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JACKSONVILLE, Fla., -- Sometimes you go into interviews with preconceived thoughts about your subject. The research on Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Jerry Porter showed that he sometimes often had that all-too-familiar word in pro sports these days following his name, the one a coach can hate and fans sometimes loathe:
Malcontent.
That led to the notion that he would be standoffish, selfish, angry and quite possibly bitter. But I found him to be none of those. That's what being set free from the Oakland Raiders can do to a man, especially going from a loser to a winner.
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| In Jacksonville, better days could be in Porter's grasp. (US Presswire) |
Was Porter perfect in his eight years in Oakland? Not even close. Were their issues with former Raiders coach Art Shell? Absolutely. Porter admits that openly. But he said there were no other problems with any other coach -- and he had five head coaches in his time there so there was ample opportunity.
The Jaguars had no problem with his background after doing the check on him before signing him to a six-year, $30 million deal in March. Coach Jack Del Rio said the risk was "minimal" in signing Porter.
The rift with Shell, Porter said, was personal. It started after Shell was hired in 2006. The new coach wanted his veterans around the facility, taking part in the team's offseason conditioning program. Porter wanted to work out in Florida. He also wasn't too happy that quarterback Kerry Collins had been released.
So Porter sat in Shell's office with receivers coach Fred Biletnikoff to express his dissatisfaction with the way the organization was moving. He also wanted to relay his intentions to work out in Florida.
"I told Fred I was going to Florida to recharge my batteries and get my workouts in there," Porter said. "I told him I didn't like the way things were going, that they cut my quarterback. I just wanted to get away. It was just me and Fred talking."
In an instant, Shell came from behind the desk, according to Porter, who said the conversation that followed went like this:
"Who the f--- do you think you are?" Shell said.
"Hold up," Porter said. "Before you're the coach, you're a man. Treat me like a man or get the f--- out of my face."
That's not exactly the way to endear one's self to the boss in a first meeting.