A Conversation With B.J. Askew From the moment B.J. Askew arrived in Tampa last year, Jon Gruden never turned down an opportunity to extol him. It quickly became evident why Gruden loved Askew so much as he survived the tough task of replacing celebrated fullback Mike Alstott while playing most of last season with a severe ankle sprain. In addition, Askew helped Earnest Graham rush for nearly 1,000 yards last season. Askew took time recently to reflect on his first season with Tampa Bay. How hard was dealing with your ankle injury last season? It was tough. Every game, I didn't know if I could make it or not. I pushed myself out there. I knew if I could get in a uniform, I could make it through. What was the treatment you had for the ankle? Initially, we were icing it, doing all those normal things. Trying to stay off of it until I played, but it got worse and that is when I started putting the cast on. We tried to mobilize it, but the thing is, we would take it off the day before a game and it hadn't moved for five days. Then I was doing all these exercises. It was weak. After spending four years with the Jets, what were you expecting when you signed with Tampa last year? Exactly what did happen. When I was with the Jets, I never really had a chance. There would be times when I had a great game and we went for over 100 yards rushing and the next week I would not even dress. Going into free agency the year before last, I wanted to get to a team that would appreciate a player like me. When I took the visit here, Gruden broke me down and showed me everything he liked about me on film. I came away feeling like this is a place that really wants me. The day of the start of free agency, I got the phone call from him. They flew me down the next day. He sold me so good. I really felt appreciated and knew I would go to war for this guy. Did you fully grasp how much people loved Mike Alstott until you got here? I did. I really looked at it as an opportunity to learn some things while I was waiting in the wings. When I got here it was a lot bigger than I thought. I can only hope that the same type of embrace the fans gave Mike, they give me. You can only hope. One thing I hope they know is I'm going to fight, I'm going to play hurt, and I'm going to do everything it takes to get on the field. I also want to make Mike proud. I know what it's like to be an older guy and have to step away from the game and hope that guy behind you picks up where you left off. I know the great fans here will have their eyes on me to see, 'What can this guy do?' I know I have some big shoes to fill. I wish I didn't get hurt last year, but people did recognize me. I was a Pro Bowl alternate and hopefully I can get three, four or five Pro Bowls here. What kind of feeling was it to be recently rewarded with a new contract? It speaks volumes because they didn't have to do it. We've been negotiating since last year. They came to my agent and said, 'We didn't know this guy was this good. We want to work on another deal.' We've been doing it since then. Of course, the money wasn't there. I said no way and I'd rather just play, but the deal kept getting better and better to the point where I just couldn't turn it down. Is it hard for you in the locker room knowing that other players want a better contract and haven't gotten one? I don't worry about it too much. All I can really ask the guys is to just show up, keep working out. The theory behind it all is you hold out, you do all these things, and then all of a sudden the team will reward you. My agent and I had a long talk about it, and I even went up and told Coach Gruden that I'm not going to sit out and I'm not going to miss any time. I wanted it new contract done, but I just had to let him know that it holding out wasn't the route I was going. I told him I really appreciated him. Do you take pride in Earnest Graham's performance in 2007? The thing about a fullback is you're pretty much like an offensive lineman. Everybody has got to take credit for that because the running back can't do it by himself. It goes from everybody on that field, to the coaches who are preparing and do all that stuff, and telling us what to look for. It's a tribute to everybody. What will be your barometer for a successful season in 2008? I don't have one. I just want to take it one day at a time. Give it everything I got and let's see what happens. Sometimes you get these expectations and get disappointed. I try to leave all types of disappointment out of my life. I'm just going to have fun. I'm comfortable and I'm happy that I know where I'm going to be for the next five years. I have some good money coming in. It's a good situation. Anwar Richardson, The Tampa Tribune 3 June 2008