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Moss, Portis Show Their Dedication
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At Redskins Park, the dressing stalls of Moss, Portis and Taylor are the first three to the left of the main entrance. After Taylor died Nov. 27, the Redskins put plexiglass in front of Taylor's stall and the small area serves as another reminder for Moss and Portis of the friend they lost and what they expect of themselves.
"I just try to go a little harder out there because I know that he's not here," Moss said.
When word emerged about the shooting early Nov. 26, it was Portis who took a leadership role among the players, meeting with reporters and joining a Redskins contingent that traveled to Florida that day aboard owner Daniel Snyder's private jet. Portis and Taylor were members of the Hurricanes' 2001 national championship team, and Taylor and Moss's younger brother, Sinorice, a New York Giants wide receiver, were teammates at Miami. Second-year linebacker Rocky McIntosh also attended Miami.
For days after Taylor's death, Moss and Portis answered reporters' questions about the effect on the team, which was struggling to remain in playoff contention.
The Redskins were 5-7 after losing four straight, but they did not give up despite losing Taylor and five starters with injuries. Moss and Portis would not let them quit, several players said, pushing the Redskins through the difficult times with their words and actions.
"I would definitely say there's been a difference," tackle Todd Wade said. "Those guys are always intense on game days, and now there's been a little more one-on-one interaction with them and their teammates. They've been more verbal."
But their production is what prompts the Redskins to listen when Moss and Portis speak.
"They really lead by example. I respect that more than anything," Samuels said. "You can get a lot of rah-rah guys speaking up, but if they're not making any plays, who's going to respect them?"
In 2005, the Redskins won their final five games in the regular season to qualify for the playoffs. Moss set a franchise receiving mark with 1,483 yards and Portis established a rushing record with 1,516 yards. This season, Portis leads the Redskins in rushing with 1,158 yards on 300 carries (a 3.9-yard average) and nine touchdowns. Moss, inactive for two games because of his groin and heel problems, has 53 receptions for 693 yards (a 13.1-yard average) and two touchdowns. Taylor's encouragement helped Moss and Portis through their struggles earlier in the season.
"Before he passed, we talked a lot about stuff that I was going through this year," Moss said. "He told me he believed in me and to just hang in there, and those talks with him helped me. So knowing the way he played, and how he would play if he was here, I want him to play through me. I'm dedicating every game for the rest of my career for my man because of how hard he would play."
Even during Washington's four-game slide, Portis and Moss remained confident in the team's ability, they said.
"Hard times . . . if it doesn't kill you it will make you stronger. I'm a true believer of that," Portis said. "Yeah, they could have packed it up a long time ago, [but] nobody packed it up. Nobody dropped their head [and said], 'Aw, man, why did this happen [to] us?' Injury after injury, you see guys still fight and still play. . . . You have a bunch of guys who won't give up."
