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Clinton Portis The self-proclaimed ‘baddest man’ on offense thrives on taking the game to defenders. When Clinton Portis joined the Washington Redskins in 2004, he noticed there was something missing in the locker room. There was no personality, no laughs, no one having fun. Portis understood the Redskins were coming off back-to-back losing seasons and the team was making the transition from one head coach (Steve Spurrier) to another (Joe Gibbs) so there were some serious issues at work, but still… “I think people work better if they’re enjoying themselves,” Portis says. “When I was in Denver, we had two of the biggest jokesters in the league in Shannon Sharpe and Keith Burns. They were two of our leaders and they were always cutting up and having fun. They kept practice alive and made you look forward to coming to work every day.” Things were much different in Washington. “Guys weren’t talking. They were just sitting around waiting to practice. I said, ‘Man, this has to change,’ so I injected my personality into the mix. I grew up in a family of jokesters. So it was easy for me to just lighten things up.” Portis, 5-feet-11 and 220 pounds, loosened up the locker room with his playful antics, which include wearing various costumes when he met the press each Thursday. One week he met the media in a flowing black cape, a black Lone Ranger mask, a black wig, and oversized yellow shades. “You’ve heard of Vampire from Brooklyn?” he said. “Well, I’m Jerome from Southeast D.C.” Another time, Portis wore a purple wig with a dollar-bill chain around his neck and introduced himself as “Dollah Bill.” It became something of a tradition at Redskin Park with everyone, teammates included, waiting to see what character would emerge from Portis’ imagination that week. “I have no idea what he’s doing all the time,” says tackle Jon Jansen, “but he makes it fun.” Of course, none of this would matter if Portis wasn’t helping the Redskins’ cause on game day, but he has done that as well. In 2005, Portis set the franchise record with 1,516 yards rushing and through the first month of the 2008 season, he was on pace to top that figure. After seven games, Portis was leading the league in rushing attempts (163), rushing yards (818), first-down runs (43), and runs of 20-plus yards (eight). He had seven touchdowns in helping the team surge to a 5-2 start under rookie head coach Jim Zorn. “If you’re going to speak about me, put me in the category of players who are consistent,” Portis says. “You want to compare? LaDainian Tomlinson? Great player, you can never take that away from him. Edgerrin James? Leader, consistent, great player. Outside of that, some [backs] have hit the spotlight, but who has the consistency? I’ve produced over a long period of time.” Portis is only 27, but he is in his seventh NFL season and among active players, only Tomlinson and James have more rushing touchdowns. For all of his good humor, Portis is a ferocious competitor once he steps onto the football field. “I play with the mentality that I’m the baddest man on the field,” Portis says. “Most runners, when they play against [Ravens linebacker] Ray Lewis or [Bears linebacker] Brian Urlacher, they run away from them. Not me. I want to run at them. I want to see where they’re at. “Let me see Ray Lewis, let me look him in the eye. If he’s the baddest man on defense, I feel like I’m the baddest man on offense. OK, let’s compete. If I can’t make you miss me then you made a good play. But that’s what separates me from most backs. My best skill is my heart. I’ll put my heart up against anybody’s.” — Ray Didinge
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