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Bucs' Askew seeking staying power

Tribune file photo by CLIFF McBRIDE

Askew started Tampa Bay’s first three games last season before sustaining a hamstring injury against Chicago in Week 4.

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By ANWAR RICHARDSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 3, 2009

Updated: 06/03/2009 05:19 am

TAMPA - Bucs fullback B.J. Askew is one of the NFL's best players when on the field.

Askew's only problem since joining Tampa Bay two seasons ago has been staying on that field.
Over the past two years, Askew has started only 14 of 33 games (including the postseason) for Tampa Bay. Askew has appeared in 24 games, but he played with pain in many of those contests and rarely was at 100 percent.

"I could care less about starts. I can care less about all of that," Askew said. "In the games I don't play in, it's bad luck. It's part of the game. Nobody wants to get hurt."

Askew, 28, started Tampa Bay's first three games last season before sustaining a hamstring injury against Chicago in Week 4. That injury forced Askew to miss the next six weeks.

Although Earnest Graham rushed for 116 yards against Atlanta in Week 2 with Askew, he rushed for 100 yards only one other time in 2008 (against Green Bay), while Warrick Dunn topped 100 yards on the ground once (against Carolina) last year.

"The other year [2007] I tore two ligaments in my ankle and played nine weeks with it and the last two games they sat me to get healthy for the playoffs," Askew said. "In Chicago last year, I tore a hamstring and played the whole overtime with it and then they put me on ice. I was going to battle with it."

"When I wanted to come back, they sat me a little bit longer. Sometimes they have to step in and they don't want to rush you. I'm thankful for that. I'm glad they do that because there is no telling how bad I would be right now."

Askew (6-foot-3, 233 pounds) may find himself fighting through pain often, but he has been fortunate when compared to his comrades.

Last season, Byron Storer (knee) and Graham (ankle) sustained season-ending injuries, while Cadillac Williams suffered a major knee injury in the season finale against Oakland. Williams saw his 2007 season end because of a knee injury, while Michael Pittman (ankle) and Askew also battled injuries that year.

"That's just the way it's been here and that's just the way it is," Askew said. "Now we mentally try to get everybody prepared to do everything. Even Ernest had to play fullback last year and he'll tell you that it's a team sport."

The team's string of bad luck continued this season when it recently placed Storer on injured reserve because of a setback in his recovery. Tampa Bay has Askew and Jameel Cook as the only fullbacks on its roster.

As a result, Pittman's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, reached out to General Manager Mark Dominik about re-signing his client. Pittman played fullback in Tampa Bay during the 2007 season, said he has recovered from a neck injured sustained in Denver last year and currently weighs 232 pounds.

"That would be nice to get back on the Bucs and finish my career here," Pittman said. "That's why Drew told them I would play fullback and catch some passes out of the backfield because that's the position I played full-time during camp last year up in Denver. If they have room for me it would be nice to come back."

The Bucs might just focus on their current fullbacks and hope Askew stays healthy this season.
Tampa Bay knows Askew could be one of the NFL's best players.

He just has to stay on the field for it to happen.

"The big part of that is I got to be there [on the field], I got to be healthy as long as I can and that's it," Askew said. "I got to be there to fill that spot. Same for the rest of us. We got to be there, we got to be healthy. When we're playing, we got to play. Whatever happens, we got to deal with it when it comes around the corner."

Anwar S. Richardson can be reached at (813) 259-8425.

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