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Slimdust · 08-09-2007, 04:54 PM

tampabaybucs.com

Quote:

Between the hushed tones and the difficult questions and the moments where emotion overwhelmed the speaker, there were two overriding truths that came out of Thursday’s press conference announcing the move of Mike Alstott to injured reserve.

Truth #1, as voiced by General Manager Bruce Allen: Alstott “loves football, period. He loves football.”

Truth #2, as voiced by Alstott himself: “I guess one thing – you don’t mess with the neck, huh?”

It is painful for Alstott – and disappointing for the legions of Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans who enjoy rooting for the big fullback over all else on game day – that Truth #2 must override #1. Having eliminated thoughts of retirement last winter and spent the offseason working as hard as always to prepare for his 12th NFL campaign, Alstott was extremely excited about the 2007 season. To have it suddenly taken away from him by a neck that wouldn’t stop feeling sore was tough to swallow.

“Things were going great, and they are going great still for the organization and for our team to continue on our goal as a championship team,” said Alstott. “As a professional football player, you just can’t grasp the situation of not being able to put the helmet on, put your jersey on and go out there and participate with your teammates.”

But here’s the thing: Despite his current regret and despite his overriding love of the game, Alstott still has the clarity to appreciate that neck soreness for the blessing in disguise that it was. Those were his words exactly, in fact.

On Thursday, Alstott explained that he was prepared for how he would feel a week or two into training camp. After nine or 10 days of banging into blocking sleds and linebackers for hours at a time, a football player is going to be sore pretty much all over his body. As his body adjusts, the soreness starts to fade. That happened for Alstott as the second week of camp started; however, as the rest of his body recovered, his neck did not. That prompted concern, which prompted a series of examinations, including ones by the surgeon who worked on Alstott after his first neck injury in 2003.

What they found was stress. The area in Alstott’s neck that was injured and subsequently fused in 2003 has not been re-injured, but unacceptable stress levels have appeared above that area. By discovering this before the season and the really intense hitting began, Alstott and his doctors were able to keep him out of any potential danger, as undefined as it would have been.

“There are always situations where it could be worsened by playing,” said Alstott. “That’s why we have IR and that’s why you don’t play for the rest of the year. It is a severe injury and it’s a situation you don’t mess with. That’s why we’re in front of you right now.”

Thursday’s scene was a bit reminiscent of a press conference held a little less than four years ago, not long after Alstott had injured his neck in a collision with a teammate during a 2003 game against the Carolina Panthers. Alstott was emotional that day, as well, which was thoroughly understandable given that the notion of his being forced out the game was being tossed around. That day, Alstott vowed that he was not finished, and he followed up on that promise, returning to the field in 2004 and regaining much of his earlier effectiveness in 2004. Though Alstott’s role in the Bucs’ offense never again matched what it had been from 1996 to 2002, he was still vitally important to the team’s success. He believed, and the team believed, that would be the case again in 2007.

It will not, we now know, but Alstott has not yet determined if he will attempt another return in 2008. Some of it will depend on how the healing process goes this time around.

“One of the reasons we’ve encouraged Mike to take his time in any decision-making is some of those questions can’t be answered today,” said Allen. “He’ll take further tests at a point later in the year, and at that point we’ll have more answers.”

There is no question as to what Alstott’s role will be this year, however. He intends to remain involved in the team’s preparations and while he’s not a “cheerleader” type in the locker room he is certain that he can offer a steady stream of advice to the team’s other running backs. Allen said that Alstott remains a “key member of the team” and that he will be involved in many team activities.

“As a competitive athlete, as a football player, there’s nothing you want to do other than show your work ethic and leadership by going out there and making plays,” said Alstott. “But that’s not possible this year.

“I have enough knowledge of this game and we have a mixture of young players and older players who I can really help. What I see and what I can tell players, running backs – young running backs, veteran running backs, Michael Pittman, linemen – that’s what I’m going to do. That’s my role right now, and that’s what I’ve got to accept. I understand.”

One would expect nothing less of Alstott, of course. As much as Bay area fans love him for his highlight-reel runs, their respect for him has a lot to do with the fact that he is the consummate team player. Without fail in his 11 years as a Buccaneer, Alstott has accepted whatever role he was assigned, worked hard to fulfill it and tried his best to make the team better.

That doesn’t mean this new role in 2007 is easy to accept. Alstott knows what he will be missing, and that was why he struggled for words several times during Thursday’s press conference.

“You put that helmet and jersey on and those pads on and you run out of that tunnel in front of 70 or 80,000 people who are the truest fans in the world and they’re screaming and hollering your name...there’s no better feeling,” he said. “And I love this city of Tampa, and I love the fans. But once again, I’m going to be around. I’m going to be a part of this football team. It’s my team. It’s Brooks’ team. It’s Ronde’s team. We grew up in the organization, and we’re going to turn this thing around together and win another Super Bowl, even if I can’t put on a helmet this year.

“The thing is they need me. I need them. And it’s just an emotional time right now.”