The reaction was a bit delayed, to say the least. Way back in January, former Redskins running back John Riggins called current Redskins running back Clinton Portis a “headache.”
On Tuesday, more than seven months later, Portis fired back at the man who stands only 1,370 yards in front of Portis on the franchise’s all-time rushing list.
“The idea for him to be a legend, and to hate as much as he hate,” Portis said, according to the Associated Press. “To be upset that I’m on his tracks, for the comments or the ill will that he has toward me and don’t know me. You know, it’s crazy. You did your thing. The people around here love you, and I’m not trying to replace you. I don’t want to be you. Your background check and my background check are totally different, so I really don’t feel like he can comment on nothing I do.”
But Portis commented on the things Riggins did, suggesting that he was the beneficiary of a better supporting cast.
“I think he was a great running back, but, you know, think of who else was around him,” Portis said. “That was really not hard to be a great running back when you’ve got that talent all around you.”
Some might interpret those comments as a backhanded slap at the other men who are lining up with Portis. Until, however, the Portis-led Redskins win a Super Bowl, Portis has a point.
And If the Portis-led Redskins are ever going to win a Super Bowl, the clock is ticking. As of Tuesday, Portis is 28. In running back years, 28 equates to something like 61 in average people years.