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No fluke Henry intent on showing he's still Bills' No. 1 backPosted: Wednesday July 30, 2003 5:17 PMPITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) -- With or without Willis McGahee in camp, Travis Henry's motivation is not going to change. Henry is intent on showing he's still the Buffalo Bills' No. 1 running back, and that last year's breakout, 1,438 yards rushing performance was only a sign of things to come. "I'm more focused on showing that last year wasn't a fluke, you know what I'm saying?" Henry said, following practice Wednesday. As for McGahee, the Bills' first-round draft pick, who some peg as the heir-apparent to the No. 1 job, Henry shrugged his shoulders. "It's competition, man," Henry said. "I accept that." And it makes no difference that McGahee's still both unsigned and recovering from a knee injury that could keep him out for the season. "Willis is a rookie and I'm competing with guys that are on the field," Henry said. "And until Willis gets out here, I don't know. I'm having fun right now and trying to get better every day." How things have changed. Henry called it "a slap in the face," immediately after the Bills made the surprise move in drafting McGahee, the former University of Miami star, 23rd overall last April. Now Henry, entering his third year with Buffalo, appears to be slapping back. Reporting to camp in what many consider the best shape of his career, Henry has made his presence known in the first week of practice. He's bursting intensely into holes and bowling over his own defensive teammates. Henry's performance so far was impressive enough for head coach Gregg Williams to take notice after a recent practice. "He obviously put an awful lot of zip in our run game out there," Williams said. "If you could've looked at some of the eyes of some of the defenders ... he had their attention, too." A driven Henry is just what the Bills need heading into a season in which they're attempting to balance quarterback Drew Bledsoe's pass-happy attack with an aggressive running game. And that's fine with Henry. Despite being overshadowed somewhat by Bledsoe's impact last season, Henry is coming off an impressive year. He finished fifth in the NFL in yards rushing, tied Miami's Ricky Williams for first in having six 125-yard rushing games, became only the third Bills player to score 13 or more rushing touchdowns, and competed in his first Pro Bowl, filling in for the injured Priest Holmes. Henry's only drawback was a problem holding on to the ball. In 16 games, he fumbled 11 times, seven which were recovered by opponents, and two taken back for touchdowns. Both Henry and the Bills are confident that the problem has been corrected. Henry is accustomed to adversity and competition. At Tennessee, he didn't get a chance to shine until his senior season, after Jamal Lewis left for the NFL. And in 2001, Henry had to wait until the second round to be drafted by the Bills because several teams had questions about whether he was too small at 5-foot-9. McGahee, Henry said, is just another challenge to overcome. "I'm used to it and [challenges] make my game that much better," he said. "I've got this saying that my mama told me: 'God always does things for a reason.' And maybe that's all this is. He's doing it for a reason to elevate me."
Notes: Several Bills, including OT Mike Williams (left hamstring), were held out of practice Wednesday. Coach Gregg Williams said everyone but DT Lauvale Sape (calf strain) are expected to practice when the Bills open a two-day session with Cleveland, which will be capped by a scrimmage at Browns Stadium on Saturday. ... Fourth-string QB Jason Johnson had a tough day, enduring a stretch in which he had three of four passes intercepted. ... With Tuesday's addition of S Ainsley Battles, coach Williams declared the starting free safety job open. Pierson Prioleau was the incumbent after starting all 16 games last season.
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