November 12, 1997

ALSTOTT ON COMPARISONS TO CSONKA, RIGGINS

In a national media conference call on Wednesday, November 12, Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back MIKE ALSTOTT talked about comparisons to great fullbacks, the upcoming game with the New England Patriots and other subjects:

What do you think about the comparisons between you and other great fullbacks of the past like Larry Csonka?

He was more the traditional fullback. I’m a little bit of both. I have a little tradition and a little bit of tailback skill. I get a lot of different looks. I didn’t see Csonka a lot, but as far as breaking tackles, making hard yards, never quitting and getting the ultimate effort every time you touch the ball, I can compare myself that way.

I admired John Riggins. I like his running style and the way he played. He never gave up and always gave 150 percent. The things he did on the field were unbelievable.

How does your style of fullback differ from others?

I have a little more versatility. I’m featured more than most fullbacks in the league. I can catch, run and block. I also get to play tailback and be in the one-back set. I get to do a lot of things like a featured back.

What is the key to the game with the Patriots?

Execution. We have to have a great week of preparation. They have a great defense. They’re sixth in the NFL right now and they had a great game on Sunday. We have to execute and play our game. We can’t hurt ourselves like when we played Detroit. We weren’t getting any push, we were making mistakes as far as penalties and we were killing ourselves with field position. If our special teams can help us out with field position, we’re going to do alright.

What is your relationship like with Warrick Dunn?

We’re close. We get along well. We’re learning about each other more and more each game. We communicate a lot and I think we’re going to have a great future here in Tampa. It’s fun working together. We kid around and do all the fun stuff, but when it’s time to take care of business we’re right there at each other’s side.

Why have you had success with long runs this season?

A lot of defenses are putting eight or nine players in the box against us. If the safety comes up, hits you and you break that tackle, there is nobody in the secondary to get you. That’s why we’ve had a few long runs. That’s the main reason for my long run because it was just a play up the middle and the strong safety came up and tried put a hit on me,I broke that, bounced it out right and there was nobody there.