Portis cuts wide swath through camp
It hasn't taken former Denver Bronco Clinton Portis long to make a name with his new Washington Redskins teammates.
"I'm not going to be like everyone else," the Washington Redskins running back said. "I'm having a sense of humor, not caring what people think. I'm going to wear whatever I feel comfortable wearing. If I want to put on yellow that day, if I want to put on pink, if I want to put on lime green, I'm going to put it on and not feel bothered by it."
Portis came to the Redskins in one of the biggest NFL trades in recent years _ a swap of Pro Bowlers that sent Champ Bailey to Denver _ and he's wasted little time making his presence known. His sharp, crisp runs have been one of the highlights of the early days of training camp, and his dry witticisms are becoming a favorite daily ritual.
The highlights:
• Portis made a fake announcement that he was following Miami running back Ricky Williams into retirement, giving reasons that parodied Williams' bizarre departure. "My dog's real sick. I need to spend more time with my dog," Portis said.
• Asked to comment on the competition between nice-guy quarterbacks Mark Brunell and Patrick Ramsey, Portis kept a serious face and said: "They're actually jerks."
• Discussing San Diego running back LaDainian Tomlinson, Portis had bad news for Redskins receivers Laveranues Coles and Rod Gardner: "LaDainian had 100 catches last year. I talked to coach. I'm probably going to get 101, just to better LaDainian. I told Laveranues, he might not make it to the Pro Bowl. Rod Gardner, they can hang it up. I'm going to do everything around here."
Maybe that's not too far from the truth. After all, the Redskins want bang for their bucks after giving Portis an eight-year, $50.5 million contract. Besides, Portis is aware of coach Joe Gibbs' successful track record with running backs.
"I don't know about 101 catches," said Gibbs, laughing at Portis' remarks. "He's going to touch it a lot. His tongue's going to be hanging out."
Portis brims with self-confidence, a product of a Mississippi childhood surrounded by two older brothers and much older cousins.
"My cousins always picked on me," Portis said. "It was my cousins picking on me for stuff my brothers would do to them."
Instead of wilting, Portis thrived by developing his sense of humor and an against-the-odds, can-do attitude. He needed both when his childhood was repeated, in a sense, when he was drafted by the Broncos and found himself surrounded by the likes of Shannon Sharpe, Rod Smith and Tom Nalen.
"They thought they were my brothers, too," Portis said. "Those guys always gave me bad advice. I don't think they wished the best for me."
Portis was half-joking. Yes, the vets played pranks, but he's good friends with them all and is looking forward to seeing them again when the Redskins and Broncos meet in tonight's Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio.
"I haven't talked to Shannon lately, but I hear he's been pumping me up. He's made some good comments about me, even though I don't like him all that much," said Portis, laughing again.
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