Clinton Portis Fine Being In Background

Clinton Portis held court with the media Thursday for 15 minutes, his first extended session since early in training camp. And that’s Exhibit A of how much things have changed for the Redskins.

Portis has taken a backseat to Mike Shanahan’s hiring, Donovan McNabb’s arrival and the ongoing Albert Haynesworth mess.

“That’s a good thing,” Portis said before practice. “I don’t mind. For me, [in previous years] it was all negative attention, everybody complaining about me not wanting to participate in the preseason. To have all the other stuff going on, it took the attention [away] from me and allowed me to come out and work and get myself ready.”

Concentrating on his work has paid off – Portis entered training camp as the starting running back ahead of fellow former Pro Bowlers Larry Johnson and Willie Parker, and is expected to start Sunday night against Dallas.

On a roster full of players looking to redeem themselves, Portis leads the pack. He struggled during the second half of the 2008 season and was average when he sustained a season-ending concussion that forced him to miss the last eight games of the 2009 debacle.

Portis has reached 100 yards just twice in his last 17 games, but if praise from Shanahan is any indication, he is poised to return to the form that allowed him to reach 1,200 yards in six of his eight NFL seasons.

Still, Portis said he’s not embarking on a Redemption Tour.

“I don’t think it’s having something to prove,” he said. “I feel good and I think I know what I’m capable of doing.”

If Portis does play at a Pro Bowl level, he will be able to credit his offseason as a prime reason.

Instead of being an uninterested observer who spent more time in Miami than Ashburn, Portis accepted Shanahan’s challenge to lose 15-18 pounds and stop the Florida-to-Virginia shuttle.

“The first thing we talked about was him being in excellent shape and paying the price in the offseason; he’s done that,” Shanahan said. “He’s in good football shape. You can see the way he practices and goes about his business; he looks like a young player.”

Portis benefited like most veterans from Shanahan’s training camp philosophy of saving his players for the regular season. Portis was limited to nine preseason carries but did not miss any practice time.

“I actually feel younger at this point than I have in a long time,” he said. “You usually come out of the preseason beat up from two-a-days and your body is tired, but coming into this week, I feel fresh.”

While Portis occasionally caused controversy in his first six years with the Redskins by complaining about the preseason and criticizing teammates, he’s kept his mouth shut so far this year. It’s a nod to how he treated his injury last year.

“Honestly, I don’t feel like I was doing nothing wrong, but at the same time, I got to the point where I could have had been a better teammate,” he said. “I could have hung around. …I made it a goal this preseason to make sure I was never going to be a topic of conversation and in the headlines for missing practice. I wanted to show my teammates I was dedicated to getting myself right, to push through all the little aches and pains and get back as soon as possible. I think I did that.”

Portis could develop little aches and pains if he has to carry the load within the Redskins’ offense. If he starts, it means first- and second-down work. But he’s also the team’s best third-down back from a protection standpoint, so the Redskins have to figure out ways to get Portis through an entire season.

Portis has a fan in new offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.

“I didn’t know Clinton before I came here but talking to him, he’s intelligent and competitive and been great for us,” Shanahan said. “He’s hungry.”

Portis’ outlook has changed in one other area: His pursuit of the Redskins’ rushing record. He needs 304 to reach 10,000 and is 875 away from tying John Riggins’ franchise mark of 7,472 yards. Whereas last year he brought up his desire to break Riggins’ record, it’s not as urgent this year.

“I don’t really pay attention to it,” Portis said. “Every time I look forward to doing something, something negative happens. The milestones will matter the most when all is said and done and I walk away from football and actually get a chance to look back and say, ‘Wow, I did that.’”

Click here to order Clinton Portis’ proCane Rookie Card.



(csnwashington.com)