Dwight Freeney: “I’m not Lebron trying to leave the team”

Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney made an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio on Tuesday night (via FOXSpots.com) with Alex Marvez and former Colts general manager Bill Polian.  He wanted to make sure everyone understands that he wants to finish his career with the Colts since they drafted him.

Freeney doesn’t want to do things like LeBron James, he wants his career to be more like Magic Johnson’s.

“I’m kind of old-school when it comes to that thought. I’m not LeBron trying to leave the team. I’m more like the era of Magic and (New York Giants linebacker) Lawrence Taylor, who stayed with that same team for their entire careers win, lose or draw. They were married to the city they were drafted in. You go through the tough times and great times with them, and that’s it. That’s what I’m looking forward to.

“You don’t know what’s going to happen. I can get traded. They may want to go in a different direction. Maybe I can’t handle the (defensive) scheme. You have all those possibilities. But, personally, I would love to stay.”

Even though Freeney isn’t crazy about all of the changes that have gone on within the Colts organization, he understands and supports them.

“I feel like I’m in a whole other dimension,” a laughing Freeney said. “I’m used to walking in the locker room and there’s Peyton’s locker to the right and all these other guys who were there. Now, it’s like everything has shifted around.

“I got lost in the locker room today. They built a locker right where I always walk to get my laundry clothes. I almost walked into the locker. It’s completely different. But I do understand what this game is. Things have to change eventually. It’s never the same team (annually), regardless of whether it’s four or five guys or 20. That’s the nature of the beast, especially when you don’t win.”

I really respect a player like Freeney who wants to stick with Colts even though they’re rebuilding.  There really isn’t anything else he needs to achieve as a player anyway,  he’s already got a Super Bowl ring.

As Freeney enters the final year of his current deal, it will be interesting to see whether or not the Colts will re-sign him after 2012.