Q. You have been portrayed widely as a selfish player, especially in light of your book: “Throw Me The Damn Ball.” What would a Super Bowl title mean to you?
A. Anyone who knows me and has covered me during my career knows what type of player I am. If I am selfish or not . . . I don’t need to answer that. For me, statistics aren’t important. When you play for a long period of time, you are going to have numbers. But the numbers are not as important as the Super Bowl. I can go over a list of guys who have done well statistically. For instance, Andre Reed. He’s a great guy. I love Andre Reed. He’s a friend of mine and he had four Super Bowl appearances [with Buffalo]. At the end of the day, he doesn’t have a Super Bowl championship ring. So you are not looking at him the same way you would look at a Jerry Rice or Michael Irvin.
Q. You have a reputation of not getting along with your coaches. Is that justified?
A. I like coach [Jon] Gruden. I always have had beginning clashes with my head coaches. That’s no secret. No matter who it was. But at the end of the day, they all want me on their football team. I do all of the little things. As much as people want to say that I ask for the football, I don’t go to my head coach and ask for the ball. It’s his job to know the situations, and I can trust his ability to get me the football in key situations.
Q. How does it feel playing for a Super Bowl title against the Raiders–the team you grew up rooting for?
A. I parked many cars in the Coliseum parking lot. I still root for them when we’re not playing against them. At the end of the day, they always say that when you get old in this game, you will wind up playing close to home. Maybe one day, when I’m old in the game, I will be in a Raider uniform.
Q. You played the NFC championship game Sunday in Philadelphia, flew back to Tampa Sunday night and then here to San Diego Monday. Aren’t you exhausted?
A. I never sleep before games and I never sleep right after games. It takes me a while to wind down. I didn’t get any sleep on the plane.
Q. Would you prefer to have a week off before the Super Bowl?
A. I like the idea of playing the game right away. We don’t need any more buildup.
Q. Has Gruden given you guys advice on how to handle the distractions of Super Bowl week?
A. He briefly discussed what we were going to be facing and what to look out for. He will treat us like adults. We’re all men and have responsibilities. That’s how he left it.
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Have a question or an idea for Fred Mitchell? E-mail: AskFred@tribune.com
