No Regrets : Though Football Has Been Good to Long, His Best Days Will Be the Quiet Ones Ahead

It has been a good year for defensive lineman Howie Long. He has kept his name out of all the controversy surrounding the Raiders, kept it off the injured list and kept it in the starting lineup. At 32 and in his 12th NFL season, Long continues to play on every down, the stable force in the Raiders’ constantly rotating defensive line as either a tackle or end.

A six-time all-pro, Long was named Wednesday as the first alternate on the AFC defensive line for this season’s game.

Recently, Long sat down at the Raiders’ El Segundo headquarters to look back -- and ahead.

The only subject he will not comment on is the feud between owner Al Davis and running back Marcus Allen.

Question: You play a position that is not easy to evaluate from a statistical standpoint. It cannot be measured by yards gained or passes caught. There are sacks, but those alone can be misleading. What is your own yardstick in deciding if you’ve had a good year?

Answer: If I’ve been a total player. The way I look at it, I’ve had one game this year that was sub-par, and that was San Diego (in the first meeting). Other than that, it’s been a real consistent year.

Q: You have nine sacks, placing you second on the team behind Anthony Smith, who has 13. Is the sack total important?

A: I don’t think you can categorize defensive tackle with a number. Obviously the first number that pops out is sacks. But I think you have to categorize defensive tackle by word of mouth. What is the other team saying about how you are playing? What does your coach say?

Q: When you walk off the field after a game, do you know how well you played without looking at the film?

A: I always think I didn’t play well. Always. The film is rarely ever as bad as I think it’s going to be.

I really don’t think I’ll enjoy the accolades or the fruits of my labor until I’m done playing. I’m not the type of person who can sit and dwell on positives. I will not enjoy the world championship, the six Pro Bowls, being first team, All-Decade until I’m done playing.

Q: Does the film ever surprise you? Do you find you played better than you thought you did?

A: Yeah, it generally does surprise me in that sense.

Q: Do you learn much about yourself from watching the film?

A: Oh, yeah. I find when I don’t trust myself on the field is when I don’t do well. On a certain play, you might be thinking it’s a pass, but you don’t explode off the ball. You play hesitant and you’re not as effective. When I trust myself, I’m fine.

Q: At this point in your career, do you still find yourself getting a lot of double- and triple-teams?

A: Yeah, I get a lot of attention. I think people know where I’m at.

But ask (defensive coordinator) Gunther Cunningham. Ask (Coach) Art Shell. I really don’t like to talk about how I’m playing. I would rather have somebody else talk about it. There seem to be enough opinions about me--good, bad or indifferent.

Q: You have an ego like anybody else. When you do draw a double- or triple-team and that allows a teammate to get in and do some damage, can you draw enough personal satisfaction from that?

A: I’m paid accordingly. I’m a selfless player. I take as much pleasure in setting someone else up as I do in doing something on my own. I’ve always played that way. I think you judge the body of work, and I think it shows a total player.

I could just fly off the ball on every play and play the pass and rack up some numbers. But that would be cheating my teammates and cheating my head coach and cheating my owner.

Q: Do we in the media make too much of sacks?

A: I think so, but it’s a tangible thing. It’s something you can cling to. I understand that.

Reggie White (of the Philadelphia Eagles) has 13 sacks. Reggie White should have 25 sacks, but Reggie White gets the hell beaten out of him. That allows Clyde Simmons to have 17 1/2 sacks. That’s the way it is.

It’s about winning and it’s about playing well. It’s not necessarily about the numbers. You’d like to have the numbers, but they don’t always come.

Q: Do you start every season questioning whether you’ll still be able to do the things you did the previous season, and do you finally reach a point where you’re convinced you can?

A: Yeah, I do that every year, and I think I’ve reached that point this year. Of course, I was worried about that when I was 22, so it’s nothing new.

I think when you become complacent and content with what you’re doing on the field, you’re on your way out. You’re on your way downhill.

Q: Do you look at a young player like Anthony Smith, who has his whole career ahead of him, and envy him, or are you glad that’s all behind you?

A: I’ve done it. I wouldn’t mind being 22 again, but with all the financial and athletic prizes that go with it already in hand. Then, I’d go skiing.

It’s all ahead of him. It’s a long, long road. There are players here now who were in the fifth grade when I broke into professional football.

Q: Does that bother you?

A: The biggest difference between 32 and 22 is that I’m more comfortable being by myself. I don’t need to be around other people.

Q: So there’ll be no regrets when you put your playing days behind you?

A: This was my blessing in life. I’ve been fortunate to have had it, and my family has lived well because of it.

But I think my best days are ahead of me. I plan on spending a great deal of time with my wife (Diane) and three sons (Christopher, 7; Kyle, 4, and Howie, Jr., 2). Nothing compares with that. Certainly not anything athletically. The most disappointing thing about my playing career is that I’m missing time. I’m missing moments when (the boys) are young. I’ve always worked Christmas. I’ve always worked Thanksgiving.

Q: When your career is finally over, would you want to remain a part of football?

A: I’ve had enough people chanting my name. They tell me the one thing you miss is the camaraderie. But I don’t need to be around the game. I’ve been there. I’ve done that.