Players say preparing for Giants will help put Keyshawn saga behind.
By ROGER MILLS
Published November 20, 2003
TAMPA - As hordes of local and national media descended on One Buc Place Wednesday to sift through the aftermath of Keyshawn Johnson's deactivation, one theme surfaced among the players.
It's time to move on.
"You get back to what you've been doing every (day), which is get ready for a football game," linebacker Derrick Brooks said. "Obviously, people are going to have their own opinions on it, but at this point it doesn't matter.
"You have to try to get your focus back on the field and worry about the things that are important to this football team, which is getting a win. It's been awhile since we won a ballgame. So anything outside of that, in my opinion, you can't let be a distraction."
But while most players were diplomatic about the poor relationship between Johnson and coach Jon Gruden, the dissension was noticeable.
"One of the things that makes this a great game is that if your heart's not in it, it doesn't work," safety John Lynch said. "I think, ultimately, it shows itself. It manifests itself in different ways. ... I don't want to make it seem like it was a distraction, it wasn't like he was around here being a jerk all the time. He was here, he showed up and worked. But, it was just clear that he didn't want to be here and that affected the karma in the locker room and that affects everybody."
Most players said Johnson got what he wanted.
"He's been asking for it," safety Dwight Smith said. "You usually get what you ask for. ... You always want people that want to be here, regardless of it's the guy that's cleaning the toilets. He's got to want to be here."
Receiver Keenan McCardell said what happened to his former teammate could be a sobering reminder to players across the league.
"It brings you back to reality," McCardell said. "Lets you realize that, "Hey, this is a job and you've got to respect what's being said to you and if you don't respect it, bad things can happen.' It makes you realize it's a real world job just like any other."
And while a number of veterans called Johnson to wish him well, there didn't appear to be any parting sorrows.
"There are some impressionable guys in here and you can't afford at this point to have a split locker room because of some guy's opinion or some guy's attitude," cornerback Ronde Barber said. "They made the necessary decision."
Quarterback Brad Johnson said the team now has to move past it.
"The deal is already done," he said. "So for us as a team, we move on. For me as a quarterback, I move on to Joe (Jurevicius) starting and Charles Lee stepping up.
"So, enough's been said about it. ... I think in the NFL, no matter what title you hold, as we've seen, from coaches to managers to players, no job is guaranteed. You have to hold your worth and we're all accountable."
With just five days before a game against the New York Giants, veterans and young players alike seemed unified that preparing for a game is the best way to overcome a sideshow.
"My take is that we're playing the Giants Monday night and we have to go ahead and prepare for them," center John Wade said. "It doesn't matter what personnel we have at receiver, on the line, at running back or quarterback, whoever's on the field needs to execute the plan and not be penalized.
"The best way to get back to business is to go out and get a win the following week. That's my only focus. I don't like to speak for the team, but I assume that's everybody else's focus. Focus on the Giants, do whatever we have to do to win."
Brooks, the NFL Defensive Player of the Year and a team leader, said he accepts the responsibility to rally the team.
"The best message I can show our young guys is by example," Brooks said. "I'm not a big guy on words. They'll see how I work, how I prepare. They'll see I won't let this situation be a distraction to me and, hopefully, that'll be a lesson to them."
- Staff Writer Joanne Korth contributed to this report.
