NLude33
Section 415, Row 17
Minor steps into major role for Dolphins
Pretty boring article, till you get to the comment about Boston, then I got mad at the writer.....
Associated Press
MIAMI -- Travis Minor has done this before.
The 5-foot-10, 205-pound running back replaced Florida State star Warrick Dunn in 1997 after Dunn finished his career as the school's all-time leading rusher.
Now Minor will try to do the same for the Miami Dolphins, stepping into the starting role in place of Ricky Williams, who stunned the team last week when he abruptly retired at 27.
His task won't be easy.
"I know that I'm not Ricky Williams. Nobody out there is Ricky Williams," Minor said. "That's not a goal for me to go out there and do like he did. But at the same time, I want to go out there and be the best player that I can be and help my team win. That's what it's all about."
Although the Dolphins have lower expectations for Minor, a speedy and undersized backup who has never started a game in three NFL seasons, they are confident he can help fill the enormous void left by Williams' departure.
"He has very good instincts," running backs coach Joel Collier said. "He has excellent speed and quickness. ... He understands the game and he plays bigger than his size. He plays like a bigger back. He's able to take on blitzers and not look like he's 205 pounds."
"I don't know what the role for me is going to be," Minor said. "I just know it's going to be more than what I've done in the past two years. I'm excited about that. Regardless of when it is, it's not important. I just know I have to step up just like a lot of other people on this team to fill a void that is huge."
The Dolphins have several other questions heading into training camp.
Pro Bowl defensive end Adewale Ogunleye remains unsigned, the quarterback situation -- incumbent Jay Fiedler or newcomer A.J. Feeley -- is unsettled, the offensive line is completely revamped, and trading for wide receiver David Boston looks like a bad move so far.
But the loss of Williams will overshadow everything else -- unless Minor can replace another star.
"We lost a great player that you can't replace with one person," Minor said. "I look at it like we're a great team, not the fact I'm going to be the guy back there getting some work. But at the same time, there's a lot of other great players on the team. We've just got to come together as a team and shoulder the load. You never know what we can do."
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=1849352
Pretty boring article, till you get to the comment about Boston, then I got mad at the writer.....
Associated Press
MIAMI -- Travis Minor has done this before.
The 5-foot-10, 205-pound running back replaced Florida State star Warrick Dunn in 1997 after Dunn finished his career as the school's all-time leading rusher.
Now Minor will try to do the same for the Miami Dolphins, stepping into the starting role in place of Ricky Williams, who stunned the team last week when he abruptly retired at 27.
His task won't be easy.
"I know that I'm not Ricky Williams. Nobody out there is Ricky Williams," Minor said. "That's not a goal for me to go out there and do like he did. But at the same time, I want to go out there and be the best player that I can be and help my team win. That's what it's all about."
Although the Dolphins have lower expectations for Minor, a speedy and undersized backup who has never started a game in three NFL seasons, they are confident he can help fill the enormous void left by Williams' departure.
"He has very good instincts," running backs coach Joel Collier said. "He has excellent speed and quickness. ... He understands the game and he plays bigger than his size. He plays like a bigger back. He's able to take on blitzers and not look like he's 205 pounds."
"I don't know what the role for me is going to be," Minor said. "I just know it's going to be more than what I've done in the past two years. I'm excited about that. Regardless of when it is, it's not important. I just know I have to step up just like a lot of other people on this team to fill a void that is huge."
The Dolphins have several other questions heading into training camp.
Pro Bowl defensive end Adewale Ogunleye remains unsigned, the quarterback situation -- incumbent Jay Fiedler or newcomer A.J. Feeley -- is unsettled, the offensive line is completely revamped, and trading for wide receiver David Boston looks like a bad move so far.
But the loss of Williams will overshadow everything else -- unless Minor can replace another star.
"We lost a great player that you can't replace with one person," Minor said. "I look at it like we're a great team, not the fact I'm going to be the guy back there getting some work. But at the same time, there's a lot of other great players on the team. We've just got to come together as a team and shoulder the load. You never know what we can do."
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=1849352
