One reason Clinton Portis was fun to cover was his unpredictability. You knew you would get something good from him, but what direction would it go: fun, a little angry, insightful, cocky? Often times all three showed up in his interviews.
And they all showed up during his retirement press conference Thursday, during which he choked up five times (he stepped away from the microphone twice in the first couple minutes).
Here are the highlights:
…Portis was all set to attend the University of Maryland. “I just remember telling my mom that I’m going to college and I’m going to the University of Maryland,” he said. “From that point on, she didn’t answer a University of Maryland football call, she threw away all the mail. And I walked into house and I said, ‘Did any of the coaches call?’ And she said, ‘Yeah, Miami.’ I said, ‘That’s it? That’s the only team that called?’ She said, ‘That’s the only one that I can remember.’ ”
…Among those in attendance: running backs coach Bobby Turner, special teams coach Danny Smith, coach Mike Shanahan, Phillip Daniels, London Fletcher, Anthony Armstrong, Tim Hightower and Alfred Morris.
… He talked about meeting with Shanahan after the 2002 draft. Shanahan later told Portis he thought he’d be happy that he took him in the second round but the first thing Portis told him, “Why didn’t you take me in the first?”
…At his first practice in Denver, when Turner called for the first team backs, Portis headed over to him. Along with Terrell Davis. “I told him, that’s where I’m going to be,” Portis said. With Davis unable to play that season (his last in the NFL), Olandis Gary was the starter. But before one game Gary twisted his ankle in warm-ups. Turner told Portis before the game that he would start. “That was the start of something special. From that moment on it was a blur.”
…He said at the scouting combine he told teams they should trade for the No.3 pick in the draft and take him (after David Carr and Julius Peppers). “I’ll be the rookie of the year,” he said he told them. “Everyone looked at me like I was crazy.” Of course, he did win the rookie of the year.
…On getting traded to the Redskins: “The best thing that ever happened to me was connecting with one of my favorite people of all-time and that’s coach [Joe] Gibbs.” When Gibbs called to tell him about being traded to the Redskins, “ I lit up like a kid in a candy store.”
…He all but said it was easy for him in Denver because the holes were so wide. When Portis said this he held his arms wide apart. But here, the holes were smaller and Portis showed his hands close together. “A little brick wall, I had to put my head down and run through.” He talked about seeing tight end Chris Cooley trying to block and shaking. “He used to be so afraid but every play he gave it his best.”
…Portis loved playing in Washington because of what he called a special bond, particularly on the 2005 and ’07 playoff teams. He said one of his favorite memories in 2005 was arguing “with Marcus Washington and Sean T and Ryan Clark about who would have the biggest hit in the game.”
…He choked up recalling how his mom told him if she ever got rich she’d buy a Jaguar and live in a purple house because that was the color of royalty. Portis made it happen. “She got a Jaguar, she got a purple house,” he said.
… Portis said he knew he was done after he left here following the 2010 season, even though he worked out for a handful of teams in the last year. “I knew it wasn’t in my heart,” Portis said. “I couldn’t go to another organization and play with the heart that I played with in this organization….I love this city.”
…On the Hall of Fame, Portis said, “It would be great… If it was for my biggest attribute, which is heart, I would definitely be there.”
…On Sean Taylor’s death. “A lot of me left with Sean… The game was never the same. … We had so many arguments about who was the hardest hitter, though in truth he would be. I thought he hit harder than me, but I was always willing to argue.”
…He was named one of the Redskins 80 greatest players.
…Portis said he’s uncertain what he’s going to do and joked that he would be a soccer dad as his two young boys walked on stage.
