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News | Washington Commanders - Commanders.com

Wigged Out? The Many Faces of C.P.

Call it Must-See Redskins.com TV. Every Thursday, Clinton Portis arrives at his weekly media session, broadcast in its entirety on Redskins.com, wearing an outrageous costume.

One time, he wore a bleach-white wig and virtual reality sunglasses. Another time, he wore a black, James Brown-style wig, a black cape and a black mask.

Portis usually has a persona for himself, such as "Sheriff Gonna Getcha," as he called himself on Thursday when he wore a curly black wig, sunglasses with fake eyeballs, a Led Zeppelin tee-shirt and a sheriff's star.

So what's the deal? Is every Thursday Halloween for C.P.?

"We sit down and joke and laugh about it," said tight end Robert Royal, who helped Portis put together his costume on Thursday. "Clinton pretty much does it all on his own, I just helped him with the wig. We're just trying to get a laugh in before meetings."

Added running back Rock Cartwright: "Clinton just likes to lighten the mood. He's having fun. He's a different personality, but no one plays tougher on Sundays."

One of the more serious people at Redskins Park is assistant head coach-defense Gregg Williams. What's his take on Portis's weekly get-up?

"He's a great personality and he has a great sense of humor," Williams said. "He has a great wit about him. As squirrelly as he is, when he comes to play on Sunday, he plays hard. He has my respect because of how hard he plays, even if he wants to be a little goofy during the week."

Portis's attire for his weekly media session seems to have taken on a life of its own. Redskins.com TV's Larry Michael has begun promoting it: "What will Clinton Portis wear this week?" Fans on ExtremeSkins, the official message board of the Redskins, discuss the pros and cons of Portis's weekly outfits.

Coaches and teammates can only shake their head in amusement as they walk by on their way to the cafeteria. It's safe to say some of his teammates find it all a bit silly. Reporters seem to find it both humorous and bizarre.

And yet, Portis patiently and thoughtfully answers reporters' questions about upcoming games, even though his outfit creates a sense of absurdity to the entire proceedings.

Discussing how his costumes are received by his teammates, Portis said: "People take it for what it's worth. We're having fun. Some guys in the locker room have helped me out with it."

Does Portis worry about what upcoming opponents think about his get-up? Does he worry that it may motivate opponents in any way?

"I don't think other teams need this as motivation," Portis said. "Once we step on the field, there's a lot to motivate us. If this motivates them, let it get them excited. That's not going to stop us from playing."

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