Clinton Portis Released

The Redskins have announced that they have released Clinton Portis.

"Clinton provided excitement from the very first time he touched the ball as a Redskin and we were lucky to witness every ounce of energy, effort and passion he has given ever since," Redskins owner Daniel M. Snyder said in a statement released by the team. "We have been through a lot both on and off of the field and we would like to wish him and his family the very best. He will always be a Redskin and go down as one of the franchise's all-time greats."

Asked about his future with the Redskins, Clinton Portis said, "I should be released today," in an interview with Mike Wise and Holden Kushner on 106.7 The Fan.

An introspective Portis opened up on his time in DC and, in a 33-minute interview, said that he had given "everything I had to the city of Washington" and added that here, there's "nothing left me to prove."

Portis was asked about the drama that accompanied his time in D.C. "One of the biggest reasons for why my time is up in D.C.: the drama and the issues, the back and forth with teammates."

For Portis now, "it's not about the money for me at this stage of my career, it's about winning." As for John Riggins' team rushing record: "If the record meant that much, I think I could have stayed in D.C. to get it."

Portis spoke of Joe Gibbs' leadership and his own growth and maturation. Asked what he has left -- a house? -- in D.C., Portis said, "Memories." Many of those are of his close friend Sean Taylor, and he admitted that he lost some of his passion when Taylor died.

"Maybe I left something in that stadium [FedEx Field] that will carry on with people for some time."

Portis was philosophical about the transitory nature of NFL jobs. "No one is irreplaceable...Enjoy as much as you can and when it's time for you to move on, be ready." Whether it's Keiland Williams or Ryan Torain, "another back is gonna come along and steal the hearts of fans."

On a lighter note, Portis admits that the sale of his house, which is on the market, has been slowed by the presence of his well-documented stripper pole. (Perhaps his real estate agent should say it's a fireman's pole.) "The husbands love it. Then the wives go through."

And Janky Panky is his personal favorite of all his characters.

Afterward, Kushner tweeted, "We had to dump Portis when he said, "There's no part of me that still doesn't think I'm the baddest [um, expletive] on the field."

Portis in a statement said: "I would like to thank the organization," Portis said in the release. "Dan [Snyder] and Mike [Shanahan] were honest, straight-up people with me. I always appreciated the opportunity from Dan to play here. Being a Redskin was a special part of my life. Coming and being in that organization, I turned from a kid having fun to a man carrying responsibilities. I tried to put the world on my shoulders for Coach Gibbs and the Redskins fans."    

Click here to order Clinton Portis’s proCane Rookie Card.



(washingtonpost.com)