Dominic Rhodes: From Super Bowl Hero to UFL Championship

This isn't Dominic Rhodes' dream.

His true dream became a reality nearly four years ago, when Rhodes ran his way to a Super Bowl victory with the Indianapolis Colts.

"I still haven't been able to tell people what it was like," said Rhodes in a phone interview with FanHouse. The same Rhodes who rushed for a touchdown and more than 100 yards on sport's grandest stage in February 2007. "It was a feeling of, I don't even know. Your heart is going so fast, and it is even right now when I think about it. That day was so special."

Right now though, Rhodes stands amongst his United Football League peers during media day as a member of the Florida Tuskers, awaiting Saturday's UFL Championship game in Omaha.

Things are different. The Super Bowl, that's a "circus," as Rhodes describes. The UFL Championship media day? Well, there is handful of media members.

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How does the UFL Championship experience compare to the Super Bowl?

"It was a feeling of, I don't even know. Your heart is going so fast, and it is even right now when I think about it. That day was so special."
-- Dominic Rhodes on playing in Super Bowl XLI "If the Super Bowl was a 10, this falls ... well, as of right now, I don't know because I haven't been inside the stadium."

He dodges the question just as he did UFL defenses this season.

Rhodes was the varsity guy dominating the junior varsity level. He led the UFL with 10 touchdowns and also led the league in rushing with 547 yards. Project the eight-game UFL schedule out to an NFL 16-game schedule, and that's a 20-touchdown, 1,000-yard season.

Rhodes began his slide out of NFL favor following the Super Bowl victory, signing a two-year deal with the Oakland Raiders. He was suspended that same offseason for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy and was released by the Raiders the following offseason after the team drafted rookie running back Darren McFadden. Rhodes returned to the Colts for one more season in 2008-09, splitting carries with Joseph Addai. His NFL tenure ended when he was cut by the Buffalo Bills in September 2009.

The UFL, and Tuskers head coach Jay Gruden, gave Rhodes the opportunity to prove that at age 31, he still had something left.

"This has been a great experience to be a starter, to get the carries," Rhodes said.

"It's been a blessing."

He was an undrafted free agent out of Div. II Midwestern State University. Even Div. II was a step up for Rhodes, who began at a junior college in Texas. So taking a step back to play in the UFL – in lesser facilities and in front of lesser crowds – is no big deal. He's impressed enough with the fans in Omaha and is even happier not having to deal with a heavy media load.

Rhodes is used to the uphill, show-us-what-you've-got battle against perception. In his rookie NFL season with the Colts, he ran for 1,104 yards, the most ever by an undrafted free agent.

"You know, for my whole career it's always been people looking past me until it's my turn to play," Rhodes said. "People know me, but they still don't know how well I can play given the opportunity."

In Super Bowl XLI, Rhodes rushed for 113 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries helping lead the Colts to a 29-17 victory over the Chicago Bears.

But back in August, Rhodes told FanHouse he wanted to be known for more than just that one game.

"I hate that sometimes," Rhodes told FanHouse writer Tim Povtak in August. "It was the culmination of a great season, but people seem to forget everything else about my career outside that Super Bowl. It did let the world know what kind of back I was, but there's more to me than just one game.''

On Saturday, Rhodes will have an opportunity to create a bigger name for himself, albeit on a much smaller stage.

Dominic Rhodes Talks About the UFL Championship



Though he may have already realized his dream as a Super Bowl champ, Rhodes can keep dreaming, right?

He wants back in the NFL.

"That's what every guy's dream is when they come to this league," Rhodes said. "They want to come back and play in the big leagues. I hope to get back to that level. I feel I'm one of the best backs in the world."

But for now, he's got one last shot at the stage to prove worthy of a potential late-season signing this year or at least an NFL invite for next season.