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A-Train To Be Honored At Halftime

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By ROY CUMMINGS

rcummings@tampatrib.com

Published: October 16, 2008

TAMPA - His days start early, ridiculously early - with a 4:15 a.m. wakeup call and a workout that ends before the sun peeks out over the horizon.

By 7 a.m., Mike Alstott is helping to get the kids off to school. Then it's off to his office, where he dabbles in real estate, a couple of start-up business ventures and his foundation work.

He usually knocks off around 4 p.m., when he picks up the kids and begins the taxi service that drops one off at dance class, another at gymnastics and another at either baseball or flag football practice.

"I really am enjoying it," Alstott said of retirement. "It's another chapter in my life."

The Bucs will relive the previous chapters Sunday when they honor their longtime and beloved fullback during a halftime ceremony. As much as he appreciates the recognition, Alstott may not enjoy it all that much.

"You know how I am," he said. "I'm emotional. When the moment happens, and with the way this city has embraced me, the way this organization embraced me, it's going to get emotional."

It might be different had Alstott left the game on his terms. Instead he left on fate's terms, the result of a neck injury that forced him to cap his career at 12 seasons.

"I've accepted it," Alstott said of his fate. "I understand it. I can walk, and after you experience some other things and you have a family you understand there are different values in life. It's a blessing really."

Playing his entire career for one team was a blessing as well, Alstott said. So was having the opportunity to ease into retirement by spending all of last season with the team, albeit on injured reserve.

"It helped me to adapt and come to the understanding that I'll never be able to play again," said Alstott, whose evenings are spent coaching his son's baseball and flag football teams.

"We're undefeated, in baseball and football," Alstott said. "It's not the coaches. We have a couple of speed demons on the football team that make me look good with some of the plays I call."

When he's not coaching his son or taking in a dance recital, Alstott is watching the Rays, a team he's followed as a season-ticket holder for about six seasons now.

"I can relate to them," said Alstott, who can't quite bring himself to turn completely away from football, though he admits it's hard to watch even the Bucs games now.

"I go to all the Bucs games," he said. "But it's difficult to watch. I miss playing the game. I miss being in the locker room. I wish I was playing. But it's my kids time now."

Reporter Roy Cummings can be reached at (813) 259-7979.

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