By Sidney Rice is the Definition of Vindication
January 22, 2010 – 5:45 am by Zach Krantz
Last season wasn’t the greatest of seasons for Sidney Rice. A top flight #1 receiver doesn’t end the year with 15 catches. No way. Rice had a long off-season listening to the critics say he wasn’t good enough and may never reach his potential. Injuries hurt the young career of Rice and he was labeled not durable enough. Not a good start for a young guy in the NFL. Former Viking great, Cris Carter said that a sixth round pick they had would beat Rice out as the starter. Wow, a guy with some much potential might not be able to beat out a guy who was picked after 175 or so other guys in the draft is better then Rice? It was more then a long off-season, it was a test.
He did something I almost could never do on tests, pass it with flying colors. Rice in 2009 is a Pro Bowler, a guy who caught 83 balls for 1,312 yards and eight touchdowns and had three touchdowns last weekend and 141 yards receiving in the playoff game against the Pokes. Oh yeah, he was also the go to guy for a guy named Favre. He is the best receiver on a team that is one game away from a Super Bowl and two wins away from being a Super Bowl champ. I am thinking that would make for a little bit different of an off-season for Rice. Vindication should be on the back of his jersey. Maybe not just his jersey either, Brad Childress, Rice, Favre, Percy Harvin all have proved the critics wrong this season with their play. But will any of that matter if they get this close to the ring and not get it. Their ultimate goal is about 120 minutes away and a trophy that reads Super Bowl Champs. That my friends is the real meaning of vindication and proving the haters wrong.
Sidney Rice joined to the Dan Patrick Show to talk about the NFC Championship game this weekend versus the Saints, his teammate Brett Favre, and if Steve Spurrier was happy about him wanting to play basketball as well as football at South Carolina.
Asked why he is not nervous for the game Sunday, because the Saints have no defense:
“They definitely have a defense. I am just not nervous, I am trying to treat it like a regular game just like we have been doing the last couple of weeks. Do everything the same, we know what’s at stake here. We just need to go out and execute our plays and do what we are coached to do and everything should be fine.”
Asked what concerns him about the Saints Defense:
“Its just a tough defense and a real good defense. They get after the ball. Their corners knife in, they get involved in the run game trying to get inside and make the tackles. We are just going to have to be alert as wide receivers and take care of that in the running game.”
Asked about the big catch he had last week against Sensabaugh and it looked like he had not clue you caught it:
“I don’t think he seen it at all. It was a perfect pass and he had his back to the ball. As the ball was coming down, he looked back and had no idea I had it.”
Asked what he thought the big difference was in his play this year compared to last year:
“I was injured last year. I wasn’t able to be out there on the field and perform. It was a tough time for me.”
Asked what he thinks Brett Favre will do next season:
“I am not sure. As I said before and I got asked it again last week, I am not sure. We would love to have him back, but right now we are not going to pressure him and talk about things like that. We are just going to finish off the goal that we have had since the beginning of the year.”
Listen to Sidney Rice on the Dan Patrick Show
Tags: Brad Childress, Brett Favre, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, NFC, NFC Championship Game, Percy Harvin, Sidney Rice, South Carolina, Steve Spurrier, Super Bowl
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