Same Old George, Except The Winning Part

Different team, same Jeff George. Or so he says.

The rescuer of the Minnesota Vikings hasn’t suddenly matured or mellowed or changed his moody personality. He hasn’t undergone a conversion from bad boy to good guy, not completely anyway.

George acknowledges he’s still prone to the fits that earned him his reputation as a cocky and abrasive leader and got him run out of Indianapolis, Atlanta and Oakland, leaving a string of fuming fans, teammates and coaches.

“I’m still the same guy I’ve always been,” George said, “competitive, hardheaded.”

Even so, the talented but troubled quarterback has resurrected his career and the Vikings’ title hopes since taking over their fruitful offense three months ago.

“I’m just as vocal on the sidelines as I’ve been in the past,” he added. “It’s just that now I’m on a winning team.”

So, George hasn’t had the chance to show the attitude problems that became his trademark along with his sturdy and stunningly accurate throwing arm.

He refuses to talk about his troubled past, which includes his infamous sideline spat with then-Falcons coach June Jones in 1996. He doesn’t like talking about his financial future, either.

“All I care about is what’s going to happen today. I don’t even concern myself with what’s going to happen this Sunday,” George said. “That’s been my philosophy the last couple of years and it’s been a pretty good one. Who knows what the future holds? But this is nice.”

He brought a 37-74 record as a starter and a ton of baggage to Minnesota when the Vikings gave him his last chance last winter, signing him for the veteran’s minimum of $400,000.

Beckoned from the bench when Randall Cunningham was demoted 5-1/2 games into his new $28 million contract, George has gone 9-2, pulling the Vikings from a 2-4 hole and guiding them into the playoffs, where they’ll play the St. Louis Rams on Sunday.

The 32-year-old George is no longer labeled a loser or malcontent or whiner.

“I’m just having fun,” said George. “And that’s something I haven’t been able to say in the past.”