Steven Jackson has yet to participate in any of the St. Louis Rams' player-led workouts during the NFL lockout, but he's not about to apologize for it.
The running back told the *St. Louis Post-Dispatch* that he doesn't believe his attendance indicates what type of teammate he is.
"One: Just because a particular person doesn't show up for the workouts doesn't mean he's bucking the system or he's not a team player," Jackson said. "Two: I'm a father of two now, and we have no insurance to cover us in case of an injury in those organized workouts. So I put myself in a difficult situation if I do that. And finally, I think I have earned the trust of my teammates who know I'm going to do my job.
"So, if I'm missing (from the workouts) or another guy is missing, it's not fair to point out who's not there. It's not reflective of being a team player or not being one. Look, running 5-yard routes is not going to make me a better player. But the work I'm putting in during my (private) workouts is going to do that. I think the trust I've built with my teammates lets them know who can be counted on."
"I've had a number of teammates over the course of the last seven or eight seasons who I saw every day but I couldn't trust them," Jackson says. "The good teammates are the ones who you know are going to do their jobs when no one else is around watching them."
Jackson, who turns 28 on Friday, rushed for 1,241 yards on 330 carries in 2010, surpassing the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the sixth consecutive season.
The seven-year veteran told the newspaper that fans frequently remind him to stay in shape during the offseason.
"Does it look like I'm not staying in shape?" Jackson jokingly said.
