Portis absorbed punishment for a living, but now lives the good life

Maybe the most underappreciated running back of his generation, a player who blocked with ferocity and ran with grace, is asked about concussions. Clinton Portis answers the way he always does: honestly and bluntly.

"The truth is I had a lot of concussions," he said. "It was just the way things were at the time. I'd get hit hard and be woozy. I'd be dizzy. I'd take a play off and then go back in. Sometimes when I went back into the game, I still couldn't see straight. This happened all the time. Sometimes once or twice a game."

How many concussions does he think he had?

"Numerous," Portis said.

Five? Ten?

"More than that, I think," Portis said.

"I can't put an exact number on it," he adds. "I just know it was a lot. I stopped counting at some point."

Despite that punishment. Portis was able to walk away from the game with limb and mind intact, which despite being one of the toughest people to ever play the game, is a minor miracle. Now, after those violent times on a football field, he spends his days with his kids or walking on a beach or just doing ... nothing. In all, he lives a normal life, with his health intact.

Portis' story is important for one major reason. It's well documented that numerous NFL players have had difficult transitions from their playing days into retirement. Both the NFL and union dedicate massive resources to struggling post-retirement players.

Portis is not fighting demons. The only fighting he's doing is against the traffic headed to the beach in the Miami area. Despite taking physical abuse -- in addition to being one of the most prolific runners in league history, he was also one of the top-three best blocking backs the sport has ever seen -- Portis says he's healthy. No known effects from the concussions thus far. No crutches. No emotional struggles. Just a relaxed life.

"I have a few aches and pains," he said, "nothing major. None of the, 'I can't stand up or walk' stuff. I got away from the game at the perfect time. To be 31 and retired and spending time with my kids, I love it."

Portis is one of those athlete success stories we rarely hear about, particularly retired athlete stories. In an NFL world recently dominated by news of alleged murderers and players going bankrupt, or how some players get so physically damaged they can no longer function as normal human beings, Portis says he left the sport unscathed and not bitter.

There are other tales like Portis' of players who left football content and successful -- see Michael Strahan -- but Portis' is one of the more unique because he is content with the simple joys of ordinary living. He doesn't want to be a star any longer. He just wants to be a normal dude.

"For a lot of players, it's an empty feeling when the attention is gone," said Portis. "A lot of players get caught up in the hype. They believe the NFL defined them as people. I loved football, and Redskins Nation, but football never defined me."

For those familiar with Portis, his intelligence and introspection is not shocking. For those who are not, Portis spent most of his career in Washington from 2004-2010, where he became one of the most popular players in team history. There were numerous outstanding backs who played during that decade. LaDainian Tomlinson, Fred Taylor, Ricky Williams. Portis was just as good as almost all of them.

In three of his first four seasons Portis rushed for at least 1,500 yards and in that fourth season he ran for 1,315 yards). In six of his first seven seasons, he rushed for at least 1,200. He had almost 10,000 yards for the decade and scored 75 touchdowns.

All the while he took an unbelievable pounding, and after what Portis disclosed about his concussions, we now know just how much of a pounding it was.
Despite being practically idolized by a Washington fan base, Portis kept perspective and a sense of humor. He became almost as famous for his various personas as he did his powerful running style.

Has Portis kept those costumes?

"I don't know what happened to most of the stuff," he said. "I still have some of the various pieces. I wish I would have held onto the glasses and the wig."

There was one misstep, when he seemed to back Mike Vick soon after it was disclosed Vick had been running a dog-fighting ring (Portis later clarified his comments). Overall, Portis smartly prepared for the day his career would end. He was ready when it did.

"Being retired is great," he said. "I was at the Redskins facility at eight in the morning and sometimes didn't leave until late at night. Now I don't have a schedule.
"I spent so much of my life in a job where people judged me. Now I just want to be around my kids, and be around people who love me. I miss Redskins Nation and I will always cherish Mr. Snyder (owner Dan Snyder) and coach (Joe) Gibbs. They gave me an opportunity to do something special."

Would he ever consider coming back?

"No way," he said, "I'm done. I'm staying retired. Life is too good."


(cbssports.com)