ERIC DICKERSON : One Thing Hasn’t Changed From Previous Seasons--His Openness

ANDERSON, Ind. —  In Eric Dickerson’s world, there is openness.

Always openness.

“I am very open about how I feel about something,” he said. “I don’t pull any punches about something that’s on my mind.

“I have no qualms about letting eveyone know I think I’m good, and there’s just no doubt about it. When there comes a point in time when I can’t make that statement, I’ll say that. But right now-and I say this not boastfully or bragging -- I feel like I’m the best at my game.”

It is difficult to argue. Dickerson has led the NFL in rushing in three of his five seasons and his totals in each of those years are among the top eight single-season totals in league history. He has rushed for as many as 2,105 yards in a season -- the league record he took from O.J. Simpson in 1984, his second year in the league -- but never for fewer than 1,234. His career total of 8,256 yards is the best five-year mark in NFL history.

At his current per season averages of 1,860 combined net yards, 1,651 rushing yards and 12.6 touchdowns, Dickerson -- who never has missed a game due to injury -- would surpass Walter Payton’s all-time career yardage records (21,803 combined net, 16,726 rushing) and Jim Brown’s all-time career touchdowns record (126) early in his 11th season.

What Dickerson may never surpass, however, is his reputation.

“A lot of people think he’s a prima donna, spoiled athlete,” said Indianapolis Colts Coach Ron Meyer, who also coached Dickerson during Dickerson’s first three years at Southern Methodist. “He’s far from that. He’s not that at all. He’s a gifted, prideful, willing athlete.”

But one who also is willing to tell you about it.

“Where some players may tell the press the right thing, and not show their true feelings because they might be interpreted as overconfident, cocky or money-hungry, Eric is very honest with the press and the people talks about,” Colts General Manager Jim Irsay said. “Sometimes that can hurt you.”

But sometimes that can help you, too. As part of the three-team, 10-player-draft choice trade that last Oct. 31 sent him from the Los Angeles Rams to the Colts, Dickerson signed a reported four-year, $5.4 million contract that made him the best-paid running back in NFL history.

“As far as my contract goes,” he said, “to be paid properly is all I wanted. I ask no more, no less. Now, I’m graciously happy, no doubt. I make more than any running back in the league, way above any running back. I make as much as any quarterback. I won’t go back (and renegotiate) until it’s over with, or they want to pay me again-and then I’ll take it.

“I don’t care what people think about that because people are not going to determine things in my life... .If any man out there on the street thinks they can play my position, I will most definitely give them a shot.”

Opposing coaches are hoping somebody will step forward. So far, they basically have figured out only one way to deal with Dickerson: hope.

“You hope that he’ll drop a few, fumble the ball,” said New Orleans Saints defensive line coach John Pease. “He’s had a background of doing that and really work that week on trying to strip the ball out. So, maybe he gets 120, 130 or 150 yards on you, but you get a fumble or two. He’s a beautiful animal to watch play, I’ll tell you. Even as an opponent, you admire the skill level and physical talent.”

What makes Dickerson so great is his excellence in those two areas, combined with his excellence in a third, more abstract, realm.

“It has a lot to do with heart,” said Albert Bentley, who moved from running back to H-back when the Colts acquired Dickerson. “I mean, for one year other guys have done what Dickerson does, but they just didn’t have the heart to keep applying themselves. You can have all the talent in the world, but if you’re not willing to use it, you’re not going to do anything.”

Of course, it helps when your talents include the ability to run 40 yards in 4.34 seconds even though you are 6 feet 3 and weigh 218 pounds.

“He’s extremely strong,” Pease said. “When you hit him, it’s like trying to tackle a moving brick wall. He’s extremely explosive on contact. He just explodes through tackles.”

However, Dickerson can, and often does, avoid all that contact. His running style, a very good straight arm and extraordinary vision make it difficult for defenders to make contact.

Said Irsay: “When he cuts, he kind of gets airborne and just skips. And when he goes into the pile, he kind of folds up in a crouch, and as everyone is breaking down to make the tackle, he accelerates and he’s gone.”

Said Chris Hinton, a four-time Pro Bowl tackle: “When you see him make cuts or cut back, you say, ‘How did he know that guy was coming?’ ” (At the beginning of a play, Dickerson said, he can see from tight end to tight end while looking straight ahead; this is particularly interesting because Dickerson said he has “bad eyes” and his familiar goggles have prescription lenses.)

The package has been a complete one for many years, Meyer said.

“I remember back when I was recruiting him (for SMU), I made one comment to the then-owner of the Dallas Cowboys Clint Murchison. I said, ‘Clint, this guy might be one of the exceptions. He might be able to skip playing Saturdays and go right to playing Sundays.’ I said it kind of tongue in cheek, but really after his freshman year he easily could have done that.”

As a rookie in 1983, Dickerson signed a reported four-year, $2.2 million contract. In 1985, he held out for two games. The Rams refused to renegotiate his contract, but finally gave him a three-year extension package that reportedly included a higher base salary and a signing bonus that immediately moved Dickerson’s actual salary to about $800,000 per year. In return, Dickerson reportedly agreed not to ask for another renegotiation.

Last year, though, that’s precisely what he did. A bitter feud ensued between him and Rams management. At one point, Dickerson even suggested that Coach John Robinson should run 47-Gap, the Rams favorite running play, instead of him.

“After Dickerson said the coach could run 47-Gap,” Rams guard Dennis Harrah said at the time, “I knew he’d be running it someplace else.”

“I was really (ticked) off,” Dickerson recalled, “and I wanted to get out of there. I thought it was funny. I still think it’s funny. I knew John doesn’t like to be talked about in the paper. But I didn’t care. I just wanted to get out of there. I didn’t care whose feet I stepped on.

“I know I’m not a bad guy and they know I’m not a bad guy, but when I want something and I feel like I’m being shafted and it’s me or them -- and in that case it was me or them -- it’s all me.”

So what does Eric Dickerson want now?

“I want to win the Super Bowl with this team. I don’t want to just go and play in the Super Bowl. I want to go all the way.”

But what if even that proves to not be enough?

“I don’t think there are any guarantees on anything, but I think Eric really feels appreciated here and I think he feels duly compensated here,” Meyer said. “Whenever he doesn’t, I’m sure Eric Dickerson will let us know it.”