Dwight Freeney: Proven but Still Doubted

Dwight Freeney is one of the premier defensive-ends in the game and one of my favorite players.

He went to school at Syracuse, got drafted by the Colts, signed the biggest contract for a defensive player in the history of the game at that time, and still plays with a chip on his shoulder.

It would be easy to think we all know him by what is said in the media, but the truth of the matter is that there are some answers best heard from the source.

1. What is your fondest memory of your time at Syracuse?  Is it the 17 straight games with at least one sack?  Or the NCAA record for most forced fumbles in one season when you had 11 senior year? Or is it something else that stands out?
2. What were some of the most important on and off field tools that you learned from then-Syracuse coach Paul Pasqualoni?
3. Walk me through what was going through your mind on draft day in 2002. You go 11th overall to the Colts, and just like fellow-Orangeman Donovan McNabb, you get booed. What was going through your mind?
4. 13 sacks and nine forced fumbles in your rookie campaign—how did that make you feel after being so heavily questioned on draft day?
5. The Colts had some big time success in your first couple of years with the team. You had 12-4 in 2003, another postseason run in '04, and 14-2 in 2005.  At what point does that success become somewhat meaningless without a Super Bowl ring?
6. When you did finally win the championship in 2006, it certainly wasn't the most dominant Colts team of which you had been a part.  You could argue that the 2004 team that broke all the offensive records and saw you lead the league with 16 sacks was much more potent.  What changed in '06?
7. I have to ask you about the rivalry with the Patriots. It has really come of age since you came in to the league. How much extra excitement is around the team the week leading up to those games?
8. With the departure of Tony Dungy and his wizardry with the Tampa-Two defense, how do you see the defense changing shape in the next year or two?
9. The Colts' D is routinely called "soft" or "weak." Bob Sanders has really changed that mentality when he is able to stay healthy and on the field.  What is the best Bob Sanders story you have pertaining to his intensity?
10. Speaking of players who have helped the defense, Robert Mathis had a monster year in 2008.  The two of you combined for 22 sacks.  How much easier was your job with Mathis drawing more attention from offensive lines?
11. You probably appreciate what Peyton Manning is able to do more than the average player because you see him on a daily basis.  Do you ever wish you could rotate over to the offensive side for a play or two like "The Fridge" did in the Super Bowl?
12. Even though you have clearly proven yourself worthy of your draft status, how many times do you still get asked about your size and whether or not you can compete in the NFL?
13. What other goals do you hope to accomplish by the time your career is over?
14. Finish this sentence for me: In order for the Colts to win another Super Bowl in 2009, the offense needs to _________ while the defense ___________ ?
15. If you could do it all over again, what would you change about your football career?
16. What do you want people to say about Dwight Freeney when it is all said and done?

Freeney is an outstanding player but there are still many questions for the man from Hartford, Connecticut.