JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Jaguars linebacker Mike Peterson started talking a little smack the second that coach Jack Del Rio called for the first goal-line drill of training camp.
Then he backed it up.
Peterson shed a block, sliced through the line and stuffed running back Chauncey Washington for a loss. With his defensive teammates hootin' and hollerin' all around, Peterson just shook his head and returned to the huddle.
Then he did it again.
Peterson hammered Montell Owens in the backfield on the next play, setting off another raucous celebration. This time, as Peterson walked to the sideline, he gave a glimpse into his true feelings.
"I hope somebody's watching the film," he yelled. "If they keep running my way, I'm going to get me a contract. Somebody's going to get me a contract."
It was the first time Peterson, who is entering the final year of a six-year, $21 million deal, publicly appealed for more money.
It won't be the last.
The team's top tackler and emotional leader has become increasingly frustrated with his contract situation, so much so that he believes this could be his final season in Jacksonville. It's a troubling thought for the 10-year veteran who grew up about an hour from here, but not nearly as frightening as playing such a physical position and knowing one more injury could end his career.
"Scary ain't the word," Peterson said this week. "I never wanted it to get to this point because I didn't want it to affect my game. That's the hardest part I'm having now -- going out to practice and going 100 percent and not worrying about an injury.
"I'm looking on the sideline and seeing my son and knowing it can all change in one play."
Peterson considered holding out for more money, demanding a trade or complaining through the media during the offseason. But his father was one of those "I'm-going-to-show-you-type guys," Peterson said, and he wanted to do the same. After all, Peterson has felt like he's had to prove something his entire life.
At Santa Fe High near Gainesville, he heard whispers that he would never make it at a Division I school. He promptly earned a scholarship to nearby Florida and turned into a standout linebacker. Even then, he was somewhat overshadowed by defensive teammates Reggie McGrew, Jevon Kearse and Johnny Rutledge.
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