[SirClintonPortis]

Originally Posted by firstdown

Everything I ever heard or read was that LJ and Parker both were fighting for the job behind CP.

LJ was one of those practice wonders. That's why he made the team. The training camp reports always reported him running full speed and finishing runs. He was cut because he wasn't a "gamer". He also displayed a good attitude, like asking to even play against the third-stringers to try and make the team. Obviously, you aren't going to win against this approach unless you adopt it yourself. Portis played in the preseason without a peep. He slimmed down, etc.

You know how Shanahan can bring down the discipline, like with what he did after Cooley's comments. A player who doesn't practice won't play is one of his mantras that he rarely deviates from, as we all know from the Haynesworth affair.

Obviously, that would motivate Portis to run just as hard. NFL Players view each other differently than outsiders. They're a like fraternity. Portis likely had respect for both Parker's and Johnson's track records.