Q&A G WILL SHIELDS

Jun 06, 2005, 5:11:36 PM

Q: You were contemplating retirement at one time, but obviously not yet?

SHIELDS: “I still haven’t participated in anything yet, so we will see how it goes.”

Q: Are you going to participate in mini-camp, and then make a decision on retirement?

SHIELDS: “I am just going to come out here and do the things I have been doing in and out. I am not really worried about everything else. I am just going to come out and do what I have to do and move on. Coach (Vermeil) knows where I am going and how it’s going to work and we will go from there.”

Q: What would weigh you one way or another about retiring?

SHIELDS: “It depends if I can get up and walk the next morning. It makes a big difference how you feel the next day and as you work your way through it. We are going to come out and get some things done and we are going to go from there. ”

Q: Is it important to come out and be around the guys?

SHIELDS: “It is always important to be around the guys to come out and see them. It is important to watch the guys work and do well. Those are the kind of things that set the tone and get your body moving again and ready to go back to work.”

Q: Is the fire still there?

SHIELDS: “It’s not a question about fire. I still love to play the game. It’s just a simple fact about whether or not your body can do it or not.”

Q: Has this off-season made it more difficult than in the past? Does it usually take a couple months?

SHIELDS: “Any time in you reach a certain point in your career your contemplating what you are going to do in the future. I just think it’s more and less between you and your family of what is best for your body. To me it’s not that big of a deal. If it’s time for me to roll then so be it.”

Q: How does your body feel now?

SHIELDS: “I am doing ok. I can’t complain. I am taking it day to day. We will see how it works for the few more weeks of OTAs . We will see how it works from there.”

Q: I would imagine your body is going to tell you one thing but what about your heart?

SHIELDS: “Sometimes your body outweighs your heart. You never can tell what is going to happen. You go one way, you do one thing. It has been a long time. This is my 13th (season) coming up and you have been playing this long. I have been fortunate and blessed to stay healthy all the way through it.”

Q: Is the desire still there?

SHIELDS: “I think so. I am guy that can try to play football till I am 50. The simple fact of it is you have to be smart about it.”

Q: How much does the fact this offense is so good and the defense has improved so much weigh in your outcome?

SHIELDS: “It doesn’t have a weigh on anything. I think it more or less weighs on the simple fact of I can do it. It’s not about the team thing and everything else. It is the simple fact if I want to be able to be out there and contribute and I think that is what is most important.”