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'Believe in Stephen' Redskins confident in Davis, injured ankle
Posted: Wednesday January 05, 2000 08:18 PM
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) - Too bad T-shirts can't cure sprained ankles. In the tradition of the "The Hogs," "Riggo's Rangers" and "A Touch of Class," the Washington Redskins debuted a new battle cry Wednesday for their latest playoff run: "Believe in Stephen." It was hard to miss. The words were printed on the XXXXL-size black T-shirts worn by the offensive linemen, forming a caption for an incredibly gigantic photo of smiling running back Stephen Davis. "Stephen Davis is our MVP," said guard Keith Sims, rubbing the huge Davis mug on his chest. "We are a much better offense with Stephen Davis in the huddle and running the football. No offense to Skip, I think he did an admirable job filling in, but we've been moving when Stephen's in the huddle." In his first full year as a starter, Davis led the NFC and set a Redskins record with 1,405 yards. But then he sprained his left ankle Dec. 19 against the Colts, and the running attacked sputtered the last 2 1/2 games with replacement Skip Hicks. Davis' straight-ahead style netted 4.8 yards per carry this season, while Hicks averaged just 3.3. That meant Wednesday's most significant fashion event wasn't the linemen putting on the "Believe" shirts; it was Davis donning his No. 48 jersey and practicing for the first time since the injury. "I did everything that I felt that I could do today," said Davis, who took part in about half the practice. "Hopefully tomorrow I can do more. I cut on it. It felt pretty good. It's hard to say about an ankle." Davis is listed as "probable" for Saturday's first-round game against the Detroit Lions. Barring a relapse, he should be able to play, but he probably won't be full strength. "I thought he did fair," trainer Bubba Tyer said. "His ankle is a little sore. It's not like it's 100 percent, but it's pretty good. Hopefully each day he'll be able to do more." As for the playoff slogan, it was nearly a forgotten Redskins tradition. The team had gone seven years without playing a postseason game, and only four players and a few employees remain from the Super Bowl days under coach Joe Gibbs. Fortunately, one of those still around is equipment manager Jay Brunetti, who was passing out the Davis T-shirts in his office. T-Shirt Xplosion, the company that produced the earlier versions, was more than happy to revive the ritual. "It's a neat thing for Stephen for all his hard work this season," Brunetti said. "It's catchy, and it's appropriate." The three most popular themes from the Gibbs era were "The Hogs," which celebrated the famed offensive line, "A Touch of Class," featuring quarterback Doug Williams, and "Riggo's Rangers," which touted running back John Riggins. Davis, who is very media shy, was typically modest about the whole thing. Asked about the T-shirt, he said: "It's pretty nice." In the Redskins' 33-17 loss at Detroit on Dec. 5, coach Norv Turner was second-guessed for giving Davis only three carries in the second half. This time, Turner said his goal is to keep Davis involved the whole game. Ankle permitting, Davis wouldn't mind at all. "I got tired of sitting on the sidelines eating sunflower seeds the whole game," Davis said. "So I'm ready to go out and enjoy myself like I was doing before the injury. "I want go out of the playoff game tired. If I get the ball 30, 35 times a game, I feel happy, I feel relieved. If I'm ready, if my ankle holds up, we can have a pretty good game." Notes: In addition to Davis, four other starters didn't take part in the full practice. CB Darrell Green (flu) and DE Anthony Cook (upset stomach) were sent home. LB Greg Jones (back spasms) and G Tre Johnson (bruised thigh) did some drills, but not all. Backup CB Darryl Pounds (sore back) was also limited. All are expected to play Saturday. ... QB Brad Johnson also wore a new T-shirt Wednesday. Johnson, who played for Florida State from 1987-91, wore a red shirt that celebrated the Seminoles' national championship victory in Tuesday night's Sugar Bowl. ... If there were a sympathy vote, it would go to Ken Harvey, who dropped by Wednesday to congratulate the Redskins for making the playoffs. Harvey, who retired in August, played 11 NFL seasons and was selected to four Pro Bowls - but he never made it to the playoffs.
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