After 12 years, four teams and two leagues, the Redskins fullback Mike Sellers was named first alternate to the Pro Bowl. Finally, the hardbody’s perseverance was recognized.
Big deal, Sellers said. You say it’s praise, he says it’s a back-handed compliment.
“How would you feel being called being second best?” Sellers said. “I don’t take second kindly so I wasn’t impressed. It’s nice to be acknowledged, but there’s nothing good about being second best when I feel I’m better.”
Sellers was a little miffed Minnesota’s Tony Richardson gained the nod at the only non-special teams position not inviting the alternate to Hawaii, too. Certainly, some of it is Richardson riding running back Adrian Peterson’s coattails after the rookie made the team with 1,278 yards.
The Pro Bowl is a name game and Sellers didn’t get in despite one of his finer seasons. The 23 rushing attempts are seven more than his previous seven NFL seasons combined. The 16 receptions are two short of last year’s career best with two games remaining. Comparatively, Richard has three carries and 10 receptions.
Stats aren’t the sole measure of a fullback. Sellers is the widebody who makes short yardage plays work and gives running back Clinton Portis some room. Sellers has even expanded his range to reach the edge of plays. Coach Joe Gibbs always raves Sellers has the perfect body for this game. Sellers’ 284 pounds let him compete against opposing ends and tackles.
“Mike has been awesome for a long time,” offensive tackle Chris Samuels said. “Mike has been doing a lot of things from catching to running the ball well to special teams warrior.”
Said cornerback Fred Smoot: “Mike Sellers — what else do you want a fullback to do?”
Sellers is peaking at age 32 when many careers committed to banging other linemen are long finished. He is third in Redskins seniority behind Jon Jansen (nine) and James Thrash (eight) despite never gaining much notoriety. Sellers endured some youthful indiscretions that twice sent him to the CFL after spending one year at a junior college when failing to pass academic requirements for a Division I scholarship. That seems long ago, though. His mischievousness is now limited to locker room pranks.
“My body feels like a 22-year-old,” he said. “I don’t feel old. My knowledge of the game has grown to make it easier.”
And how much longer can he endure blasting into linemen?
“Til they run me out of here,” he said. “I think I could play until I’m 36, 37.”
Maybe one of those seasons will end with aloha.
“As long as I go before I retire, I don’t care,” he said. “In the back of my mind, it’s ‘What if?’ but I know how this league works. They have favorites. I’ll go celebrate with Chris [Cooley] and support him. It is what it is. I kind of expected it to happen.”
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Contact him at [email protected].
