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MOORE: Q&A with Edgerrin James

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David Moore

David Moore has been the senior football writer for FOX Sports since Aug. 2005. He appears weekly on the FSN Baseball Report and MLB on FOX. One more line lorem ipsum dolor sit amet e pluribus unum.

 
Updated Aug 10, 2002 3:36 PM ET
     
 

TERRE HAUTE, Ind.

planted his left leg, spun away from the defender and burst into the open field. For a running back who tore his ACL less than 10 months ago, James looks good. He's been cleared to practice once a day during Indianapolis' training camp and hasn't skipped any drills because of the knee. Head coach Tony Dungy estimates James is 85 percent of his Pro Bowl self, which still makes him better than most backs in the league when you consider he averaged 1,631 yards rushing in his first two seasons with the . The plan is to give James a quarter or two of work late in the preseason to get his timing down and to get hit. James is confident that he won't struggle to return from this injury like every back before him and that he'll be able to carry the load from day one when the open against Jacksonville on Sept. 8. Dungy will take a more cautious approach. He wants to limit the back's number of carries early in the season — Dungy and his staff will set a number — with the goal of having him healthy to carry the load in November and December. This will be interesting to follow. James has very strong opinions about how his rehabilitation and career should unfold, to the point where he has disregarded or ignored the organization's view if it runs counter to his. If he thinks he should be getting the ball more early in the season, we will hear about it. James isn't defiant as much as he's determined not to abdicate control of his career. The reason: If something goes wrong then, he can't blame anyone but himself. James understands this stance will sometimes put him at odds with the club and is willing to suffer the consequences. James talked about his knee, his disdain for preseason games, his insistence on doing things his way, his relationship with Dungy, his desire for a new contract and who would win a drag race between himself and Miami running back . Q: How much do you think you need to play in pre-season to gauge where you are in your comeback? A: The last play of the last pre-season game, when we're flopping on it, just downing the ball at the end. That's when I want to go in.

"It might take me about two plays to get back to where I was."


— , on how long he thinks it will take to get back into Pro Bowl form
I really don't care to play in pre-season, man. It's not that important to me. In the NFL, the thing is the regular season. I don't need a pre-season game to show me where I'm at. I need these practices. I know what I'm capable of doing. It's something I've done since I was a child. Another pre-season game isn't going to prove anything to me. Q: So you're not worried about the knee? A: What knee? Q: Still, you look at the history of running backs who have returned from this injury and most struggled in their first season back. I believe and are the only two who managed to rush for more than 1,000 yards. Do you think you will prove to be the exception? A: People are going to look into everything. When I first got here, they talked about how a running back who held out increased his chances of getting hurt. That was a bunch of B.S. I know what I'm doing in my rehab. If you're going to go down, you're going to go down regardless. When I got hurt last year it was on something I couldn't control. Q: So you don't think it will take you two years from the time of the injury to return to your Pro Bowl form? A: It might take me about two plays to get back to where I was. Q: Can you talk about the differences you've had with the organization this past year in regards to your rehabilitation and your absence from the voluntary and mandatory mini-camps? A: I don't even look at it as a dispute. It's boring, so everyone wants to bring up a story. I'm not buying it. I know what I've got to do. When this game is over, I know who I've got to depend on. When this game is over, I can't come to the coach and say, "Hey, can I get $1 million." I've got to take care of my business. I've got to take care of my body. Q: So if you believe the best way to get back in shape is to play flag football and take part in a charity basketball game — without first checking with the club's medical staff — that's what you'll do? A: It's a fun game to play, but there's also a business side, and you can't mix them. You know what I mean, or you're going to be mad in the end. If something happens to me where I can't play, there is no way I could ever be mad at the team because I made every decision. When I decided to do something, I did it. When I didn't want to do it, regardless of what someone might say or think, I didn't do it. Q: Isn't this about you setting the agenda for your rehabilitation, for your career, instead of the team? A: When you say the team you've got to understand, the team doesn't need me to sit around and watch them. They need the fans to watch them. They need me to get myself together. Do it day in and day out, put it on the line. If I'm not performing, what good does it do to have me sitting around? It's not helping us. Q: Head coach Tony Dungy has said voluntary mini-camps are discretionary and there should be no consequences if a player is unable to attend. But he does expect everyone to be at the mandatory camp and you chose not to attend. Do you understand why he was upset? A: Yeah. He's got rules. I understand the consequences if I do or do not follow them. Q: The two of you have talked since then. Have you worked this out? A: We're cool. I was like, "OK, this is my decision and I stand by my decision." He explained his side and said this (fine) is what's happening. He treats me like a grown man. Q: Again, it sounds as if you're saying that you have final say in your rehabilitation, not the club. Is that right? A: In this game, you've got to play with your heart. If your heart is not there, that leaves you open to blaming somebody else for what happens to you. I don't want to do that. I don't want to have to point at somebody and say, "Man, if I would have done like my mind said ..." Hey, everything I do, I make the decision and I'm going to ride it out. Q: When you didn't report for the mandatory camp, Indianapolis president Bill Polian issued a statement saying you would be fined. Polian went on to say you wanted to re-negotiate your contract and pointed out that you had already been paid more than any back in the league ($21 million) over the previous three seasons. Why do you want to re-negotiate? A: There are a lot of incentives in my contract (James stands to make up to $3.875 million a season off these). I came in last year in the best shape of my career, and something I can't control stopped me from hitting this incentive and that incentive. That makes you mad. Hey, man, if somebody else gets hurt, they still get their money. Q: So you want the incentives removed and converted into a signing bonus and base salary? A: I enjoy the game, and I don't want to worry about getting hit and what can happen. We're still talking. Q: It's clear you don't think the injury will hold you back this season. Is 1,500 yards rushing your goal? A: I would never put a number on what I might do. But if I stay healthy and the defense improves like I think it will, I will do some special things this season. Q: And now, for the most important question of all: who drives faster, you or Miami's ? A: Me. I've got a '75 Chevy truck sitting back in Miami that would beat anything he has. I just have to get my license back. David Moore can be reached at his e-mail address: dmoore@foxsports.com.
Tagged: Falcons, Colts, Dolphins, Saints, Ricky Williams

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