Free Agency can be exciting, and it can be hectic, but it isn’t all peaces and cream. The Redskins announced today that they have released their longest tenured player – Big Mike Sellers.
The NFL is a brutal business.
A veteran of 12 NFL seasons, Sellers has been with the Redskins since 2004 in his second stint with the team, but he was also with Washington from 1998-2000. The 36-year old fullback has obviously seen his on-field contributions wane over the last couple of seasons, but seemed to focus that unused energy into being a team leader, and even into moulding his replacement in youngster Darrel Young. It says a lot about a guy when he’s willing to mentor the man that is taking his job.
One of my best memories of Big Mike came at training camp in 2004 when he returned to Washington. Mike was always intense, but he was particularly fired up one day in drills and after going up and grabbing a touchdown pass like he was an 180-pound receiver. He came down – spiked the ball with ferocity – and screamed, “I’m in the end zone B!&ch!!!!!”
Small children ran to their fathers, who proudly explained that, that was what football was all about. Three seconds later, Big Mike had that big grin on his face, and the children at Redskins Park could all relax again.
That was Mike – intense and sometimes even ferocious, and yet somehow paradoxically, always affable and lovable.
Warrior spirit.
You’ll be missed Mike. Thanks for giving so much of yourself to Redskins Nation. Best of luck.
I remember that “I’m in the end zone, bitch” reaction. Hadn’t he just has an altercation with somebody before that? I recall that it was an “In your face” moment with some unfortunate team mate. Was it Lavar (who could get a bit intense himself)?
Seems, for the last few years, every time you’d see some soft play, and start to think he was done, he’d come right back and knock the crap out of somebody… He knew how to leverage his size to move people… and knew when it was time to turn on the intensity…
Bye, Big Mike. We’ll miss you!