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Portis retiring as a Redskin

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Southeast Jerome is calling it quits, once and for all.

Running back Clinton Portis, a colorful and productive tailback for the Broncos and Redskins who at one point dressed up for each of his press conferences as a different character, will retire on Thursday as a member of the Redskins.

The press conference at Redskins Park will feature Portis and owner Daniel Snyder. Conspicuous in his absence from the official notice is head coach Mike Shanahan, who traded Portis from Denver to Washington after a pair of 1,500-yard seasons to start his career.

Portis played only five games for the Redskins in Shanahan’s first year as head coach. During that season, Portis said publicly that the benching of quarterback Donovan McNabb left players “scared,” a contention that Shanahan tersely dismissed. Some believe that Portis would have been cut by Shanahan not long after getting the job, but for $6.4 million in guaranteed base salary that had been parked in the uncapped year of 2010.

Portis, who wanted to return in 2011 but drew no interest, finishes 27th on the all-time rushing list, with 9,923 yards. He was the 2002 offensive rookie of the year, and a Pro Bowler in 2003 and 2008.

UPDATE 3:27 p.m. ET: Redskins spokesman Tony Wyllie tells PFT that Shanahan will attend the press conference. The former notice from the Redskins, structured in a useful “who, what, when, where” format, listed only Portis and Snyder under the “who” category. Wyllie says Shanahan and G.M. Bruce Allen will be present but not speaking; Portis and Snyder will speak.