TAMPA, Fla. -- Keyshawn Johnson insists he's not bitter
about being traded from the New York Jets to the Tampa Bay
Buccaneers and that winning -- not revenge -- will be his main
objective when he faces his old team for the first time.
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"I'll do my normal deal," the two-time Pro Bowl receiver said
Monday, looking ahead to Sunday's meeting of unbeaten division
leaders.
"But one thing in this normal deal is this is considered a
big-time game. And big-time players show up in big-time games.
According to my past history, I've done well in big-time games."
Johnson said last week that he wouldn't allow himself to be
lured into a war of words with the Jets. He didn't during a
specially arranged news conference; however, he was quoted Monday by
The Star-Ledger of Newark as making another critical remark about
former teammate Wayne Chrebet.
"There's no beef with him," Johnson said. "You're trying to
compare a flashlight to a star. Flashlights only last so long, a
star is in the sky forever. He's not even close to me and anyone
who knows football knows that."
The receiver, who had eight catches for 84 yards Sunday in Tampa
Bay's 31-10 victory over Detroit, shrugged off what some people
perceive as his refusal to let go of the poor relationship he had
with Chrebet in New York.
"I don't necessarily think it's shots taken by me. It's more
drawn out in the media," Johnson said. "If you don't ask me
questions about individuals, I don't have to answer them."
Johnson reiterated that he has no plans to shake hands with Jets
coach Al Groh because he feels the coach was responsible for him
being traded.
"If I was the head coach of a football team and I was trading a
player, I would give him the respect to say we're trading you or
cutting you," Johnson said.
"(Bucs) coach Tony Dungy is not going to just jump up and allow
someone to get rid of Mike Alstott. He's just not going to do it.
He's going to fight until the end, and if it doesn't happen, then
he has to go with what (general manager) Rich McKay says ... I
don't think Al Groh fought until the end."
In anticipation of a large contingent of reporters descending on
Tampa from New York to speak with Johnson this week, the Bucs set
up news conferences for Monday and Wednesday to deal with the
crush.
Asked if he was having fun, Johnson smiled.
"It's silly to me to be honest with you. I think it's a big
joke," he said. "A guy got traded. So what."
Although he's been looking forward to Sunday since the first day
of training camp, Johnson said he doesn't have anything to prove to
the Jets, who received two first-round picks in this year's draft
in exchange for the fifth-year pro.
Asked about a comment attributed to Jets center Kevin Mawae, who
said Sunday that Jets being unbeaten without Johnson "proves one
guy does not make a team," the receiver responded:
"If I didn't know Kevin, I'd tell him to pretty much worry
about 99 (Warren Sapp) and 92 (Anthony McFarland) because I play
offense and he plays offense. He needs to worry about that (Tampa
Bay) defense. Seven sacks last week, six the week before that. He
needs to worry about protecting Vinny (Testaverde)."
Johnson said he has nothing against Testaverde. Following Johnson's trade to the Buccaneers for two
first-round picks, Testaverde said that running back Curtis Martin,
not Johnson, was the most valuable player on the team.
"If I'm so replaceable, why do they have (cornerback) Marcus
Coleman catching passes? You're searching for ways. I'm sure Vinny
has thrown a couple of high balls and thought to himself, 'I had a
guy who could catch those before.' "
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VIDEO
  Keyshawn Johnson will not shake hands or speak to Jets coach Al Groh. wav: 300 kRealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 Curtis Martin knows the accusations made by is former teammate is not an issue. wav: 82 kRealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 Kevin Mawae comments on the accusations made by Keyshawn Johnson about the Jets organization. wav: 75 kRealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 |
