Washington Redskins: 15 greatest running backs in franchise history

Clinton Portis‘ running style wasn’t so much an art, as it was a music genre. Rock and roll.

Each snap started with a little hook. A little riff, a cue from an earlier time. A quick cut to his right, like the soft whir of a brush on a high hat. Heavy, quick steps like a snare and a bass drum in a call and response. And then, when the defenders came near, there came the crash cymbal. The power chords.

There went the helmets and the defenders themselves, as their feet fell out from beneath them, as Portis disrupted their balance with a subtle, yet devastating stiff arm. And there went Portis. Into pay dirt.

Portis was the right blend of power, finesse and quick mental processing. With his complete skill set, he subliminally coaxed the Redskins into trading a Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback for him and then he came back and made the trade look not-as-lopsided-as-it-should-look.

Portis carved out an identity for himself with the Redskins and became the heart of the offense. He earned two Pro Bowl bids, amassed almost 7,000 yards with the team and broke Stephen Davis’ rushing record.

That’s the kind of music that ages well.