Portis doesn't think career year will earn him respect

By Joseph White

ASHBURN

It's become almost routine to hear Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis sigh and utter these words: "Man, people are never going to be satisfied."

It's easy to understand his case.

If he rushes for 1,300 yards, it's an off year.

If he hurts his shoulder trying to make a tackle in the preseason, he's suddenly injury-prone.

If he leaves a game because he needs a breather, he's a selfish diva - though two backs in the NFL have had more carries over the past five seasons.

If he makes the type of candid comment that everyone loves to hear, he's too outspoken.

If he wears funny costumes for a few weeks, fans implore him to keep doing it indefinitely - though it was a wonderfully entertaining shtick from three years ago that could never be replicated.

Could this be the year that Portis makes everyone happy? He's by far the NFL's leading rusher, with 818 yards, seven touchdowns, a league-high 163 carries and four consecutive 120-yard games for a 5-2 team.

Portis doesn't think so. At least he doesn't want to think so.

"If I run for 3,000 yards, then it's 'Oh, Jason Campbell should have thrown the ball.' 'They gave him every carry - that's why he had 3,000 yards,'" Portis said Wednesday. "What we've got to go out and do is not try to satisfy the outside. We know what makes us happy and that's winning, and as long as we're doing that, we're good."

Portis said he might have been "excited and going crazy" about leading the league in rushing in his younger days, but the years have jaded him a bit. His fun-loving showmanship and his open disdain for practice have often been mistaken for a me-first persona, criticism that stings.

"You think I'm fun loving - most people think I'm a jerk," Portis said. "Most people think I'm stuck on myself or always throwing myself out to do something or being on my own schedule. It's always opinions. I can't make people understand me for what I'm worth. Y'all know what I do. I play around, laugh and joke. It ain't that serious to me, so I'm going to keep living no matter what they think."

Tight end Chris Cooley, also known to march to his own beat, offered his view of Portis.

"He's a lot of fun. At the same time, he's the hardest working, hardest playing football player that I've been around," Cooley said. "No one takes more hits and gives out more big hits in a game that Clinton Portis, and that kind of overrules all the goofiness and all the fun in the locker room. If you have a problem with Clinton Portis, put on a game film and watch him."

Or count the sore body parts. Portis needed treatment on a shin, an ankle, his neck and a hip after Sunday's 175-yard performance in a win over the Cleveland Browns. He was given the day off from practice Wednesday.

"Everything hurts, to be honest. Bumps and bruises, nothing major. I'll be fine. I had to get in the hot tub and have the water come up to here," said Portis, holding his hand up to his neck. "My ears hurt, but they haven't got a treatment for that yet."

Notes: Defensive end Jason Taylor estimated Wednesday that he is 60 percent healthy as he plays his way back after emergency calf surgery. The veteran defensive end had the stitches removed from his calf this week.... Among the Redskins who missed practice Wednesday were Portis (hip), safety Chris Horton (ankle), guard Pete Kendall (knees), cornerback Fred Smoot (groin) and tight end Todd Yoder (thigh). All are expected to play Sunday against Detroit except for Smoot.... Cornerback Shawn Springs (calf) isn't expected to play Sunday, and coach Jim Zorn said defensive tackle Cornelius Griffin might be given a game off to rest a shoulder injury.