Springs busted out laughing before he finished the final sentence. The smile was familiar. Springs keeps it handy wherever he goes. His carefree image and supreme confidence have done him no favors with a frustrated fan base, particularly given Springs' recent history of injuries and mostly undistinguished play.


Visions of Springs whistling through the locker room after a recent loss to Minnesota irked some. That was not Springs' intention.


"I'm carefree and fun-going and half-smiling and everything," he said. "So when you're smiling people think, 'Oh, he doesn't care.' But it's not like that.


"I realize the situation and how I'm blessed to play the world's greatest game, so I smile. ...


"Things do bother me. You can't get broken up. You know what the most beautiful thing about football is? You have next week to prove yourself."