Richie Incognito was given a second chance at bringing his football career back to life but interesting enough, he says he hasn’t changed.
Richie Incognito was involved in a major scandal that he says has matured him but changed-don’t count on it. Rex Ryan made the call and gave him a chance to play for the Buffalo Bills. Incognito knows what’s being said out there but still remains focused on the game.
“There’s a lot of people out there who just perceive me as being a piece of [crap],” Incognito said. “They got bits and pieces of the story and that’s what they’re going to believe. And I’m the same way. I read stories about people in the media, I form my opinion and I kind of move on.”
“That’s all that really matters to me,” he said, “my teammates here.”
Well this definitely shows that he’s aware of what people think of him. He’s not going to let the public perception stop him.
“I’m going to continue bringing it,” Incognito said. “The easy narrative is ‘Oh, he’s this changed man.’ I’ve definitely changed for the better, but I think what you see is a guy who’s just really focused.
“Earlier in my career, it was really hard for me to differentiate between being a tough, nasty football player on the field and a tough, nasty guy off the field. It was all mixed and jumbled. As I grew, as I matured, as I became more professional, I found my way to be that guy on the field and then just turn it off.”
How will he do in this upcoming NFL season? It’s been almost two years since he’s played on a professional level. That’ll definitely be a sight to see.