Jon Beason and St. Louis Rams kicker Josh Brown were chosen as the NFC's top players for the month of October.

Portis rushed for an NFL-best 575 yards during the month, averaging 143.8 yards per game, to capture the offensive award and help Washington to a 3-1 mark for October. He accumulated at least 120 yards in all four games and has a streak of five consecutive games with at least 120 yards, doing so for the second time in his career to join Hall of Famer O.J. Simpson as the only players to accomplish the feat twice.

Beason earned the defensive honor by leading the Panthers with 37 tackles and two interceptions in October. He notched 15 tackles in a game against Tampa Bay and last week returned an interception 44 yards to help the Panthers complete a 3-1 month with a 27-23 win over Arizona.

(sportsnetwork.com)

10. Andre Johnson, WR, Texans. It’s hard for a receiver to crack the MVP list, but Johnson is setting a blistering pace and has lifted Houston out of a potential quarterback controversy. Would you believe the Texans are fourth in the NFL in total offense? Believe it. It’s largely because of Johnson, who has 56 catches for 772 yards in seven games. Now, try this on for size: He had nine catches for 131 yards against the Colts on October 5. How does he top it? In the each of the three games since, he has had at least 10 catches and at least 140 yards.

8. Ed Reed, S, Ravens. Always a playmaker of the highest order and someone opponents must locate on every snap, it’s Reed’s outstanding range that allows the creativity defensive coordinator Rex Ryan flashes. He also gets a checkmark in the “guts” category for playing through hamstring and thigh injuries. Every coach who faces the Ravens mentions Reed early and often. Baltimore is second in total defense, third in pass defense and first in run defense. Reed is the primary reason.

6. Clinton Portis, RB, Redskins. Sshhh … Portis is on a pace to rush for nearly 2,000 yards. Somehow, in all the hoopla over Jason Campbell—he’s been outstanding, so he does deserve it—Portis’ career year is getting overshadowed. Portis has 944 yards at 5.0-per clip and 11 catches to boot. The reason he gets the call here over Campbell is because the Redskins’ offensive identity is one of a physical, grinding group that wears out opponents. As a side note: How loaded was that University of Miami title team in 2001? Johnson, Reed and Portis are on this list, and that’s without mentioning Vince Wilfork, Jonathan Vilma, D.J. Williams, Willis McGahee, Frank Gore, Bryant McKinnie.

(sports.yahoo.com)

Best player you don't know enough about, offense: Andre Johnson, Houston, WR -- He piled up 103 catches for 1,147 yards as recently as 2006, so Johnson isn't an unknown quantity. But the Texans' relatively low national profile has kept him from getting sufficient pub. The guy has numbers that the other Texas-based No. 1 receiver -- the one and only T.O. -- would kill for. Johnson leads the league in receptions (56), receiving yardage (772), 100-yard games (five), and games with catches of 10 or more (four). In October alone, he caught 41 passes for 593 yards and two touchdowns.

Offensive player of the year: Clinton Portis, Washington, RB -- Though I have my doubts that Portis can continue to carry so much of the load for the Redskins, you can't overlook the contributions of a running back who's leading the league in rushing by a whopping 260 yards, and averages 118.0 yards per game. Portis has scored in five of Washington's eight games, and he has at least 96 yards rushing in six of eight, including 121-plus in his last five.

(cnnsi.com)

I was listening to Jim Zorn with one ear and Clinton Portis with the other this afternoon, and when the first ear rejoined the second ear, Portis was being asked about the Steelers' 3-4 defense.

"I've been working on my karate kick all week long," he said. "I mean, it's a tough team, it's a sound team." I have no idea what that meant.

At the beginning of his weekly availability, Portis was joking with the media members about how he received nothing more than an "attaboy" from Zorn for getting Offensive Player of the Month honors, and then I guess someone must have asked him if he was rewarding his blockers for all his accolades. Then Mike Sellers walked by.

"Mike Sellers got some bling, some big-time bling," Portis said.

"My boy took care of me," Sellers confirmed.

"I'm talking about shiiiin-ing," Portis said. "He got some big-time bling."

"That's love right there," Sellers said.

"Maybe one day he'll show you guys," Portis said. "But as far as the other guys, that's what they're supposed to do."

Someone asked Portis what sort of bling he had gotten for Sellers; "bling bling," Portis said, making me realize for the first time that "bling bling" was an adjective-noun combination.

And someone else asked why blocking wasn't what Sellers is "supposed to do."

"You've got to baby Mike," Portis said. "I'm trying to get Mike to hold his head up. We're trying to get him one of those neck things that'll keep it up."

Then he started answering questions about the Steelers, which, aside from the karate kick promise, seemed dull by comparison.

(washigtonpost.com)

You want a midseason MVP? I'll take the guy on one knee. Clinton Portis does that often, you know. He rests every chance he gets. It has become a humorous point for his Washington Redskins teammates, who notice that during a fourth-quarter timeout or two-minute warning, Portis is down on bended knee, catching his breath.

Portis' act goes against football machismo, which suggests players are never supposed to openly display fatigue, but he doesn't care. He actually likes looking tired, then proving he's not. And he and the Redskins -- even after their ugly 25-17 win over the winless Lions -- have proven a lot so far. Nobody thought Portis would be closing so many wins in the fourth quarter. Not this year, at least. Not in the NFC East, football's toughest division, where the Redskins were supposed to stare up at the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles. Well, guess what? Washington is 6-2, a half-game behind first-place New York. And Portis is the NFL's leading rusher, with 944 yards and five straight 100-yard games. And, with all due respect to Drew Brees and Ben Roethlisberger and Albert Haynesworth, he's also the league's midway MVP.

Few thought that at age 27, in his seventh year in the NFL, the 5-foot-11, 228-pound Portis would experience such a career ascent. He's at the age at which most backs level off. At various times, Portis himself has been uncertain of his long-term future. Heck, he forced a trade from Denver in 2004 because he knew his shelf life could be short. "The window for a running back is only open so long," Portis told me on the day he was introduced as a Redskin. "Right now is my time to get what I'm worth."

Nobody was exactly sure of his worth. He'd played well in Denver, where nearly every running back does. And this decade hasn't been kind to the notion of the bank-breaking superstar tailback. Their typically short career span has forced teams to invest top dollars elsewhere and rely on late-rounders and tandems to supply the ground game. And so when Portis was given a $17-million bonus from Redskins owner Daniel Snyder, it seemed less a wise investment and more an expensive Band-Aid, for which the impulsive Snyder is notorious.

But Portis has earned his money. Only LaDainian Tomlinson has rushed for more yards since Portis entered the league in 2002. But that doesn't mean it has been easy. He has suffered an array of injuries the past two years, showing the kind of wear and tear that often derails a back's career and lends credence to those GMs who refuse to invest major money in them. Portis' diligence in rehabbing was questioned, as was his commitment to being a team leader, seeing as how he spent offseasons training in Miami with his boys from The U.

Portis' contract was redone this past offseason, with financial incentives to be present at the Redskins' offseason workout program. Once he was there, two veterans, receiver James Thrash and linebacker London Fletcher, implored the ever-social Portis to trade some of his partying for harder work at the team complex. "I just respect those guys so much," says Portis. "It was more taking life seriously. Training with those guys, they're the type of guys who I actually look up to."

Another reason Portis has staved off decline is that he has been used differently than ever before. He's carrying the ball more than any other year (23 attempts per game in 2008, compared to his career average of 20) but is being spelled more often in the first three quarters so that he's fresh in the fourth. Twenty-eight percent of his carries this season have been in the final quarter, as opposed to 20 percent during his previous six years. "That's why you get the big bucks," Portis says.

He's had a lingering ankle injury all year. And against the Lions, he got into a shouting match with head coach Jim Zorn after Portis missed a few plays with an equipment issue and reinserted himself into the game without telling anyone. But it's no surprise that when asked to name the moments of which he's most proud, Portis doesn't cite his five straight 100-yard games, or his eight carries of 20-plus yards (he had three last season) but instead three fourth-quarter drives. On the first, against the Saints on Sept. 14, Portis had three straight carries to put the game away. On the second, against the Cowboys on Sept. 28, he had 33 yards rushing on a 12-play, 6-minute, 54-second drive that led to a game-clinching field goal. And on the third, against the Eagles on Oct. 5, his five carries on a 13-play, 7-minute, 18-second drive helped secure another win.

"I'm proud that we stay on the field," Portis says. "In previous years, we hurt ourselves in those situations. Now we stay on the field for seven, eight minutes."

Even if a few of them are spent on one knee.

(espn.com)

Now, as for Clinton Portis. It's been a while since he didn't go to the post-game podium to speak formally to the media. But the fact that he was going to speak in front of his locker didn't cause him to scale back his planned outfit. Red, was the theme. I'll let the more fashion conscious Sally Jenkins take it from there.

Afterward Portis stood before his locker clad in so many rich textiles he seemed upholstered, from his red cashmere V-neck to his gleaming red square-toed, soft crocodile shoes. He was the image of surfeit, after his fifth straight game with over 120 yards (126 on 24 carries), and he kicked up an exquisite loafer to show it off.

Oh, one more thing. He wouldn't start his interview until he popped on the red Marc Jacobs shades. Oh, and until he applied his red chapstick.
"Cherry chaptick, you can't do no better," he said. "Cherry or strawberry. Keep your lips pink."

He said repeatedly that the shoes were not gator, but I'm not sure whether he actually confirmed the crocodileness.

"You want to feel these, man? Feel them," he said, handing a shoe to one of the reporters. "Check them out. Feels fabulous, don't it? Bend it. Bend it. See how soft it is. See what I'm saying? You can't do gators like that. I can't tell y'all my secret, everybody gonna be trying to do this."

And the socks? I don't even know where to start with the socks. Wizard of Oz? Where's Waldo? NFL MVP? Whatever.

(washingtonpost.com)

As you might have seen, early in the second quarter of today's 25-17 Redskins win over the Lions, Jim Zorn and Clinton Portis had what appeared to be a heated exchange of words on the sidelines. Portis then appeared to be discouraged while still on the sideline, mulling over the incident. But he returned to the game and kept up his manic pace this season, gaining 126 yards to run his season total to 944.

He's one of only two players to put together two five-game streaks of 120 or more rushing yards in his career. The other? O.J. Simpson.

"It's great company," Portis told my colleague Sally Jenkins. "it's one of the few times you can say O.J. is great company."

As for the incident, Portis said he had gotten into it with people on the sidelines before, but never with his head coach. Here's how Zorn explained it. Portis was having an equipment problem (I believe with his helmet), forcing backup Shaun Alexander into the game at the end of the first quarter. That's how the second quarter began, and Zorn assumed Alexander would finish the drive, but Portis then checked himself back in. Some locker room quotes on what happened next.

Zorn: "When the quarter's over, in my mind, you know, Shaun goes until he goes to [running backs coach] Stump [Mitchell], or Stump tells me Clinton's ready to play. I have no idea. And I'm calling the game based on who's in there, right? And when he went in there, he just misunderstood the situation, and we had a [slows down to exaggerate] sweet exchange of words, about when to go in."
Portis: "It was basically just a miscommunication, not letting him know that Shaun was in, which it was one play, so I think it was just blown out of proportion. He was excited and I was excited, so when two grown men get excited and two grown men [are] eager, you know, you'll have that miscommunication."

Ladell Betts: "I mean, there's so many emotional things that go on on the sidelines in the course of a game, so you'll see many different players get into different situations, yelling matches, whatever you want to call it. But it's part of the game, it just happens on game day. Most people as football players probably play better when they're angry, because football's not a nice sport, it's a violent sport. So the more angry you are, you can direct it to the other team."

Mike Sellers: "When I get frustrated sometimes he comes to talk to me, and he's my running back, I'm supposed to take care of him. So when I see that, I just had to have a little conversation with him, try to get his mind right, and he was cool. I know CP's a professional, and no matter what is said or done, he's going to come out and play regardless."

Shaun Alexander: "A lot of time when you're in a groove like this, you have so much stuff going in your mind. You've got a thousand yards and you're halfway through the season, there's only a handful of us that's ever been like that, you know what I mean? So for me, I'm always telling him mentally what he's going through, knowing that he's close to tasting something that...only a few people [ever taste]....He's a good player, and he's about to step into greatness, and we want to make sure that we can ride this horse as far as it can go."

Zorn: "It's really, it was the heat of the game for me. So I'm more stern about it than I am just talking to you right now. And he explained what happened to him. I explained what my deal was. And so we just came to an understanding."

Portis: "I mean, I sort of regret that it happened, because I never want somebody to question or feel like I wasn't there, I never want my teammates to feel like I wasn't there, I never want my coaches to feel like I wasn't there. Every Sunday I'm gonna show up. I mean, I'm gonna give all I've got. So if there's any miscommunication about why I'm not somewhere and you think I'm supposed to be there, or why something didn't happen, come ask me. You never point the finger and not know. It's just like you're innocent until proven guilty. So it was really a miscommunication."

(washingtonpost.com)

ASHBURN, Va. — It's become almost routine to hear Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis sigh and utter these words: "Man, people are never going to be satisfied."

It's easy to understand his case. If he rushes for 1,300 yards, it's an off year. If he hurts his shoulder trying to make a tackle in the pre-season, he's suddenly injury-prone.

If he leaves a game because he needs a breather, he's a selfish diva - even though only two backs in the NFL have had more carries over the last five seasons.

If he makes the type of candid comment that everyone loves to hear, he's too outspoken.

If he wears funny costumes for a few weeks, fans implore him to keep doing it indefinitely - even though it was a wonderfully entertaining shtick from three years ago that could never really be replicated.

Could this be the year that Portis makes everyone happy? After all, he's by far the NFL's leading rusher, with 818 yards, seven touchdowns, a league-high 163 carries and four consecutive 120-yard games for a 5-2 team.

Portis doesn't think so. At least he doesn't want to think so.

"If I run for 3,000 yards, then it's 'Oh, Jason Campbell should have thrown the ball.' 'They gave him every carry - that's why he had 3,000 yards,"' Portis said Wednesday. "What we've got to go out and do is not try to satisfy the outside. We know what makes us happy and that's winning, and as long as we're doing that, we're good."

Portis said he might have been "excited and going crazy" about leading the league in rushing in his younger days, but the years have jaded him a bit. His fun-loving showmanship and his open disdain for practice have often been mistaken for a me-first persona, criticism that stings.

"You think I'm fun loving - most people think I'm a jerk," Portis said. "Most people think I'm stuck on myself or always throwing myself out to do something or being on my own schedule. It's always opinions. I can't make people understand me for what I'm worth. Y'all know what I do. I play around, laugh and joke. It ain't that serious to me, so I'm going to keep living no matter what they think."

Tight end Chris Cooley, also known to march to his own beat, offered his view of the real Portis.

"He's a lot of fun. At the same time, he's the hardest working, hardest playing football player that I've been around," Cooley said. "No one takes more hits and gives out more big hits in a game that Clinton Portis, and that kind of overrules all the goofiness and all the fun in the locker room. If you have a problem with Clinton Portis, put on a game film and watch him."

Or just count the sore body parts. Portis needed treatment on a shin, an ankle, his neck and a hip after Sunday's 175-yard performance in a 14-11 win over the Cleveland Browns. He was given the day off from practice Wednesday.

"Everything hurts, to be honest. Bumps and bruises, nothing major. I'll be fine. I had to get in the hot tub and have the water come up to here," said Portis, holding his hand up to his neck. "My ears hurt, but they haven't got a treatment for that yet."

Cooley said Portis is also appreciated for being outspoken, although sometimes the words don't come out right. Portis' most infamous foot-in-mouth moment was last year, when he made light of dogfighting during the Michael Vick investigation.

This year, Portis has fussed with former Redskins favourite Brian Mitchell on the radio because he felt Mitchell was unfairly criticizing him. He speculated what it would be like to run in a different scheme early in the season, comments seen by some as an insult to the offensive line. Two weeks ago, he said the Redskins "overlooked" the St. Louis Rams following a 19-17 upset loss, a point of view not shared by most of his teammates.

Given that the Redskins have been winning, Portis joked that he ought to keep finding ways to put down his teammates.

"If they took it to heart, I might need to stir it up again. So, I'm about to throw them under the bus," said Portis, who then laughed and started talking trash about each of his linemen.

It's hard to believe it was a little over a year ago that then-coach Joe Gibbs said Portis had become "interchangeable" with backup Ladell Betts. Now, Portis would be considered interchangeable only with the elite backs in the NFL.

His season has revived the debate over the trade that sent him from Denver to Washington.

Portis came to the Redskins in 2004 in exchange for Champ Bailey and a draft pick, a deal that still favours the Broncos because a shutdown cornerback is considered more valuable than a prized running back. Also, Bailey has made the Pro Bowl every year, while Portis has yet to get the Hawaii nod since arriving in the nation's capital.

Just counting this year, however, the deal could perhaps be called an even split.

"We're both in situations where we're enjoying it," Portis said. "Clinton loves it out in Denver; I love it in D.C. I think he's still one of the elite players at the corner position, and I feel like I'm one of the best at this position."

(ap.com)

During yesterday's post-game presser, just before he met Alex Ovechkin, Clinton Portis talked about going to Puerto Rico. Part of this made Mike Wise's column, but here's the full passage.

"You know, of course you always come in, 'I want to make the Pro Bowl, I want to be league MVP.,' " he said. "Everybody not going to do that, and having the opportunity to be at the pinnacle in Denver, being one of the best backs in the league, having the opportunity to have the money, having the opportunity to have the fame, I never had a ring. All that don't matter when you go into the offseason and you high-fiving somebody else, telling them congratulations when you really don't feel like it was deserved, you would have rather it been you in the situation.

"To see other guys celebrate, jump around and show off their rings? You know, after the Colts won I ended up in Puerto Rico with the whole Colts team. You know, they've got their rings and celebrating, and I felt like the odd man out. You know, I had to go sit over in the corner. I couldn't enjoy their conversation, so I left Puerto Rico, you know? I don't want to sit around and y'all talk about Super Bowls and here I am out of the playoffs. So I think just for us, to win as a team, I would love to have our whole team on the island, celebrating, talking about the Super Bowl."

Field trip!

Other Portis highlights:
On his ever-changing post-game sunglasses: "I guess you've got to stay up with the latest trends, my brother."

On his fumble: "Only thing I was thinking, if I get a corner, it's [shawls] to the wall....All I could think was 97 yards. I could see the end zone and I felt like I was gonna get there. I was running wild, trying to dig and the guy made a great play on the ball."

On his relief at the fumble not costing a win: "I don't know what's the best relief you done have in your life, but it was one of those."

On the focus this week: "When I say not being focused it's only when you turn the ball over and have penalties, not that players just don't know what's going on, when you turn the ball over on the field, you're not focusing on protecting the ball. When you have penalties, holding, offsides, you'ree not focusing on the snap count. I think this week guys really made an effort. I was the only one that turned the ball over, so I guess I wasn't focused this week."

On whether he should keep missing practice, for good luck: "Not practicing boring now, all of a sudden. Back in the day I probably would have told you yeah, but not to be a part of practice now it's kind of boring, sitting on the sideline, watching everybody else work. Guys come by, 'Aw man, you good, stay focused,' but you want to be out there....You want the opportunity to jump around and have fun in practice. Sitting over on the side by yourself trying to take a mental rep, you know, if you slip for one second all of the sudden I'm cracking jokes and playing with Devin or somebody like that, and I think that's taking the focus out of them, so I just sit off to the side."

On his recovery from the injury: "At the beginning of the week I really didn't think I'd play. Later in the week, after a couple massages, I felt great."

(washingtonpost.com)

LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — It's easy to focus on talkative rookie coach Jim Zorn, whose West Coast offense surprisingly comes with a heavy dose of smashmouth. Or on Clinton Portis, who had a 175-yard game and is running better than ever.

Or on Santana Moss, whose three spin moves essentially produced two touchdowns. Or on the fact that two straight games have hinged on long field-goal attempts in the final seconds.

But how about some props for the Washington Redskins' defense? With several big plays, the Redskins shut down the Cleveland Browns 14-11 Sunday, throttling a team that looked unstoppable against the world champions only a week earlier.

"Somebody's got to do the dirty work," said defensive tackle Kedric Golston, who batted away one of five passes deflected at the line of scrimmage, "and we take just as much pride in doing the dirty work as we do making the play."

The game's first 14 possessions ended in 13 punts and a missed field goal, but Portis kept churning away, breaking a scoreless tie with a 3-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter. Portis, who entered the weekend as the NFL's leading rusher, had 27 carries despite a nagging hip flexor that limited him in practice most of last week.

Portis' fourth consecutive 100-yard game brought his season total to 818 yards. His only faux pas was a fourth-quarter fumble that led to the Browns' lone touchdown.

"He didn't practice much this week and he threw out a 175-yard rushing game. I'm not going to encourage that," Zorn said with a smile.

Jason Campbell went a modest 14-for-23 for 164 yards, but he still hasn't thrown an interception all season. Moss, kept quiet the previous two games, caught four passes for 75 yards. He made two spin moves on a 35-yard reception that set up Portis' touchdown, then spun around again at the 1 on his 18-yard scoring catch that put the Redskins ahead 14-3 early in the fourth.

But the Browns nearly recovered. Unable to score despite a first-and-goal at the 1, they got the ball back after Portis' fumble and found the end zone on Joshua Cribbs' 1-yard catch and added a 2-point conversion. Cleveland then forced Washington to punt and drove to the Redskins 36 in the final minute, but Phil Dawson missed what would have been a career-long 54-yard field goal with 25 seconds to play.

The scene on the sideline was similar to last week, when the Redskins lost on a 49-yard kick on the game's last play.

"Very nervous," cornerback Fred Smoot said. "Especially after last week's field goal, which broke my heart. Once I saw it go to the right, it was a relief."

(ap.com)

Naturally, in this town and in this month, the Redskins would cover the FedEx Field grounds with "Vote the Redskins Ticket" yard signs, urging fans to punch their players into the Pro Bowl. And naturally, two homemade signs in the end zone would advocate CP for President, Santana Moss for Vice President and, somewhat bizarrely, Jason Campbell for Secretary of State, which isn't technically an elected position.

"It's not a recession; it's Redskin-cession," the sign read, which also was initially puzzling but made perfect sense once you realized the creators were the mother and close friend of Clinton Portis, who, the way he's playing, might as well expand his portfolio. MVP might not be enough.

"He's the only dude in the nation that can win this race," said Marlon Jackson, who described himself as Portis's "brother from another mother," as he held the signs skyward. "Barack, you need Clinton," he told us. "You need Clinton for your backup, Barack. Trust me."

"Who would be better?" asked Portis's mother, Rhonnel Hearn. "We will help people keep their houses. Everyone will have somewhere to stay. We don't bail out Wall Street and then everybody goes to the spa." (AIG execs: Clinton Portis's mom just served you!!!!)

"You know we'll fix the schools," Jackson added. "Everybody's struggling, CP's the way to go."

Before we delve into their feelings about meeting with foreign leaders absent preconditions or taxing small business with net income over $250,000, let's take a quick breather to get Portis's thoughts. Clinton?

"Hey man, you want to have a world that's off the chain...." Portis said, imaging the possibilities. "It would be OFF...I mean, it would be great. It would be great, man, but I don't think I can run this country. I would love to give you my opinion on who I think should be in office, but I'll leave it alone."

His family members were less reticent, although they acknowledged that Portis isn't technically old enough to claim the White House, if you're a strict constructionist.

"We got to wait 'till we finish the Redskins season first," Jackson said. Maybe by then, the Redskin-cession will have ended.

(washigtonpost.com)

Since the Washington Redskins lost to the St. Louis Rams last Sunday, star running back Clinton Portis has not practiced with the team.

He's suffering from a hip flexor, a minor injury that will not keep him out of Sunday's game, according to coach Jim Zorn.

Zorn added, though, that Portis likely would not practice with the team until Saturday's walkthrough before Sunday afternoon's game against Cleveland.

With backup running back Ladell Betts injured, the team signed former league MVP Shaun Alexander this week to back up Portis. Alexander will be ready to play on Sunday, his first game of the NFL season.

(inrich.com)

More highlights from Clinton Portis's weekly appearance on yesterday's John Thompson Show on ESPN 980. And for the record, Portis seemed to be accusing The Post of taking his post-game words out of context I believe his beef is actually with the ESPN 980 guys, who misunderstood what I had written. But whatever. The main point is, he seemed very on-board with the Alexander signing, which hadn't yet been completed at the time.

On Shaun Alexander's arrival: "Shaun was a league MVP, so of course he got all the talent that's needed to play this game if he was just league MVP a couple years back. And, you know, all of the sudden people throw you out. You don't get league MVP by not being able to sustain in this NFL, so [as] for him coming to the Washington Redskins, I really think he can help this team.

"You know, if it's a soft mentality that they say he's got, I think coming to this team will change that, because on this team, the guys on this team are gonna hold you accountable for stepping up and coming out with heart. They're not gonna settle for less. So I think Shaun's coming here to prove he can still play. If they sign him he's got some things to prove. He's gonna have to get the people in the locker room to believe in him before you can get the outside world, so he gonna have to win some guys over in the locker room but at the same time, if he come here and do his job, that'll be easy to do."

On sharing carries: I honestly think Shaun know the system inside out. You know, he won the league MVP, so he probably can come in and help me, he can show me some things that maybe I don't see. So I'm sure he can help me improve my game, and as far as me and him interacting, I think it'll be the same as me and Ladell. You know, there's times when you're getting off the ground slowly and looking to the sideline, you know, [you're] not looking for a thumb's up, like 'Good job!' you're looking for help. So I'll teach him the code, the signals.....Keep your helmet on. I'm looking for you to come in and play right away. He already know the system, so when I look from the sideline, you jog right on the field and let's go."

On whom he rooted for in Browns-Giants: "When it comes to the Giants, Cowboys or Eagles playing, I always prefer for the other team to win. It don't matter what kind of dogfight we're gonna be in....So when you get a team to put them in a position to lose a game, I'm always happy for them to lose, and I'm sure they never want to see us win either."

On why he's playing so well: "Losing Sean and all of the sudden having to adjust my mind to it, to a guy who respected and gave everything he had to this game, so you know my preparation for this game, the mindset, the appreciation for the game, that's always first. Going to work Wednesday through Saturday with a positive attitude instead of trying to figure out a way to get out of it, you know? Going out and whatever's asked of me to do, going out and doing that to the fullest of my capabilities. Getting in the weight room this offseason also was a major role. Sticking around, being in the weight room., wanting to be a big part of this team's success. And I think the guys around me, to see me around all offseason, to see me working out, it still shocked people every week. They come in like, 'Who is that? What are you doing in the weight room?' "

On his focus comments: "You know, the way the quote came out, that's not how I said it. But I don't understand how people not used to that....The part about us buying into the outside world patting us on the back was correct, the part about me saying, 'Oh coach let us get away with everything this week...' I mean, you know, they just ran with the quotes. They always put it the way they want to put it. I said coach got on more guys than normal as far as the Thursday-Friday practices, and we had a great practice on Saturday, probably our best practice on Saturday this year. But as usual they take it and run with it man, so I'll leave it alone."

(washingtonpost.com)

Clinton Portis posted MVP-caliber numbers this past Sunday, but true MVPs don't let their squads lose to the lowly St. Louis Lambs. By now, everybody's heard Portis' grumbling about his Washington Redskins not having their mind right heading into the Rams game, but the person who really needs to pay close attention to those comments is Clinton Portis himself.

I have a hard time swallowing this "Mr. Serious" spiel from Portis. After all, this is the guy who's concocted more stupid characters than Eddie Murphy played in "Norbit." This is the guy who once chuckled with Chris Samuels about Michael Vick's dogfighting ring. This is the guy who once wore a Ric Flair-style gold title belt on the Denver Broncos' sideline, despite not being the champion of anything I'm aware of. This is the guy who guaranteed the Redskins would earn a berth in last year's NFC Championship game, but ultimately didn't deliver.

Portis can run around in phony championship belts and play all the fake characters he wants, but until he displays some real character, his Skins aren't going to win any real championships.

Portis has six rushing TDs on the season and leads the league in both rushing attempts (136) and yards (643). Recently, he has been even more impressive, posting three consecutive 100-yard rushing performances. Portis also hasn't fumbled yet this year and is a stud blocker in pass protection. But the Redskins need more -- they need Portis to be their unquestioned leader.

Jim Zorn is a first-year coach who isn't exactly Tom Coughlin when it comes to his temperament. Jason Campbell hasn't done enough yet to be the true leader of that locker room. Mr. Taylor just got to Washington. Chris Cooley is too busy accidentally exposing himself on the Internet. If someone's going to step up and be the face of the Redskins, it's going to have to be you, Sheriff Gonnagetcha. What's truly "gonnagetcha" team somewhere is you stepping up and becoming a leader. Portis should have let his teammates know they weren't taking a desperate Rams team seriously enough.

If Portis had stepped up, assumed a larger leadership role and talked some sense into his teammates before or even during the game -- for instance, when Marcus Washington went all "8 Seconds" and celebrated a routine play against a league laughingstock -- I wouldn't be writing this right now. Santana Moss's brutal two weeks wouldn't have mattered. Pete Kendall getting all young Tiki Barber with the pigskin? Wouldn't have mattered. None of it would have mattered, because the Redskins would have won that game.

Portis can come out and give us all the lip service he wants, but if he led half as well as he played last week the Burgundy and Gold would be sitting pretty in the NFC East right now. Instead, the Redskins pulled an even bigger Week 6 choke-job than the rival Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants did. Coach Janky Spanky can keep making excuses for his team, but until he truly steps up and becomes the man in D.C. he'll be Christian Slater (he's still alive?) -- his own worst enemy. If he does step up, I can see him winning the MVP award and carrying his team deep into the playoffs.

(foxsports.com)

Over the past month, the Redskins provided some of the greatest and strangest blogging material imaginable for the first month of an NFL season. As the days went on, they seemed happier and happier, more and more relaxed. Still, before today's game, one player and official after another insisted that they would not overlook this Rams team, that the focus would remain the same. Vinny Cerrato even said on ESPN 980's pre-game show that this week's practices were some of the team's best of the year. But after the stunning loss, Clinton Portis quite pointedly disagreed.

"I think it was loose," he said during a searingly honest post-game press conference. "It was people smiling everywhere: us, coach. Coach really got on us a lot this week, and in previous weeks he didn't have to. You know, I think we came in and we had a great, probably our best Saturday practice all year long, as far as knowing the game plan and knowing the stakes, but Friday I think we had some mistakes and coach had to get on us Thursday and Friday. We kind of just got loose."

Later, he was asked whether today's offense seemed snake-bit, with the weird turnovers and the costly penalties, and he again pointedly disagreed, steering the conversation back to the issue of focus. Which is maybe not what you'd expect from a player who recently dressed up in camou to hunt fake Rams on Chris Cooley's blog.

"I think it's a focus thing," Portis said of today's offensive performance. "You know, the previous four games the focus was there. We knew that we couldn't go out and put ourselves in that position. We come out today and all of the sudden you start to get patted on the back and you feel like you're a better team, 'Ok, let me try to do this.' And we turn the ball over, and 'Oh, don't worry, we can come back.' And that didn't work."

More from Portis:
On Pete Kendall taking his fumble hard: "I mean, I think we should all take it hard, because we have a golden opportunity to establish ourselves and we let it slip away. We're playing up and down to our competition week in and week out. We come out and play tough games, and every game shouldn't be tough. You know, it's some games that we really should come in and dominate. I think this was one of those games. We came in, we dominated as far as stats. And point-wise and turnover-wise, we lost the battle. We can't turn the ball over. As we say every week, we're not good enough to overcome turnovers and penalties."

On whether he thinks the Redskins are better than the Rams: "Well, I mean, I think so, but it don't matter what I think, they got the win. So I really think we just need to go back to ground zero and keep the media away from Redskins Park and focus back in. And I think the headlines got good, guys started high-fiving and yelling, 'We here!' And, you know, we got three games that we could win, and we hadn't thought ahead all season long until this week. And that's gonna hurt us.

"You know, we overlooked a team that came here ready to play. And me, honestly, we've been the underdogs since I've been here. And we came out with fight every game we was the underdog. Win, lose or draw, we came out to fight. So for us to expect St. Louis not to come out and fight, I don't know how we let them shock us like that."

(washingtonpost.com)

Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis, Minnesota Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield and New Orleans Saints running back/punt returner Reggie Bush were named the NFC's top players for Week 5 of the NFL season.

Portis was named Offensive Player of the Week after running for 145 yards on 29 carries and a touchdown in the Redskins' 23-17 win at Philadelphia. The seven-year veteran led a rushing attack that gained 203 yards on the ground against what had been the top rushing defense in the NFL. Portis rushed for 88 yards in the third quarter alone and sealed the victory on a three-yard run on 4th-and-1, allowing the Redskins to run out the clock.

It was the third weekly award for Portis, who is the only running back in franchise history to be named Offensive Player of the Week twice in a career.

(kansascity.com)

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) _ Off the best start of his NFL career for a team that's won four straight, Clinton Portis was in back in rare form Wednesday with a few one-liners, an interesting compliment for former coach Joe Gibbs and a brand new idea: the "let's pretend I'm calling the play" trick.

To explain: Portis was the one who suggested the fourth-and-1 draw that put the game away in last week's victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. New coach Jim Zorn has proven to be receptive to taking advice from players during games, and Portis said he's successfully lobbied for a few carries already this season.

Therefore, Portis figures, teams will now be expecting him to get the ball whenever he's seen on the sidelines speaking with Zorn. Thus, it's time to pull off the double-cross.

"The whole world's going to think I'm around him calling my number, so we've got to go and fake them out a couple of times," Portis said. "I'm going to huddle up with Coach Z, probably at midfield, get him to come out to the 50 and tell him to just draw it up in the dirt so the cameras can get it and everybody can see it. Hopefully they call down from the box and tell the coordinator, 'Whoa, we got the play!'"

Then real play, of course, would be a play-action fake and a deep pass over the middle. Touchdown in the bag.

Ah, that Portis. Pure genius.

The funny thing is that Zorn might actually listen. It's hard to ignore someone who is having such a good season.

Portis has run for 514 yards, a better five-game start than he had even in his breakout seasons with the Denver Broncos. He's second in the NFL in yards rushing behind Atlanta's Micheal Turner (543), and his 145 yards on 29 carries against the Eagles earned him NFC offensive player of the week honors.

So, might Portis do something special for his linemen this week? Ha!

"That's the job that they're supposed to do," Portis said. "They're supposed to block, so I can have some running lanes. I don't want them to get used to every time they do something good, we hand them a little envelope with some money in it. 'Hey, here's a plasma TV.' That's what they looking for. Randy (Thomas), he's been talking about plasmas and Rolexes. Randy asked for a Rolex this morning, so I cannot lead them into thinking I'm capable of doing that."

Portis was considered on the verge of becoming an all-time great when he came to the Redskins in 2004 after back-to-back 1,500-yard seasons with the Broncos, but four seasons of Gibbs' conservative, grinding offense took its toll. His average per carry plunged from 5.5 to approximately 4.0, and the breakaway runs that so thrilled the Mile High City virtually disappeared in the nation's capital.

Now Portis is again making a case to be one of the top two or three backs in the league. And, to hear him talk, those four tough Gibbs years were worth it — even if they only helped build character.

"Don't jump on my bandwagon," Portis said. "I think I've always been the same way. I think I'm back to having the opportunity of showcasing my talent. I think Coach Gibbs is probably the greatest thing to ever happen to me — because he taught me to be humble. He taught me the appreciation of the every yard. I think the humbleness and appreciation came out of Coach Gibbs.

"Now you get to this point with Coach Z, where all of a sudden, it's 'Whoa, Clinton could still do it!' I always could do it. I just wasn't in position to do it. When you're the focal point and everybody knows you're getting the ball and they're sticking 10 people in the box, there's not much I can do."

Portis loves Zorn's unpredictable play-calling style that spreads the ball around the field. With Jason Campbell playing solid quarterback, teams are having to respect the pass on any down, so Portis finds the lanes are wider. Last year, he had a run of 20 yards or more in only three of 16 games. This year, he's already had 20-yard runs already in three of five games for the Redskins (4-1).

"Exciting, if you ask me," Portis said. "When somebody calls a play and starts smiling like, 'This is it, this is the play right here, I'm telling you, this is going to happen, and this is where we're going,' and its happens? It like he really knows his stuff."

Portis also said his extra offseason work is paying off. Also, Zorn has frequently used Portis as a slot receiver, adding another dimension to the offense.

"I would say that transformation is just to an all-around back," Portis said. "You can't label me a scat-back or a third-down back. Now you see I can grind. You know I can break the big ones, so I would say 'all-around back.'"

Portis is still missing that length-of-field highlight run — he hasn't broken one for more than 50 yards since the first game of the 2004 season — but he responds to that by saying: "People are always going to want more."

That's the same answer he gives when asked about the costumes he wore every week during the 2005 run to playoffs. Fans are always hoping he'll reprise that routine.

"It was three years ago, and people still talk about it like it just happened," Portis said. "When things are going well, they'll pat you on the shoulder for everything. I'm sure they'll have my high school highlight film out soon."

(rockymountainnews.com)

2. There are three juicy storylines with the Redskins' sensational comeback win in Philadelphia.
Washington is one of the best teams in the NFL thus far.
The Eagles choked away a lead and got manhandled at home.
Clinton Portis is the league MVP through five weeks.

Color me surprised, impressed and totally dead wrong on this Redskins team and Jim Zorn.

In a season where the Skins have dropped New Orleans and Arizona and won in Dallas, I'll make this case this was the most impressive win of the year.

Washington was down 14-0 in a blink of an eye in the first quarter after a DeSean Jackson return for a touchdown.

But then Portis (who in the NFL has played better ball in the first five weeks?) just took over. Portis and the Washington offensive line shoved around the Eagles. Portis ran for 145 yards against a defense giving up less than 60 on the ground per game. The back was tough and fresh in the fourth quarter. Portis was the best player on the field and humiliated the Eagles defense.

Zorn, once again, called a brilliant game mixing up the run and pass. He even had Antwaan Randle El throw a touchdown pass to Chris Cooley. The tight end was unstoppable with eight catches for 109 yards.

Washington's defense was incredible once again under Greg Blache. The Eagles offense was totally inept. Philadelphia was helpless on third downs.

This was a killer loss for the Eagles, who fall to 0-2 in the division and 2-3 on the season. In the NFC East, that cannot happen.

And now the Eagles have to deal with Brian Westbrook's broken ribs for the San Fran game this weekend.

(foxsports.com)

NEW YORK -- A really interesting Sunday. What do you want to hear about first? The origins of the Wildcat play, which has carried the woebegone Dolphins to wins over the two AFC Championship Game teams from last year? The future of Kerry Collins, who, in a month, has gone from a washed-up backup to one of the NFL's 20 most important players? The incredible case of Matty Ice? Plaxico Burress' future with the Giants?

None of the above, though I'll get to them all. My choice: The first play-call of Clinton Portis' life.

The Redskins are turning into one of the great stories of the year. They looked inept in a flaccid opener against the Giants. They've looked like the '67 Packers since. They won their fourth straight, 23-17, at Philadelphia Sunday, and afterward, I couldn't quite believe what Jim Zorn told me.

"Clinton called that fourth-down play,'' Zorn said.

Clinton Portis what?

Fourth-and-one at the Eagles' 38, 2:48 left, Washington up 23-17, Philly out of timeouts. Tricky call here. If Washington gets stopped, the Eagles take over with about 2:40 left and 62 yards to travel for the winning score. If Washington makes it on a running play and stays inbounds and plays its time-strategy cards right, the 'Skins should be able to run out the clock by kneeling three times and going home with a dramatic win.

Zorn had his thinking cap on, with Jason Campbell and Portis and a couple of the coaches on the sidelines. "I called the formation first,'' he said, "and then he called the play. He thought we should run a draw. I didn't say anything, and I looked at my plan. It was going to be very hard to run. But I thought about the play, and it was a good call. And he's a veteran. If a rookie had said anything, I'd have told him to shut up. But the call made sense. We ran it. He had to really hammer it out.''

The draw's a great call there, with the expectation that a strong back would either wham into the line, or the quarterback would throw a sure thing to either the back or tight end. The momentary element of surprise may have given Portis the sliver he needed to plow for three yards. Ballgame.

Portis was a monster in this game -- 29 carries, 145 yards -- against a D that had allowed 54 yards rushing per game in the first month of the season. Imagine how he felt, calling the last meaningful play of the game. Imagine the respect he felt from his coach. Imagine the ownership he feels in his team this morning, knowing the new coach, an offensive maven, thought enough of his brain and gut feeling that he could get the yard he needed.

There's a lot to like about these Redskins right now, and about their coach.

(cnnsi.com)

Clinton Portis rushed 29 times for 145 yards and a touchdown as the Redskins came from behind to beat the Eagles in Week 5. He also caught two passes for 13 yards.
The Redskins are now 4-1 on the season. Once QB Jason Campbell got going and spread out the Eagles' defense, it was off to the races. The 'Skins amassed 203 rushing yards on a defense that had allowed just 215 all season. The offensive line dominated and Portis simply refused to hit the turf. He should continue to roll against the Rams in Week 6.

(rotoworld.com)

So, the Cowboys are unquestionably the No. 1 team in the NFL, huh? Apparently, Santana Moss and the Redskins didn't get the memo.

Moss caught eight passes for 145 yards -- the second time this year he's had at least 145 receiving yards --  in Washington's 26-24 win at Dallas. It's the first game this season he hasn't caught a TD, but I don't think his owners are complaining too much.

Jason Campbell (20-of-31, 231 yards, two TDs, zero INTs) made his struggles during Week 1 seem like they happened years ago. He has multiple TDs in each of his past two games.

Clinton Portis also came up big for the 'Skins, rushing for 121 yards on 21 carries. Antwaan Randle El chipped in with 36 receiving yards and a touchdown, and James Thrash scored on an eight-yard reception. About the only Washington player the Cowboys could stop was Chris Cooley. He had just four catches and 28 receiving yards.

(sportingnews.com)

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) _ Edgerrin James and Clinton Portis aren't comparing notes this week.

The University of Miami pals usually call each other all the time, offering ad hoc scouting reports on opponents past and future. One can only imagine what the conversations are like when two elite backs are talking shop.

"Everybody else that we play, it's 'What do you see?' 'What you think?' 'What works?'" Portis said. "This week, I'm sure neither one of us is going to give each other advice on how to help defeat the other team."

Of course not. James' Arizona Cardinals and Portis' Washington Redskins are going head-to-head Sunday, offering a treat for running back aficionados. James and Portis are two of only six players in league history to average at least 110 total years from scrimmage per game.

"It's enjoyable because I know he's playing against a great defense," Portis said, "and he knows I'm playing against a great defense, so it's always a competition."

James ranks fourth on the list with an average of 115.6, while Portis is sixth at 111.5 among backs who have played a minimum of 85 games. Nos. 1, 3 and 5 — Jim Brown, Barry Sanders and Walter Payton — are in the Hall of Fame. LaDainian Tomlinson is No. 2.

James has been easy to overlook this season because Kurt Warner is back to his old self at quarterback, leading the Cardinals to 23-13 and 31-10 victories with downfield passes to Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald. James has 44 carries for 155 yards, a modest 3.5 average, although last week he became 14th player in league history last week to reach 15,000 scrimmage yards.

Portis, like the rest of the Redskins offense, picked up his game in Week 2 after a difficult opener. He ran for 96 yards in last week's victory against the New Orleans Saints, giving him 180 yards on 44 carries for a 4.1 average.

"Watching Clinton Portis strain for the extra yard can fire you right up," Redskins coach Jim Zorn said. "That is what a running back is made for in this game."

Portis' has been in the news for other reasons in recent days. Last week, he made remarks to The Washington Post that could have been interpreted as an insult to his offensive line or his team's offensive scheme. Then, on Tuesday, he and former Redskins kick returner Brian Mitchell had a testy exchange on a radio show, with Portis upset over the way he had been criticized by Mitchell.

"He said what he had to say," Portis said. "I said what I had to say, and that's pretty much it."

Portis added that he has no problem with his linemen or the Redskins organization.

"If they had a problem with me, they wouldn't have gone out and blocked," Portis said. "If I was calling my linemen out, why didn't they quit on me? ... Portis wants to be here. If Portis wanted to be somewhere else, I'd be somewhere else."

Both squabbles were readily dismissed in light of the team's performance in the 29-24 win over the Saints, a game Portis said was just a taste of things to come.

"Just knowing this offense can get better is exciting," he said. "It's just a matter of doing it, week-in and week-out."

(rockymountainnews.com)

Clinton Portis wasn't happy with how he got started Sunday at steamy FedEx Field. The Washington Redskins running back picked up just 5 yards on his four carries on the first series.

But Portis figured out what was going wrong.

The veteran back adjusted where he was lining up, and it started clicking. He finished with 96 yards and two touchdowns to help rally the Redskins to their 29-24 victory over the New Orleans Saints.

"Early on, I was too far into the line," Portis said. "I wasn't confident. I was missing reads, and I came right to the sideline and told Coach [Jim Zorn] that it was on me. Once I got back to the depth that I was supposed to be, things started to open up, and I was able to see. The lanes started to open up."

The Redskins trailed 17-9 late in the third quarter and faced second-and-goal at the 9 when Portis ran left and followed massive fullback Mike Sellers into the end zone.

"It was on [to the left side] today," Portis said. "It was just backside, and [offensive tackle] Chris [Samuels] and [guard] Pete [Kendall] was coming up to the backers, and Mike Sellers, you can tell when he's really into the game. I was like, 'I might as well hold on to him because they got to run through him to get to me.'"

Then, early in the fourth quarter, Kendall and center Casey Rabach opened a big hole on second-and-6 at the New Orleans 8, and Portis ran through it to pull the Redskins within 24-22.

(washingtontimes.com)

So Clinton Portis obviously had some interesting things to say in the story we ran in this morning's paper. That wasn't all he said, though. He was in a very talkative mood.

Here is some other free-flowing stuff from your favorite tailback, some Portis out-takes:

How have you changed as a person and a back since you came to Washington?:

"As a back, I've changed to basically doing what's asked of me," Portis said. "Coming in here, being used to daylight and big runs and high expectations, and feeling prepared to change the organization around and carry the organization, and all of a sudden it didn't work that way, for whatever reason, and all of a sudden you have to take that criticism. Of course you become blamed, but at the same time, I felt like I put in the work. It wasn't like I didn't show up for work. You look back over every game I've played in since I've been here, whether I had the yards or not, you can't sit here and tell me I didn't give you everything I had on the field.

"I think I was running into some brick walls. I ran into some of them full speed. It wasn't like I laid down and all of a sudden, 'No, I can't do this.' I tried. I think trying and always giving all the maximum effort that I can give, you're going to take your criticism and everybody's going to be hard, and all of a sudden you don't do this, you don't do that.

"But my status as far as consistency in the NFL, I've accomplished something that is not easily accomplished. With the exception of the year that I got hurt, all of my campaigns been fine years for another back. For a Marion Barber, that would be great. But for Clinton Portis, it's sub-par. I think it's just unfair , uh I really think it's unfair to have hard work overlooked due to circumstances.

"Since I've been here we haven't played with the line that was expected for us to have. We've lost Randy Thomas and Jon Jansen, or had makeshift [lines], had to plug in this lineman or get somebody last-minute. We've always shuffled our line-up, shuffled our quarterbacks. We really haven't had the same starting receivers. So as far as constant, I've been the only constant in the Washington Redskins, along with Chris Samuels and Chris Cooley. Other than that, everything else has been shuffled."

Here, he took a breath. One question, more than three minutes, 30 seconds. I asked him if it was fair or unfair that people get caught up in the numbers, the stats. He said some of the things that were in the story -- that sometimes 80 yards can be the toughest 80 yards possible. He went on:
"It's part of the game. It's being involved in the game. When your role changed, and you're used to hitting home runs, home runs, and they ask you to become a singles hitter, and you want to slap it out of the park, what do you say? 'No, I'm a home run hitter.' Or do you do what they ask you do to for the team? They want me to hit home runs, but every now and then you got to get a single, get on base first. Then we get a home run, or try and help someone else drive you in. So knowing the role reversal, of course we all want home runs, but I'm not going to say I didn't miss some opportunities over the last five, six years to have a home run. But [shoot], it was hard to come by those opportunities. And all of a sudden it'd pop up, and you miss it. That one time that you miss it, it don't come back."

Keep in mind, too, that Portis never said he wanted to be traded. He just said he thought it'd be interesting if he could run behind a different line with different players around him for one week to see what the results would be. Because he said that, I asked him whether he wished he hadn't been traded from Denver, which is renowned for its consistent offensive line play. He said flatly no, and there's a quote about that in the story. But he was more expansive.

"I think being here made me appreciate having Shannon Sharpe or Rod Smith or Ed McCaffrey as a teammate, or being able to watch an Al Wilson go out and play football -- people who really love the game and played the game the way it was supposed to be played. And then all of a sudden you come and you ask to be the leader, you ask to be the focal point, you ask to take the hits and be the person that everything going to always fall down to you. So I always said it's not about, well, as the focal point, you asked to lead, you asked to carry, you asked to guide newcomers. You asked to pull in a Devin Thomas and try to get him on the right road, to guide a Marcus Mason, who got all the talent in the world, to teach him how to become a complete back, to understand it's more than running the ball."

He also said that he believes these Redskins have more talent than he played with during his two seasons in Denver. And he also showed a bit of a chip on his shoulder.

"People don't want to see me do good. Everybody wants [to say], 'Oh, he's getting paid too much and not producing. He ain't went to the Pro Bowl. He ain't [this or that]. Well, as an organization, we only had three people go to the Pro Bowl.

"If you really pay attention and watch us play, there's a lot of us should have been in the Pro Bowl because we played hard. We played football the way it's supposed to be played. You can't tell me London Fletcher shouldn't have been in the Pro Bowl. Three middle linebackers better than London Fletcher? Or a Sean Taylor over his career. There was another safety better than him? Or LaRon Landry coming up? You telling me there's four safeties in the NFL better than him? No.

"I would be a fool to believe that. For myself, yeah, other people had wonder years. But the consistency, every year, you know what I'm going to give you. It's not going to be a major dropoff. I'm going to give you what I got, every year. No matter what our record is, I'm going to be that constant."

Last thing (though we could probably go on forever): I pointed out that his contract is through 2010, essentially three more seasons. I asked him if he embraced that or he was frustrated about it (given what he had said earlier). He gets to some interesting stuff about leadership and team dynamics.

"I'm past the frustration point," Portis said, "because in frustration, you can't go out and make others do something. I can only do my job. And you know, I think within the organization, they can see I do my job. I can't control other people's jobs. This team, with the talent we have -- we never had this kind of talent in Denver. So the talent that we have here is phenomenal.

"When I was in Denver, there was three players getting a lot of money -- Brian Griese, Trevor Pryce, John Mobley. But you come to this organization, you got six of the highest-paid players on offense. You got five of the highest-paid players on defense. So it's kind of hard when you got 11 players making that much money, and then you got a guy such as James Thrash or Rock Cartwright not making that kind of money who's really the leaders of this team.

"I would love to feel and say I'm the leader of the Washington Redskins. On Sunday, I am. On a day-to-day, Monday-to-Saturday [basis], I'm not, because Rock Cartwright work harder than I do, James Thrash work harder than I do, David Patten -- who's now with the New Orleans Saints -- worked harder than I did. Santana Moss worked harder than I do. Chris Cooley ain't never missed a practice since I been here. [Note: He was speaking Wednesday, before Cooley had to miss that day's practice.] So do I say, 'Put me in the front and let me lead?' On Sunday, yeah, I say that, because there's not one of those guys who I feel work harder than me. But on Monday through Saturday, when the leadership role is really requested, I'm not. That's not me."

(washingtonpost.com)

Check out our new NFL U Wallpaper featuring Clinton Portis. Click here to download it or click above on proCanes Wallpapers. Enjoy and stay tuned to more wallpapers in the near future.

Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis confirmed he will play Thursday in the preseason finale against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Portis this preseason has 50 yards on 15 carries. He played against Buffalo and Carolina and sat out the other two contests.

"Coach [Jim] Zorn said the starters are playing," he said, referring to Zorn's statement Monday that the starters would be in for at least one series. "Not the starters except for Clinton Portis, not the starters except for two-six. Unless I've been demoted in the past couple days, the starters include me."

(washingtontimes.com)

The Associated Press reports Washington Redskins RB Clinton Portis returned to action Saturday, Aug. 23, in preseason play versus the Carolina Panthers. He took the previous game off. Portis rushed eight times for 32 yards.



(kffl.com)

Clinton Portis used to take football for granted. He tolerated training camp and ignored the preseason.

Not anymore.

Twelve days shy of his 27th birthday, Portis has a new approach to football - and not just because the Washington Redskins reworked his contract to ensure he would attend the offseason conditioning program and organized team activities.

"I don't think reworking my contract made me be here," the running back said Wednesday in an exclusive interview with The Washington Times. "It was the idea of wanting to be here. Maybe I've got five or six years left in me. Can I sacrifice partying and traveling for five or six years to focus on what I got to do, get where I want to get and secure my money? When I hit 32 or 33, I can travel wherever I want and go to any party I want to."

Portis said the shooting death of college and Redskins teammate Sean Taylor in November also changed his outlook about his job and his role in Washington.

"When you lose a Sean Taylor that quick - a guy who gave everything he had to football and who sat next to me every day when I [came] here - and semi-take football for granted," Portis said. "My outlook is totally different. I put football into higher regard. I don't take it for granted. I take it as an opportunity to go out and make people happy.

"You didn't know how many people Sean touched until he was gone. And he was really never a fan or media favorite like I've been. You never really know who you touch or how many people look up to you. You never know whose day you're making."

After a pair of 1,500-yard seasons for the Denver Broncos, Portis came to Washington in 2004 in a trade for All-Pro cornerback Champ Bailey and a second-round draft pick.

After a subpar debut season with his new club, Portis eclipsed the team rushing record with 1,513 yards and led the Redskins to the playoffs in 2005. Portis missed half of the 2006 season because of injuries. He led the NFL with 325 carries last season, but he averaged 3.9 yards a carry behind a line that lacked its starters on the right side almost all year.

Despite the tumult during his four years in Washington, Portis ranks in or near the top five among active players in carries, yards and touchdowns. The only backs ahead of him in all three categories are San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson and Cincinnati's Rudi Johnson.

"If you think about the consistent backs, you got LaDainian, Brian Westbrook, Edgerrin James, Fred Taylor and myself," Portis said. "As long as my town and my teammates support me, I know I'm doing right. Those are the people who see me weekly. The national people see me every now and then. They don't see the grind, what I'm going through."

Portis didn't endure much of a grind the past four summers. He carried 20 times in the 2004 preseason, 11 in 2005 and once in 2006 before he separated a shoulder making a tackle in the preseason opener. Portis sprained a knee the first Monday of camp last year and didn't play at all in the preseason.

This year, Portis carried seven times against the Buffalo Bills on Aug. 9, and he and the starters are scheduled to play the first half Saturday against the Carolina Panthers. That means he could come close to matching his workload of the previous four summers combined this preseason.

The player who shunned preseason under former coach Joe Gibbs has become just another soldier, albeit an elite one.

"I don't think he's marching to his own drummer," running backs coach Stump Mitchell said. "He's fallen into line and doing the things we're asking him to. He understands what we're expecting of him, and he's giving us the effort."

Portis is proud he has been on the field every day since camp began July 20.

"Step 1 is accomplished," Portis said. "I made it a personal goal to be on that field every day no matter what. ... I can be better than ever. The excitement about football, the want-to-be-better is there. I won't say it was missing, but I had to fight through things. ...

"Seeing Art Monk and Darrell Green getting inducted, Darrell's over here all the time. Knowing he came from these grounds and he's in the Hall of Fame, all of sudden it comes close to home. If I stay on track, I could be there. If I could duplicate my first six years in my next six years, I'll be great."

(washingtontimes.com)

Although Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis is not a fan of the preseason, he said he has some interest in playing Saturday against the Carolina Panthers. Redskins starters are expected to play most of the first half at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte as Coach Jim Zorn stages a dress rehearsal for the regular season, and Portis wants to measure himself against the Panthers' aggressive defense.

"They blitz every other play and look like they really game-plan for the teams they playing, [so] you can't help but realize the season's right around the corner," Portis said before practice yesterday at Redskins Park. The Panthers will "come with a lot, [and] it's going to be a physical game."

The Redskins' top back has not been hit much in the preseason. After sitting out Washington's 30-16 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in the Hall of Fame Game Aug. 3, Portis played a couple of series with the first-team offense in a 17-14 victory over the Buffalo Bills Aug. 9. Portis also got the night off on Aug. 16 as Washington defeated the New York Jets, 13-10.

Thanks to Zorn, Portis should be well rested when the Redskins kick off the regular season Sept. 4 against the New York Giants at Giants Stadium. But the offensive and defensive starters need an extended session together before they begin the season, Zorn said, and Portis is a big part of Zorn's West Coast offense.

"It's kind of exciting," Portis said of Zorn's plan to evaluate the team's starters against Carolina. "I kind of want to play, and I don't want to play. Being that I have to play, and it's not my choice, I can't do nothing but be excited about it.

"Once you get on the field and you got your mind-set that you've got to plan on playing then, of course, it's exciting. You love to see the guys running around, and you love to be a part of it."

In his only preseason appearance, Portis had 18 yards on seven rushes and scored on a one-yard run. He also had one reception for five yards and blocked well in pass protection for quarterback Jason Campbell. Portis, who takes pride in his blocking, will be especially focused on his blitz assignments this week.

"You never know what play [is] going to be the play" that wins a game, Portis said. "We won a lot of games, and lost a lot of games, by seven points or less. You never know what play [is] going to change the outcome of the game. I try to go out and [block] as if that's the play."

Portis, whom Redskins officials have praised for his commitment to the team's offseason workout program, received a $9.3 million singing bonus in March and was guaranteed at least $15.7 million through 2010 as part of his restructured contract that helped the Redskins get under the NFL salary cap.

With two preseason games remaining, Portis's main goal is to be physically sound for the season opener, but "I can't worried about getting hurt," he said. "If I get hurt, I get hurt. I got to go out and play football."

(washingtonpost.com)

Upstairs in Ashburn, the pageantry for the well-coiffed man in the suit was about to begin. Downstairs, away from the Jason Taylor Show, beneath the steps that lead to the weight room and out to the practice field, Clinton Portis slung a green terry-cloth towel over his sweaty head.

He understands the void Joe Gibbs, the franchise's most recognizable mug, has left. What if Taylor morphs into that guy, taking the spotlight away from the player who leads with his shoulder and, occasionally, his mouth?

"That don't bother me at all," Portis said, shrugging. "Jason Taylor is someone who is going to come in and help the Redskins out tremendously. I would love for him to come here and be the star power. I don't care about the star power.

"I want wins in the playoffs, that's what I care about. I want to get a ring put on my hand. I want to hold up a trophy with my teammates and say, 'We did it.' That's what I care about. If Jason Taylor can bring me that, yes, Jason Taylor is my favorite player. Let him be the face of the organization."

At 26, four years after his first Washington training camp, lessons have been consumed and digested. Gibbs's bumpin'-helmet offense, for instance, painfully showed Portis his body isn't indestructible.

Sean Taylor's death made him take personal and spiritual stock of his life. Portis also found out that the extrovert in him -- the locker room prankster whose alter egos change costumes and moods -- is okay coexisting with Portis the adult.

Especially since Sheriff Gonna Getcha now has a little deputy who needs Pampers.

"It's exciting to be a father, to have that luxury," Portis said of his infant son, born this offseason. "You never think a child will change you or you can get that much appreciation out of a child. But you look over and see a baby smiling, waking up in the middle of the night, you have to get up and change diapers and all that, it makes you appreciate being a father so much more.

"It makes you understand what your parents went through or the people who kept you went through, how many requirements it takes to maintain a child and let you know it's really not about you anymore. You have a mouth to feed now."

Portis declined to release the baby boy's name or the mother's name, citing privacy concerns. "Just put I enjoy being a father, you don't have to put nothing about the child's name out there. Then people are going to be searching for the child's name all of a sudden."

Thoughts of Taylor still tumble through his head daily, Portis said. He can't get away from the memory of his slain teammate; Portis's locker here in Ashburn still sits next to No. 21's encased cubicle. He doesn't mind, he said.

"You goin' always think about Sean," Portis said. "And now being a father, you realize what changed him. You realized what he saw, how his passion all of a sudden became lovable, it became enjoyable, it became a delight to go home and check on his child."

Portis had a list of injuries that ruined his 2006 season. Entering last year, he had somehow become viewed as a brittle superstar who could break down at anytime. In a league where explosive, young backs with big contracts have become disposable (see Shaun Alexander), Portis was a monstrous question mark. But he played all 16 games last season, rushing for nearly 1,300 yards and 11 touchdowns. Just as he predicted midway through an awful stretch of losses, he put the Redskins on his back and moved the pile forward. Surprising, no? Another 1,300-yard season, and John Riggins will be the only running back in franchise history with more yards than Portis.

He's not done; he never was.

"They write me off every year, thinkin' there's a new hope," Portis said. "Adrian Peterson got more hype than anybody in the NFL right now after a rookie year where he had 1,300 yards.

"He ran hard," he said of the Vikings' rookie last year. "He played great. But my rookie year I had 1,500 yards. My stats was way better than Adrian Peterson's. Adrian Peterson is playing behind the best line in the NFL right now. But it's what the outside world thinks. Reggie Bush had all the hype in the world. He probably still got all the hype in the world."

Portis said he has no career regrets, adding that the injuries to his shoulder and a broken hand two seasons ago were "the best things that could have possibly happened to me."

"At the time I was tired of football," he added. "The passion for football really wasn't there. The energy for football really wasn't there. So it took me being away from the game to get that appreciation and realize what it meant."

He's been talking up his new teammates and Jim Zorn's offense since training camp began, sounding like a player who was liberated from counter-trey captivity. "Over the past five years I have been playing tough-man football and probably knocked six years off my career," he said.

"I don't think people really watch football," Portis added. "Because what we did as a football team was tough. It was tough on all of us. People don't understand how it beats up on your body. They understand the yardage total. They understand how it look. I did what I was asked to do.
"They asked me run into a brick wall with 11 people standing there, I ran into a brick wall with 11 people standing there. Now I got the opportunity to change the scheme. I feel good, I look good and I'm excited about it."

The sacrifice to play in Gibbs's offense, he said, also helped him understand something about himself.

"What Coach Gibbs did for me was to make me grow up and understand everything in life ain't goin' be fine and dandy," Portis said. "There's going to be hard times, there's going to be battles and you got to fight through them. You not going to win every battle, but you going to fight every battle. What that instilled in me is the confidence to know I never gave up and I never would give up.

"I think my tougher years are behind me," he added. "I really do think that, because every week it was, 'We're going to battle, this is a war.' It's not a tactic to shoot over their heads and out. It's, 'We goin' line up, you goin' buckle your helmet, put your mouthpiece in, get your chin strap fixed and we goin' mano y mano.' I did that."

He also dismisses the notion that Gibbs and the organization catered to the wishes of a prominent skill-position athlete. "I do abide by the rules of this team," Portis said. "I never thought I was bigger than the Washington Redskins and tried to make myself a coach's pet . . . and be Mr. Snyder's friend or Vinny's friend," he said. "You know, I sit down and talk to Mr. Snyder and say something to Vinny. I respect them as men and I think they respect me as a man. It's really just living life.

"A lot of people live life on the edge, scared about tomorrow. I don't know if I'm going to be here tomorrow, so I'm going to get my enjoyment out of today."

"I go to church and pray," he said. "I'm not the best Christian. I'm not a James Thrash or Antwaan Randle El. I still do wrong. I don't go out to strip clubs and chase women and be out drinking and driving out in public.

"But at the same time, I live as a 26-year-old. I'm not married. I'm not disrespectful. I live my life as a young guy who don't know what tomorrow will bring. I would hate to offend anybody or rub anybody the wrong way. I have a girlfriend. I do. I love her dearly. But at the same, at 26 -- I mean, I'm livin'."

Portis also said he's more "accepting and knowing."

"Now most of the time I think about things: 'Is this me playing around, playing a practical joke? Or is this me hurting somebody's feelings? Should I say this?' I think about my actions. I don't want to affect the person next to me. I don't ever want the person next to me feeling like I'm putting them down or belittling them."

Taylor's passing, the years under Gibbs and fatherhood have undeniably changed Portis. But in other ways he remains the same kid whose father would drive from his native Mississippi home to take his son to Jackson State or Mississippi Valley State. Or Saints games in New Orleans, where Dalton Hilliard became his first athletic hero.

Before he went to a Pro Bowl and the NFL playoffs and rushed for 7,715 yards, he was the child of Rhonnel Hearn, the ultra-supportive mother who came to see him play as a kid, the mother who still comes to see him play.

"After every game, whether I got 30 yards or 200 yards, I'm going to get the same hug, I'm going to get the same speech, I'm going to get the same love and I'm going to have the same meal that I want her to cook when I go home," Clinton Portis said. "And it's going to be that. It's going to be no more C.P. the football player. It's going to be, 'Clinton, my son.' "

(washingtonpost.com)

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Clinton Portis is known for his fun-loving personality, not his love of workouts.

This season, the Washington Redskins' running back thinks first-year coach Jim Zorn's offensive system is going to give him more chances to have fun on the field. And he'll be ready to take advantage after spending the offseason working out in the Redskins' facilities.

Portis gained 1,262 yards last season and set the Redskins' top single-season rushing mark with 1,516 yards in 2005. However, under former coach Joe Gibbs, Portis was often called on to fight for yardage in a power-oriented game. Zorn is installing a more wide-open West Coast system, and the new coach thinks the passing threat will create open lanes for Portis.

"We're going to use him, and he knows it," Zorn said.

Portis' eyes light up when he thinks about Zorn's offense.

"I think over the past five years, playing tough-man football probably knocked six years off my career," Portis said. "But that was in the back end. I planned to play for 19 years, but now I'm down to 13, so I've got six left."

If that's true, he's certain to make the most of them.

In years past, Portis has addressed the media costumed as characters he created with gleefully ridiculous names like "Reverend Gonna Change," "Bro Sweets" and "Coach Janky Spanky."

In the opening days of this training camp, he said his role in the locker room is to keep things from getting too serious.
"He's a jokester," said fellow running back Ladell Betts.

Portis expects to have fun on the field as well this season. He acknowledged he missed some opportunities for big plays the past few seasons, but thinks he'll have far more chances to break out for long runs under Zorn.

"When you look across, you don't have to account for everybody," Portis said. "You know if you get through this hole, there's one person you've got to beat. You know I'm looking forward to that."

Portis may not have been looking forward to this offseason, which he largely spent working out at the Redskins' facilities in Virginia. In years past, Portis has headed home to South Florida for the offseason and has made no secret of his dislike for training camp practices and preseason games.

This year Portis focused on training, although it might not have been his first choice.

"I think he had a financial motivation to stay here in the offseason," Zorn said. "I think that worked into his contract."

The way Portis tells it, it was just easier to stay and work out than to justify leaving to Redskins management.

"They asked me to, and I was tired of fighting," Portis said. "Guys walked in and were shocked to see me here time after time, and I think we had fun with it."

For his coach, the fun comes in seeing how the workouts have translated to the field.

"It really not only worked well for him, it worked very well for us because we're going to benefit from all the things he did here in this weight room this offseason," Zorn said. "It was a forced issue for him, because I'm sure he'd have loved to have been in Miami, but he made some sacrifices. Partly it was extrinsic motivations he made sacrifices, but he did it."

Now that training camp has started, Portis appears to like the results of his stepped-up offseason. He looks at the well-respected, older players and sees players who dedicate themselves in workouts. He says he wants to be looked at as that type of player.

That's not to say he's going to stop being a jokester.

"He'll push the envelope and kind of say what guys are thinking but we won't say," Betts said. "But he means it all in good fun."

That sort of thing can rub coaches the wrong way. So far, Zorn seems to be taking Portis' personality in stride.

"He kids around a lot," Zorn said. "He tries to get a rise out of you, if you didn't notice that. But what happens is, when he gets on the field he's concentrating and he really understands the concepts that are out there."

Portis - who describes Zorn as "a fun coach" - is ready to get on the field and put Zorn's concepts into practice.

"It's hard to win if you're not having fun," Portis said. "Let's have fun and see where it takes us."

(usatoday.com)

Redskins coach Jim Zorn said Clinton Portis is not likely to see any action in the team's preseason opener August 3 against Indianapolis.
Portis didn't play in any preseason games last season because of a knee injury and separated shoulder, but he's healthy this summer. Veteran running backs often see little playing time in preseason action, so this is nothing to worry about.

(rotoworld.com)

More seriously, TB Clinton Portis turned an ankle during practice. The injury is not considered to be too damaging, but don’t be surprised if he sits out the afternoon practice at the very least.



(hailredskins.com)

6. Willis McGahee, Baltimore Ravens. On an offense that can only run the ball, McGahee was the runner. He is a versatile rusher who can attack the edges as well as take on defenders between the tackles.

7. Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers. Gore has carried his team in recent seasons and established himself as one of the league's premier backs with little help. With Mike Martz in the fold as the Niners' offensive coordinator, look for Gore to become a force once again as a dual threat runner and receiver.

12. Clinton Portis, Washington Redskins. Another back who is a tremendous fit for the zone-blocking scheme. Portis is a power runner with the vision and cutback ability to find daylight and get to and through linebackers.

14. Edgerrin James, Arizona Cardinals. Although James is on the downside of his career, he is still a productive runner who will benefit from the run-first mentality in Arizona.

Click here to see the rest of the rankings.

The Washington Times expects Clinton Portis to "carry the offense" in Redskins coach Jim Zorn's first season.
The paper expects Portis to be used "a lot," pointing out that Zorn's mentor Mike Holmgren ran Shaun Alexander 331 times a season from 2001-2005. That wouldn't be great for Portis' long-term outlook (he's already got 1,710 career carries), but makes him one of this year's safest late first-round fantasy bets.

(rotoworld.com)

Having already courted the country music crowd, Clinton Portis's offseason push for heartland fan allegiance took its next natural step this week, when he went on the NFL Network to debut four new characters. If you watch the accompanying video, some of the youthful zest will likely be drained from your initial glee, after you you hear Rich Eisen say that "WE'VE created" all these new costumes for Portis.

Who's this "We," exactly? Look, we don't want to see any dang market-research-inspired costumer behind any dang curtain, especially not an NFL-employed market-research-inspired costumer. In our minds, Clinton sits at home and sketches out these characters on construction paper, using magic markers and sparkle glue, before going to various thrift shops and dollar stores to shop for supplies while dressed in his bathrobe and slippers. There are certainly no NFL market research fellas in on this.

But anyhow, Portis is seeking your vote on which character to debut for the D.C. media this fall, which means you're also voting on which character will lead Joseph White's AP mid-week story this fall. The choices include a Wizard-hat wearing Rasta Prime Minister named Yah Man with the most brutal island accent you've ever heard, a winless 115-pound ultimate fighter named Bud Foxx whose signature move is cracking knuckles, a nastily-toothed dentist named Dr. Do Itch Big who claims credit for inserting the gap into Michael Strahan's grill, and my vote, a pipe-smoking environmentalist named Electra whose shirt reads "Off the Grid is Off the Chain."

(As of this writing, "Off the grid is off the chain" yields zero Google results. And that's a legit chuckle line. Well done, evil NFL marketers. Next thing you know, you'll be providing hysterically customized beer bongs for all our favorite NFL stars.)

"You realize smoking's not that great for the environment," Eisen pointed out to the pipe-smoking environmentalist.

"It's FROM the environment," Portis countered, in one of several moments from this segment that made me laugh even though I promised I wouldn't.

"I never thought about it that way," Eisen admitted.

Maybe it's a bit forced, but still, for June, I say bravo, and let this be the first step in Portis's attempt to force his way into the Pro Bowl by being that much more likable than his peers. Although, to be honest, the best costume might have been Portis's street-clothes: a shirt reading "Money" and a mohawk. I'd vote for that.

Vote for your favorite one by clicking here

Redskins, according star running back Clinton Portis who is the guest analyst on the NFL Network Monday and Tuesday.

Portis said he and a number of Skins players spoke up in favor of Gregg Williams as Joe Gibbs replacement early this year.

Portis is appreciative of what Williams did while with the team. Williams is ”a great guy” says Portis, but Zorn brings a new approach and a new attitude that will benefit the team.  

In Zorn’s playbook, the offense will get a better look at what defense they are up against. In Al Saunders’ system, there were so many pre-snap shifts and movement that the players didn’t get so good a look.

The video segment with Portis’ Redskins 2008 Outlook is up on NFL.com.  

CP’s appearance on the show provided another opportunity to look at Clinton’s goofy characters, from Tu-Tu, to Dr. I Don’t Know to Sheriff Gon Getcha. Southeast Jerome appears in a video of the segment. Jerome mysteriously disappeared just before a Giants game in New York.

Portis revealed that the “Barber twins” are persons of interest in the case.

Portis will debut several characters tonight who might make an appearance in his 2008 press conferences. Fans will vote on NFL.com later today on which character they would like to keep. Portis has a sense of which character will win fan favor, but gave no hints Monday.

The Inside Clinton’s Head video is up on NFL.com.  

Portis is guest analyst on NFL Access on the NFL Network at 7:00 p.m. EDT.

(mvn.com)

The Washington Post reports Redskins RB Clinton Portis, who wondered aloud last season whether 2007 would be his final year in Washington -- with his ailments and big salary cap number conspiring against him, has been a mainstay of the offseason workout program since March, keeping to a proper diet and working out in the weight room like never before after spending much of the last two seasons trying to overcome injuries and a tendency to become winded. Some days he has trained with linemen, pushing a sled weighed down by teammates, and he is looking more chiseled. He had been at Redskins Park essentially every working day before last Thursday, when HC Jim Zorn excused him indefinitely. Zorn said he had no problems with Portis leaving to attend what Zorn said was "a celebration" and has praised Portis's work ethic.

(ffmastermind.com)

There was a time when Clinton Portis would spend a good portion of the offseason in Miami's South Beach, relishing the spoils of his profession. The Redskins running back still enjoys his weekends as much as anyone, flashing that devilish smile when the topic of partying is raised, but his more regular attendance at Washington's offseason workout program has been a departure from years past.

Portis, entering his seventh NFL season and fifth with the Redskins, is taking a more mature and healthy approach to his preparation, he says, at the behest of team owner Daniel Snyder and Vinny Cerrato, the vice president of football operations. Snyder and Cerrato provided another apparent impetus in the form of a lucrative new contract for Portis -- despite his injury and conditioning issues the past two years -- essentially guaranteeing his contract through 2010, a rarity in a league of non-guaranteed contracts.

The deal with Portis, the fourth-leading rusher in franchise history, was one of several restructured contracts the Redskins executed to get under the NFL salary cap, and by far the most significant. Portis ended up with a $9.3 million signing bonus in March, and a guarantee of at least $15.7 million through 2010, creating millions in salary cap space but also binding Washington to a player who has been both adored and criticized here and has averaged just 4.0 yards per carry as a Redskin, below the NFL average.

Portis, 26, played down any link between his latest payday (the Redskins have reworked his contract each of the last three years) and his improved work ethic, but even he was pleasantly surprised by the turn of events. Portis wondered aloud last season whether 2007 would be his final year in Washington -- with his ailments and big salary cap number conspiring against him -- but instead management showed faith in him.

"You want to make it a money thing, but it's what they think of me" that matters, Portis said recently. "I'm grateful to have the opportunity because they didn't have to do that. I was never worried about not being able to play; I was just worried about being in D.C. But I'm here now, and you've got three more years of talking to me."

Portis has been a mainstay of the offseason workout program since March, keeping to a proper diet and working out in the weight room like never before after spending much of the last two seasons trying to overcome injuries and a tendency to become winded. Some days he has trained with linemen, pushing a sled weighed down by teammates, and he is looking more chiseled. He had been at Redskins Park essentially every working day before last Thursday, when Coach Jim Zorn excused him indefinitely. Zorn said he had no problems with Portis leaving to attend what Zorn said was "a celebration" and has praised Portis's work ethic.

"It wasn't [the new contract], it's just he simple fact that I'm now six years in," said Portis, who still has a distaste for practice in general. "How many good years do I got left? This is a golden opportunity, why let it slip away? They asked me to be here; I might as well be here. And I'm here, so I might as well work and take advantage of the opportunity.

"I feel much better. As much as I didn't want to be here [in the offseason], to go out there and be able to run downfield 100 yards and jog back and turn around and run 100 yards again [without being fatigued], it feels great."

Along with Snyder and former coach Joe Gibbs, Cerrato, who declined to comment for this story, embraced Portis's outsized personality and outlandish ways; Portis dressed in costume to meet the media for much of the 2005 season. Management has staunchly defended his production throughout his Redskins career, but some fans, teammates and coaches have been less enthused about Portis's style.

He remains a polarizing figure, piling up yardage but being inconsistent at times and failing to approach the success he had in Denver, where he played for two years before the Redskins traded cornerback Champ Bailey plus a second-round pick for him. His body of work as a Redskin, like his persona, is akin to abstract art -- open to interpretation.

Portis averaged 5.5 yards per carry and 107 yards per game as a Bronco, scoring 29 rushing touchdowns in 29 contests. With the Redskins he has averaged just 4.0 yards per carry and 84 yards per game, scoring 34 rushing touchdowns in 55 games. In 2005 Portis led a playoff run and set a franchise record with 1,516 yards on the ground, but, a year later, could only watch as Ladell Betts topped 1,000 yards in half a season with Portis injured.

Portis slumped through the first half of 2007 (he went 12 games between 100-yard games dating from 2006), coming back from injury and playing behind a makeshift offensive line at times, but still finished with 1,262 yards, sixth most in the league, though he averaged less than four yards per carry. Only six backs have more rushing yards than Portis since 2004, but one, Tiki Barber, has been retired since 2006, and Thomas Jones of the Jets has amassed four fewer yards than Portis in that span while earning a fraction of what Portis has.

Portis can be as selfless as any runner in the NFL, sacrificing his body in pass protection, but his practice habits and comments have turned off some within the organization, too.

Portis will have earned $37.6 million from Snyder by the end of the 2008 season (though some of that money is deferred), and Washington's repeated reworking of his deals has irked some teammates, who feel he gets preferential treatment. During the past four years it was not uncommon for teammates to complain to coaches about what they perceived to be a double standard for Portis, sources said.

"A lot of things Clinton does rub people the wrong way, but Joe Gibbs looked the other way on all of that," said one former member of the organization. "Joe would always talk to the team about being totally focused on football during practice -- he didn't want guys talking about movies or what they did last night; even if you were hurt you were taking mental reps -- that was something he really harped on. But then you look over [during practice] and there's Clinton over there having fun with Vinny and Dan. How's that totally focused on football?"

His input and apparent sway in personnel matters has raised the ire of some as well; Portis regularly expressed his opinion on possible free agents and draft picks to Gibbs and management and often jokes about being an assistant general manager of sorts.

Portis often broke from the prescribed dress code during practices and games and usually was the last person to arrive for a team meeting, players and coaches said. While the general rule was for players to report and do rehabilitation before morning meetings, he would arrive just in time, then others had to scramble in order to accommodate his rehab in the afternoon. Portis regularly would be allowed to miss much of practice but was not listed on the injury report, players and coaches said, fueling his reputation as a player who did not take practice seriously.

"He's getting a little older, and he knows that," said wide receiver Santana Moss, a close friend who also played at the University of Miami.
"Regardless of what Clinton does he comes out and plays ball, but he's showing everybody he's not the guy everybody thinks he is when it comes to how he handles his offseason training and how he prepares.

"He knows he gets a lot of BS on why he's not here or what he's doing when he's not here, but I ain't never seen Clinton when it comes to game time that he didn't go out there and perform. He's just showing you now, 'Hey, if you want me here I'm gonna be here.' "

With a new coaching regime in place, many of Gibbs's tenets no longer apply, including an arrangement that allowed Portis to take himself out of games, and to make way for Betts whenever he felt it necessary.

"I don't think that's something that's going to happen here," Zorn said. "That's not the way our offense is designed. I don't think that will be the way that we function on the football field."

Portis averaged nearly 350 carries per season in his first two years under Gibbs, and, while the pounding takes a toll on running backs, he will play a critical role, particularly early this season, as the quarterbacks and receivers adjust to a new offense.

"He has a great feel for the zone running game," Zorn said. "I did not change the run game from what has been run here in the past. He ought to feel very comfortable with what we are doing."

(washingtonpost.com)

Washington Redskins RB Clinton Portis was at the Redskins training facility on Thursday receiving treatment on his hip, which has given him trouble since May when he reportedly tweaked it after racing SS Laron Landry in a friendly forty yard dash.

Portis has sat in on team meetings, but hasn’t practiced this week. This isn’t anything for his owners to worry about, as he’s clearly resting up for the season. There’s no need to risk any further injury at this point, and taking it easy in the off-season is good for him, since he’ll likely see the rock more times in 2008 under new head coach Jim Zorn than he ever has.

(nooffseason.com)

New Redskins coach Jim Zorn indicated that Clinton Portis will no longer be pulling himself out of games like he did under Joe Gibbs.
"I don't think that's something that's going to happen here," Zorn said. "That's not the way our offense is designed." Zorn plans to take better advantage of Portis' receiving and blocking ability. Portis is also recovered from the hip flexor that limited him during early-May workouts.

(rotoworld.com)

RB Clinton Portis (minor hip injury) sat out practice. Zorn theorized that the injury could have occurred when Portis and S LaRon Landry raced against each other Sunday.



(ffmastermind.com)

For the first time in a couple years, Redskins RB Clinton Portis took part in Redskins mini-camp. Portis’ solid fantasy year absolutely flew under the radar last season, but make no mistake about it - he has re-established himself as a solid fantasy RB1.


(thereisnooffseason.com)

The Washington Post reports Redskins RB Clinton Portis, who will be 27 this season, received $9.32 million in a signing bonus in March from the team in a restructured deal. The Redskins also guaranteed his salary for the next two seasons and also guaranteed a big portion of his 2010 salary as well. In all, the Redskins guaranteed $15 million through the 2010 season. He isn't going anywhere, for quite some time.

(ffmastermind.com)

Washington Post beat writer Jason La Canfora would "bank on" the Redskins giving Clinton Portis every opportunity to be a feature back in 2008.

While former RBs coach Earnest Byner often campaigned for Ladell Betts to get more work, La Canfora believes Jim Zorn's staff will use Portis as a "workhorse." Zorn has indicated that he plans to open 2008 with a run-heavy offense. An injury free offseason would be a promising sign for Portis.

(rotoworld.com)

Redskins RB Clinton Portis, for one, is excited about the team's new offense. He feels like the spread formations that Jim Zorn plans to use will open up more running lanes inside, similar to what Portis saw in Denver's zone-blocking offense.



(profootballweekly.com)

After studying Clinton Portis on tape during the offseason, Redskins coach Jim Zorn is preparing the seven-year vet for a bigger role in the offense.

Portis, who finished sixth in the league in rushing with 1,262 yards, is spending his offseason training at the team's complex. "We think that he can be a 1,800-yard back this season," assistant head coach/running backs Stump Mitchell said. "Running behind that offensive line, he should average four-and-a-half to five yards per carry."

The Redskins are keeping their blocking schemes intact and believe that continuity will allow Portis to thrive as their feature back. Furthermore, the Redskins are contemplating expanding Portis' role as a receiver after the vet hauled in a career-high 47 passes last season.

"We know that he was productive as a receiver last season, but most of his receptions were of the 'check-down' variety," Mitchell said. "We will see how he runs routes during mini-camps and O.T.As (Organized Team Activities) and determine if we can make him a bigger part of the passing game. He is a complete player with an unbelievable set of skills and we must find a way to maximize his talent."

(cnnsi.com)