The psychology background came in handy a few years back, after Karon Riley’s rookie season. Back then, confidence was a major opponent. And, considering the path his career has traveled since, that background is still handy.
Just when Riley appeared poised to become a starter at defensive end, or at least play a lot, in Atlanta, a groin injury ended his season.
“I never got a chance to get my job back,” Riley said.
The injury bothered him into the offseason, resulting in no offers from an NFL team. So the 6-foot-2, 256-pound Riley headed to Canada where he played four games for Toronto.
The Redskins liked him enough to sign him this offseason. And they liked how he responded in his first preseason action, recording two sacks against the Bengals. But Riley, who has played linebacker in the past but has worked only at end this summer, must continue to show even more if he wants to earn a roster spot.
“He’s right in the mix,” Redskins assistant head coach/defense Gregg Williams said. “He’s one of those guys who now he has to do it against the front-line guys. He did it against guys that Cincinnati is going to cut. He has to do it against someone the Jets are going to keep and that will make a difference.”
Riley understands that thinking. He also spends a lot of time in self-analysis. That’s what he did after his rookie season in 2001 when, as a fourth-round pick of Chicago, he appeared in only five games.
“The hardest transition in this league is self-doubt,” he said. “That’s what hampered me; I got down on myself. I lost my confidence and confidence means everything.”
But he got that back and now he wants to get a roster spot back, too. To do so, he’ll have to prove he can play special teams, something he did in his two-plus seasons in Atlanta.
“I have pretty good size, I can run,” Riley said. “I’ll find somewhere that I can do something.”
The RILEY FILE
» Height: 6-foot-2
» Weight: 256 pounds
» College: Minnesota
» Position: Defensive end
