Sports Radio Interviews

Sidney Rice: “I just hope we continue to stay focused and don’t let any of this attention we are getting get to us as a team.”

Sidney Rice and the Minnesota Vikings have been a surprise so far this year.  The jury was still out as to which Brett Favre would be playing, but it wasn’t long until he showed us that he has a lot left in the tank.  The Vikings have plenty of offensive weapons in Adrian Peterson, Bernard Berrian, Visanthe Shiancoe and Sidney Rice.  Rice is in his third season out of South Carolina and it has been Favre that has helped him breakout this season.  During the season, Rice would never go home and watch film to try and break down defenses but with the encouragement of Favre he has done so all season and this has paid great dividends.  He is having a career year and has established himself as Favre’s go-to guy and as an elite wide receiver in the NFL.  If Sidney Rice continues to improve both this year and next, some team will be ready to give him a boatload of cash.

Sidney Rice joined KFAN in Minneapolis to talk about whether it is hard for him to believe that he is an elite wide receiver, what has went into him being productive this season, whether he thinks that he would be this productive last season had he been healthy, and how hard it is to stay focused now that he is having success.

Whether it is hard for him to believe that he is an elite wide receiver:

“Not really I think we have been working hard to get to this point.  We are going to try to compete and do the same things and be successful.”

On what has went into him being productive this season:

“Just maturing and learning more about the game and also listening to Brett.  Him coming in; he is teaching me more about the game.  I look at him as a friend and a coach at the same time.  Before last year I would never take a computer home with film on it just to watch and see the coverages that I was facing but once he got here he loaded up on computers.  We sit at home and we text back and forth all the time when we see certain coverages.  I think that communication has a big part to do with the success.” 

On the chances of him cutting his hair like Bryant McKinnie:

“Um I am not sure yet.  I get that question all of the time.  Bernard cut his, Big Mac cut his and everybody is asking me now when I am going to let mine go but I am not sure.”

On him feeling good about the team and all the exposure they are getting:

“I think we are doing a pretty good job and we are going to continue to try to do that.  Getting those night games means that everybody is going to be watching and obviously it means we are doing pretty good.  I just hope we continue to stay focused and don’t let any of this attention we are getting get to us as a team.”

On people not knowing who he is quite yet and these last games are a chance for him to put himself on the map:

“Yes sir it is.  I just got to continue to do the same things that I have been doing throughout the past ten weeks and once again none of it would be possible without the other guys on this team.”

Sidney Rice on KFAN in Minneapolis with Cove and Lake (interview starts at 36:30 into podcast)

Tags: Adrian Peterson, Brett Favre, Minnesota Vikings, NFC North, NFL, Sidney Rice, Sidney Rice breakout season