Clinton Portis retiring as a Redskin

The Washington Redskins have announced they will host a retirement news conference Thursday for former Redskins running back Clinton Portis, who has not played in the NFL since 2010 and had hinted a few times over the past year that he'd like a chance to play again. Apparently, Portis has foregone that hope and will officially hang 'em up later this week in Ashburn, Va.

It's likely not a coincidence that the Redskins are unveiling their "10 for 80" the very next day -- the list of the next 10 players added to their list of all-time great Redskins. That list is expanding this year from 70 to 80 in honor of the team's 80th anniversary season, and Portis is likely to be one of the 10 new names.

Portis is a worthy addition to the list of all-time Redskins. He's the second-leading rusher in team history and rolled up 26 100-yard games during his seven seasons in Washington. More than that, though, Portis as a Redskin was the kind of player fans love to love. He was the definition of a workhorse back. In four of his first five seasons with the team, he carried the ball more than 340 times for more than 1,250 yards. (In 2006, he only played in eight games due to injury.) He scored 49 touchdowns in his seven seasons as a Redskin. He was a willing and devastating blocker and among the best running backs of the modern era at picking up the blitz.

The years Portis played for the Redskins (2004-10) are certainly not part of any golden age of Redskins history. But amid the mediocrity, Portis stood out as a great player, a hard worker and a colorful character off the field and in the locker room. Redskins fans may not remember the teams he played on as fondly as they'll remember him.


(espn.com)