Many NFL players do care
WHO SAYS there’s no crying in football?
Jealous people who portray professional athletes as millionaires who don’t care, painting them all with the same brush.
You can exclude Broncos running back C.J. Anderson from that stereotype. Anderson was so distraught after he lost a costly fumble in the fourth quarter of Denver’s loss to the Bengals last Sunday he was driven to tears.
Anderson is a Super Bowl champi- on playing on a four-year, $18 million contract. You could make the argument he has the world by the scruff of the neck. Yet there he was breaking down while speaking to reporters in the locker room after a Week 11 loss for a 3-7 team.
Anderson, one of the most respected, likable players on the Broncos, cares. He tweeted out that he’s lost only three fumbles in five seasons and said, “That one hurts the most.’’
“It’s on me, man,’’ Anderson told reporters as he broke down. “This [s--t] hurts. I didn’t make the play.’’
Anderson said Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy (who was fired Monday) told him he’s been playing his “butt off all year’’ and on that one play he “didn’t lose the game.”
“I hear Mike, but I’m not feeling that,’’ Anderson said. “That’s just on me. That stuff hurts. I put my heart and soul into this.’’
Speaking of a player who has his heart and soul into the game, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has grown justifiably irritated by the speculation that has followed him suggesting he doesn’t care about playing football anymore.
That speculation emerged after Roethlisberger, now in is 14th season, hinted after last season he takes it year-to-year now when pondering whether to return for another season.
After a slow start to the season, Roethlisberger’s play has improved. He’s thrown for 1,076 yards, with nine touchdowns and two interceptions in his last four games and his passer rating has elevated to 87.8 for the season, and has the Steelers in first place.
“A lot’s been made about me not caring or whatever,’’ Roethlisberger told reporters after the Steelers routed the Titans last week. “Nothing is further from the truth. I go out there and give everything I have.’’