Word: plunketts
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...Plunkett's respect for Fairbanks is equalled only by his fondness for former Stanford coach, John Ralston, now with the Denver Broncos. "John Ralston is personable and mingles with the people, whereas Coach Fairbanks doesn't say much to anybody. He keeps to himself and if he says something, you'd better listen because you might not hear something for awhile. They're both tremendous organizers. But Coach Fairbanks has more authority as head coach than any coach we've had before...
Though he's gained 739 yards rushing in four years (averaging 5.2 yards per run) Plunkett prefers not to run with the ball. "I don't mind running on the option play, but would rather pitch out," he says. "I can't do it 10 or 15 times a game. I'd rather not take that kind of punishment...
...injuries and operations and Plunkett's description of himself as a "day to day person" make the spectre of a sudden end to his career a real one. And though he says that he can't worry about what will happen in the future, he admits that lacking any long-range plans is a "pitfall." He simply accepts pain as a fundamental part of his profession. "You always play hurt. Most athletes play hurt...
...Plunkett has also become desensitized to the mental pain of losing a game over the years. He says that he was "depressed, discouraged and questioned my own abilities" during his first couple of years with the Pats. "For awhile, [losing] hurt me just as bad and hit me just as hard as it did when I was younger because I took it so personally. But I fell I've overcome that somewhat...
Then again, it's easier to overcome losing when you're doing less of it than in previous years. The support and devotion of Patriots fans also helps. According to Plunkett, "Fans everywhere are fickle," but Boston fans are more "fanatical" than California fans. "They know their sports. They're more knowledgeable than a lot of fans throughout the country because they follow it so much more...