Saturday, January 5, 2008

After leading the Redskins to four straight victories and an NFC playoff berth, Todd Collins makes his first career playoff start. The wild ride continues for the longtime backup.

"You always have some butterflies. That is part of the game," he said. "You experience that ever since you've been playing, but once you get into the game it is just football. We have kind of been playing playoff football for the last four weeks. This is going to be the playoffs now, but in terms of you have to win to keep playing, that hasn't changed."

Collins has received numerous interview requests since leading the Redskins on their improbable run.

"The attention is fine," he said. "You realize you have it when you are successful, and then you get the flip side when you are not successful. It is really not why I play. I played for a long time without that. There are other things about the game that drive me rather than just the attention. Everyone likes to be recognized, but what is important with this is it has been the whole team that has been recognized as opposed to an individual."

After the most difficult season in franchise history the Redskins have forged a strong bond, Collins said, and he is proud to be part of what they've accomplished.

"If you win four in a row, and the story of the team and what has happened and after losing four in a row, it is going to be a story," Collins said. "Teams that get hot toward the end of the season are going to make news, and that is what we have been doing. What is great about it is the team. It is just not one aspect that is overwhelming the other."