Peyton Hillis, runningback for the Cleveland Browns is slowly losing the support of his teammates, so-much that several veterans have confronted him about his recent "antics".
An article by Michael Silver at Yahoo Sports states there is in fact, regardless of what Hillis may think, concern in the locker room over his recent actions and demeanor. Eight Browns veterans summoned Hillis into the locker room to "clear the air" and discuss how his antics and contract talks have become a locker room distraction.
<!--more-->Quoting from the Yahoo Sports article:
“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.”
And from veteran 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.”
Hillis has, without a doubt been a major focal point for the news media. His recent illness, injuries, contract talks and even his marriage has received a great deal of attention from both local and national media. Hillis needs to set aside his desire for a new contract (until he proves he deserves one), take care of his injuries and once again become a valuable part of this team.
If he does have problems adjusting to his new found fame and/or problems he should seek out the advice of those veterans--instead of them needing to confront him! For more on this on-going soap opera, here is a link to the more in-depth YahooSports article!
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