Portis Looking Forward to Playing Denver
By Rich Campbell
Special to Redskins.com
August 8, 2004
Clinton Portis must have smiled when he first saw the Redskins' 2004 schedule. The first preseason game will be against the Denver Broncos on national television in the Hall of Fame game.
As the first week of training camp passed and the game approached, Portis said he could hardly wait for his Redskins debut. Not only is the Hall of Fame game his first chance to show Redskins fans his stuff, it is a chance to remind the Broncos of what they traded away.
Clinton Portis has rushed for more than 3,000 yards in two NFL seasons.
"In the back of my mind, I'm thinking if I can get one carry for 85 yards and a touchdown, I probably won't have to play the rest of the game," Portis said, smiling. "It'll be exciting to play them for the first time."
Portis, of course, was traded to the Redskins on March 4 for cornerback Champ Bailey and a draft pick. The blockbuster trade was one of the biggest in NFL history. The Redskins gave up a cornerstone of their defense and a perennial Pro Bowler to get Portis, a 22-year-old running back who has become a franchise-caliber back in his first two seasons.
Because of the magnitude of the trade, the Hall of Fame Game matchup came as no surprise to Portis.
"The NFL waits for the biggest move in the offseason and then puts it in the Hall of Fame Game," Portis said. "I think there will be a lot of excited people tuning in, obviously."
Portis, a 5-11, 205-pounder, said that he is looking forward to lining up against the Broncos' defense in game situations--after practicing against it for two years.
"I think Al Wilson is probably one of the best linebackers in the game," he said. "Playing against Al Wilson and knowing the type of player he is and the type of desire he has, it's going to be exciting. Playing against Trevor Pryce and Kenoy Kennedy, it's going to be fun."
The Broncos drafted Portis in the second round (51st overall) in 2002. Portis made an immediate impact for Denver, starting 12 games his rookie season and rushing for 1,508 yards and 15 touchdowns on 273 carries. He was named NFL Rookie of the Year.
His encore performance in 2003 was equally as impressive. Portis made his first Pro Bowl after rushing for 1,591 yards and 14 touchdowns on 290 carries. He posted those statistics even after injuries forced him to miss three games and portions of two others. He also logged 38 catches for 314 yards last year, which would have ranked third on the Redskins' reception list in 2003.
The Redskins completed the trade to upgrade a running attack that fell off in 2003 after the departure of Stephen Davis. Redskins rushers combined for eight touchdowns last season, and the team's leading rusher was Trung Canidate with 600 yards.
As the Redskins transition back to more of a run-oriented offense, head coach Joe Gibbs has a running back that he can rely on. Consider this: In his two years in the NFL, Portis averaged a whopping 5.5 yards per carry.
"It's exciting," said right tackle Jon Jansen. "I was able to block for a great running back in Stephen Davis for a long time, and he made the guys in front of him look good. Clinton is the same type of running back. I'm as excited as anybody else to block for that guy."
Portis sees the trade as a good one for both teams, but acknowledged that the trade can't be evaluated until both players take the field.
"I think they gave up a good player to get a good player," Portis said. "It was a nice trade. I think for them to give up Champ, who has four Pro Bowls, and a draft pick, for me spoke highly of myself. Champ and I haven't done anything for our new teams yet, so until the end of the season you don't know how the trade has worked out."
Portis believes that he has more of a leadership role with the Redskins than he did in Denver. He was young and relatively inexperienced with the Broncos. Now, with a Pro Bowl and playoff experience under his belt, players are looking up to him.
"Being put into a leadership role is just a different feel because I had [Rod Smith and Shannon Sharpe] to look up to and they led me the right way," he said. "Now, guys are looking up to me and I have to lead them the right way."
Portis said that he doesn't feel much pressure going into the game or the regular season. In his mind, the pressure as a rookie was stronger.
"In my first year with Denver, I actually went out there the day after the draft and I stayed," he said. "I worked out with the team and I got into shape. I learned the system quickly and that is why I was able to do the things that I did my rookie year.
"It was the same thing here. I came here and learned the system and I picked things up. Of course there was going to be a learning curve, but because I know what to expect from the NFL, there is not going to be as much pressure as there was during my rookie season."
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