DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Hillis reinjures hamstring during practice

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http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2011/11/cleveland_browns_rb_peyton_hil_14.html

BEREA, Ohio -- Browns running back Peyton Hillis appeared to re-injure his hamstring in practice today on a run up the middle.

Hillis came up limping on the play, grabbing at his left hamstring.

He fired the ball to the ground, then threw his helmet down in frustration.

He limped over to the sidelines and stood talking to one of the team trainers with his head down and his hands on his hips. He then limped halfway down the practice field for further examination by the trainer.

Hillis, who sat out the past two games with the hamstring injury, had returned to practice on Thursday and was expecting to start on Sunday in Houston.

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They need to bring armond smith to the 53 and combo Obi and smith.

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They need to bring armond smith to the 53 and combo Obi and smith.

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What other option is there?

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A complete wasted year on his part.

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Peyton Hillis‘ latest practice injury was not his most humbling moment of the week.

Mike Silver of Yahoo! Sports reports that eight Browns veterans held an intervention-style meeting with Hillis on Wednesday to discuss the running back’s lousy attitude in an effort to improve his focus.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” one Browns player told Silver. “Last year, Peyton was such a positive, inspirational force on our team – but now he’s like a different guy.

“It’s like he’s in a funk that he can’t get out of, and it’s killing us, because we really need him. And we’ve told him that. But we’re at the point where we just don’t know what to do.”

Sometimes “distractions” get overplayed in the media, but this is a clear case where Hillis’ desire for a new contract has affected Cleveland’s season.

The latest annoyance came last Sunday in San Francisco. Hillis and quarterback Thaddeus Lewis were seen holding a contest during warmups to see who could throw footballs off the crossbar better. Hillis was inactive for the game with a hamstring injury.

“It was a bad look,” another player said, “and it did not sit well with any of us.”

The meeting with Hillis was reportedly positive, but it’s remarkable the players had to hold it. Silver describes a locker room that has grown weary of Hillis’ attitude and suspicious of his behavior.

“A few guys tried to talk to him, to make him understand the best way to go about things is to put your head down and do the best you possibly can,” said All-Pro tackle Joe Thomas.

The inference is that Hillis hasn’t been doing his best to this point. Fair or not, his latest injury isn’t going to Hillis’ chances of regaining the trust of his teammates.

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Hamstrings are a tough injury. You just have to let it completely heal, and that takes soooo long.

I'm not going to blame Hillis or anyone else for this one. This is just one of those things. If there hadn't been that ridiculous drama earlier in the season, this would be one of those things where people would be disappointed, but not as worked up as they are now.

JMHO

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“I’ve never seen anything like it,” one Browns player told Silver. “Last year, Peyton was such a positive, inspirational force on our team – but now he’s like a different guy.

“It’s like he’s in a funk that he can’t get out of, and it’s killing us, because we really need him. And we’ve told him that. But we’re at the point where we just don’t know what to do.”

Sometimes “distractions” get overplayed in the media, but this is a clear case where Hillis’ desire for a new contract has affected Cleveland’s season.

The latest annoyance came last Sunday in San Francisco. Hillis and quarterback Thaddeus Lewis were seen holding a contest during warmups to see who could throw footballs off the crossbar better. Hillis was inactive for the game with a hamstring injury.

“It was a bad look,” another player said, “and it did not sit well with any of us.”

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Hamstrings are a tough injury. You just have to let it completely heal, and that takes soooo long.

I'm not going to blame Hillis or anyone else for this one. This is just one of those things. If there hadn't been that ridiculous drama earlier in the season, this would be one of those things where people would be disappointed, but not as worked up as they are now.

JMHO

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and scott fujita. probably had permission. other vets were anonymous.

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man i got nothing on this whole situation but ugh...

I've been so high on Hillis and every new thing just sucks and makes it hard to support him. I'd rather he be bad and working his tail off like a guy like Armond Smith or Colt McCoy or Pinkston or Lauvao...just shut up do work and do everything you can to get better. Healthwise or otherwise...just do your job.

Such a bummer

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and scott fujita. probably had permission. other vets were anonymous.

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It's little more than cowardice, if you ask me. Call your teammate out to some hack writer from Yahoo and don't have the stones to give your name? Give me a break.

I'd like to see the list of names of players at this "intervention".

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looks to me like Hillis is saving the hard Mileage on his body so it looks like he has more gas in the tank for a longer deal

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looks to me like Hillis is saving the hard Mileage on his body so it looks like he has more gas in the tank for a longer deal

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Doesn't seem like that new deal will come with his current team.

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and scott fujita. probably had permission. other vets were anonymous.

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It's little more than cowardice, if you ask me. Call your teammate out to some hack writer from Yahoo and don't have the stones to give your name? Give me a break.

I'd like to see the list of names of players at this "intervention".

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Fujita, Joe Thomas, Alex Mack, and Josh Cribbs are all named in the article. So, that's 4 of the 8 and 4 more than usually get actually named in these types of articles.

there's a couple random quotes from a 'veteran' but it could easily just be that Silver didn't formally ask permission and wanted to get this in print (or they could have denied permission to use their name)

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Mike Silver is actually not a "hack" writer.

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looks to me like Hillis is saving the hard Mileage on his body so it looks like he has more gas in the tank for a longer deal

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Doesn't seem like that new deal will come with his current team.

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BEREA, Ohio – The Cleveland Browns’ team charter had taxied onto the Hopkins International Airport runway last Friday when a flight attendant pulled a small piece of paper out of a white paper bag and made an announcement: “And the winner is … Number 40.”

Peyton Hillis, the team’s injured and beleaguered halfback, had won the game of “Hot 20,” a lottery-like parlaying of players’ per-diem allocations.

“Congratulations, Peyton,” a Browns veteran yelled from the back of the plane as Hillis strode forward to collect his winnings. “You finally got paid!”

The comment, and a slew of similarly sarcastic jeers from other Cleveland players, drew laughs from aisle to aisle. However, as Hillis counted his bag of petty cash and the Browns took off for San Francisco, where two days later they would lose to the 49ers to drop to 3-4, strains of distrust and dysfunction were swirling through the pressurized air.

By Wednesday, a group of about eight Browns veterans had summoned Hillis into a meeting room for an intervention-style, air-clearing session designed to restore his focus. After a breakout season in 2010 that vaulted him to national prominence, including a spot on the “Madden NFL ’12” cover, the 25-year-old back’s consuming desire for a new contract has become a locker room distraction that numerous teammates regard as an impediment to cohesion and collective success.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” says one Browns veteran. “Last year, Peyton was such a positive, inspirational force on our team – but now he’s like a different guy. It’s like he’s in a funk that he can’t get out of, and it’s killing us, because we really need him. And we’ve told him that. But we’re at the point where we just don’t know what to do.”

During an interview session with reporters in the locker room of the Browns’ training facility Thursday, Hillis conceded that his dissatisfaction with his contract and the accompanying controversies – including his decision to miss a late-September game against the Miami Dolphins while suffering from strep throat – have made it difficult to get his “mind right.”

“It’s been a humbling experience,” Hillis said Thursday after participating in a practice, despite a strained left hamstring that has caused him to miss the Browns’ last two games. He could miss Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans after reportedly aggravating his hamstring injury at practice Friday.

“It’s been a whirlwind coming from where I was to where I’m at now. I’m trying to grasp the whole situation and trying to deal with it. It’s still a learning process and I’m trying to do the best I can.”

Hillis insisted that “there’s never been a problem” with his intra-locker room relationships, but numerous Browns players indicated otherwise. While sympathetic to Hillis’ desire for a new deal – he’s in the final year of his rookie contract and will make $600,000 in 2011 – they believe he has allowed his frustrations surrounding the lack of progress on that front to detract from his focus.

Most conspicuously, Hillis sat out the Sept. 25 victory over the Dolphins after a week-long bout with strep throat, reporting to Cleveland Stadium hours before the game, informing team officials he felt too sick to play and heading home prior to the arrival of most of his teammates. He later said he decided not to play on the advice of his agent, Kennard McGuire, adding to the suspicions of teammates, Browns officials and fans that his contract situation affected his availability.

More recently, Hillis annoyed teammates after joining third-string quarterback Thaddeus Lewis in a conspicuous competition to throw footballs off the crossbar of the Candlestick Park goalposts about 90 minutes before Sunday’s 20-10 defeat to the Niners. Hillis, who had aggravated the hamstring strain in a practice a few days earlier, supposedly was a game-time decision; the spectacle occurred while other Browns players were stretching and engaging in warm-ups; it was captured by CBS TV cameras and discussed on the broadcast.

“It was a bad look,” one veteran said, “and it did not sit well with any of us.”

On Monday, Hillis was criticized by former Browns center LeCharles Bentley after missing a scheduled appearance at a Halloween party for the Cleveland Boys and Girls Club. Hillis has since apologized, citing a “miscommunication” with his management.

His miserable week continued when, on Wednesday morning, Hillis was summoned to a meeting room where, to his surprise, he encountered a group of veterans who expressed their concerns about his recent actions and demeanor.

“A few guys tried to talk to him, to make him understand the best way to go about things is to put your head down and do the best you possibly can,” said All-Pro tackle Joe Thomas, the team’s best and highest-paid player. “Because if the Browns aren’t going to pay you, some team will break the bank – and either way you need to play hard.”

Added linebacker Scott Fujita: “The fact that everyone has to get asked about [Hillis’ situation] by the local beat writers every day, it’s started to create a distraction, and it’s a shame that it has to be that way. I’m never gonna be in a position to question a player’s toughness. I just want him to be healthy and in the right frame of mind to help the team. More than anything else, that’s what our conversation with him was about.”

The tone of the meeting was mostly positive, with the veterans explaining to Hillis that some of his actions were being perceived negatively (they specifically cited the football-throwing incident before the Niners game) and that they needed his full commitment to help inject life into a struggling offense. After all, they have empathy for Hillis’ financially driven frustrations, a phenomenon that has not been uncommon in Cleveland’s locker room in recent years.

Browns players understand that running backs are particularly driven to maximize their earning potential because of the wear-and-tear endemic to the position, a position recently enunciated by Chicago Bears halfback Matt Forte, who has been frustrated by his inability to secure a new, lucrative deal.

Some Browns players believe current management hasn’t been overly supportive of Hillis at a time when the player seems to be mentally fragile and that everyone from team president Mike Holmgren to rookie coach Pat Shurmur could have handled the situation better. Shurmur told reporters it was his “understanding” that Hillis was sick before the Dolphins game, rather than unequivocally defending the player’s decision to sit out. There is also a sense that the organization’s three powerbrokers on the football side – Holmgren, general manager Tom Heckert and Shurmur – may not be in lockstep on their handling of the situation or in the team’s direction in general.

Last month Holmgren, who coached the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks to a combined three Super Bowls, told reporters that negotiations between the team and Hillis were “quiet now” and that the two sides had “agreed to let Peyton play, let the dust settle and see what happens.” Holmgren declined an interview request this week, and McGuire – Hillis’ third agent since the end of the 2010 season – was unavailable Thursday because of a personal matter.

On the other hand, as one veteran player said, “The organization is not going to reward a guy they think is moping or acting out or going about it the wrong way, just out of principle, and because of the message it sends to younger guys. And I totally understand that.”

Heckert conceded on Thursday that “the guys we did sign [to big contracts], those are the guys we feel are ultimate team guys who want to be here.”

As to Hillis’ situation, Heckert said, “We’ve had numerous conversations. We were so far apart that [talks broke off]. It’s not like it’s a dead deal, but let’s see how he plays the rest of the season and then reassess. There’s a ton of time.”

A seventh-round draft pick out of Arkansas, where he was in the same backfield as Oakland Raiders star Darren McFadden, Hillis gained 397 yards in two seasons for the Broncos before being shipped to Cleveland with a pair of draft picks for quarterback Brady Quinn. The deal looked like a huge steal for the Browns in 2010 when Hillis emerged as a punishing lead back, running for 1,177 yards on 270 carries and scoring 11 of his 13 touchdowns on the ground.

This year, Hillis has run 60 times for 211 yards and two scores, and his per-carry average is down from 4.4 to 3.5 yards. His backup, Montario Hardesty, went down with a torn calf muscle against the 49ers, leaving the team with a pair of inexperienced alternatives if Hillis can’t play Sunday against the Texans in Houston Cleveland ranks 29th in the NFL in rushing yards per game (87.6).

“It’s tough not having him out here for whatever reason it is,” Thomas said of Hillis. “He can definitely make a difference, cause he’s a difference-maker. I really think safeties and linebackers, when they have to play against a healthy Peyton, they’re scared. He hurt two guys on one play last year against the Bengals; it was crazy. Whatever’s going on, hopefully they can get it worked out, because we need him.”

Pro Bowl center Alex Mack expressed a similar sentiment, saying, “He’s really important. He’s a strong, hard runner, so he’ll turn a lousy, one-yard run into a four-yard gain, or a four-yard run into an eight-yard gain. Then Coach gets more comfortable calling runs, and down-and-distance situations improve. He runs so hard that he makes you look good as a lineman, no matter what, and you start blocking better.”

Mack inadvertently made Hillis look bad in early October when, a week after Hillis skipped the Dolphins game with strep throat, the lineman toughed out a home defeat to the Titans with a stomach ailment that was diagnosed the following day as appendicitis. Mack had surgery during the team’s bye week and returned 13 days later to play in a 24-17 defeat to the Raiders in Oakland.

“I would defend [Hillis’] decision not to play,” Mack insisted. “You love the game of football until you prove otherwise. People don’t play in the Senior Bowl all the time, because you don’t want to look bad and hurt your draft position. So if you’re not healthy and in a contract year – and you lost a lot of weight, couldn’t eat and felt terrible – maybe it’s the best decision for yourself and your team.”

Wide receiver and special teams ace Joshua Cribbs, who endured his own contract-related drama before finally landing a new deal in January of 2010 shortly after Holmgren’s arrival, believes Hillis’ smartest decision at this point is to get over his frustration and play at the highest level possible.

“I gave him the same advice [Hall of Fame running back and Browns legend] Jim Brown gave me: ‘Just play, and you’ll get what you deserve,’ ” Cribbs said Thursday. “Our advice to him is to do what he does best. Just play. He’s been forthcoming, letting guys know what’s going on. He already proved himself [last year]. I feel for him. [Now] he has a chip on his shoulder, so he’s more apt to prove himself.”

Teammates say that a productive, focused performance against the Texans would go a long way toward Hillis winning back support in the locker room. In the meantime, there is rampant skepticism about his behavior and mindset.

Referring to Hillis’ collection of the Hot 20 bounty on last Friday’s flight, one veteran player said, “Once that happened, I stopped believing in karma for good.”

Asked about Hillis’ stroke of luck in the locker room Thursday, Thomas gave a wan smile and shook his head.

“Hopefully,” Thomas said, “he spent it wisely.”

Whether Hillis can recover his locker room capital remains to be seen.

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