Safety missed previous 10 Redskins workouts ASHBURN – Before practice started, LaRon Landry and Steve Jackson walked to the side of the field, chatting away. By the time they returned to the others, they were smiling and chuckling.
Life was good again for the Redskins. Landry, on the last day of the voluntary Organized Team Activities, finally showed up to Redskins Park. He had been the only player not to participate in any of the sessions.
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Landry had missed the previous 10 workouts (another was cancelled when the team went bowling instead). Landry had split his time working out in Louisiana and Arizona.
“I was dealing with a couple personal issues, but I was training and my teammates knew I’d come back ready to go,” Landry said. “I stayed in shape. I have a couple of things to catch up with in the playbook, but my physical ability and endurance is there.
“I just wanted to come back and finish off with a good note and get back out there with my teammates.”
Landry did not elaborate on any personal issue and coach Jim Zorn did not cite that as a reason the safety had given him. Also, Zorn said there were no ulterior motives to Landry’s absences. Landry also missed most of the OTAs last spring.
“I don’t think it was strategic on his part,” Zorn said. “He decided to come and see what the hoopla was all about and be with his teammates. I don’t think he’ll lose a step when he comes back [for training camp].”
Indeed, few, if any, Redskins are as sculpted as the third-year free safety. But the Redskins, especially Jackson, had expressed disappointment that Landry had opted not to participate.
“He has talent,” Jackson said, “but we need him to be a better player. You become a better player working on the field, not running on the track with a tank top on in shorts. You don’t go to Arizona to become a player; maybe to get in shape but not to become a player.”
Landry met with Zorn in his office Wednesday night. Zorn had tried to call Landry a few times this spring. But Zorn said he had a different number for Landry. Nor did he press him too hard on the reasons why he stayed away. Some players, notably Clinton Portis, were in and out throughout the OTAs. Portis attended one session this week.
“I don’t need to know a lot,” Zorn said. “It’s something [Landry] needed to do and the good thing was, he did not come back sluggish. He came back hard and he performed very well. He got right into the swing of things.”
His teammates ribbed him a little bit.
“We were messing with him, calling him fresh legs,” quarterback Jason Campbell said, “but he looked like he was in good shape.”
