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<< Previous   of   Next >> Jennifer Buchanan / The Herald  (click to enlarge) The Seahawks’ Louis Rankin (40) congratulates Justin Forsett (20) after Forsett returned a kickoff 46 yards in the fourth quarter.   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Report scores and results to 425-339-3470 or 1-866-6-SCORES (Call after 4:30 p.m.) E-mail information including items for Tuesday's Communities Sports Roundup and Thursday's Outdoor Calendar, to sports@heraldnet.com Kevin Brown, Sports Editor kbrown@heraldnet.com   Published: Monday, November 9, 2009 Rankin thrilled to be a Seahawk By Rich Myhre and John Boyle Herald Writers SEATTLE — The Seahawks’ Louis Rankin was back playing football in Seattle on Sunday and loving every minute. “Oh, man, it was great,” he said. “Being back in town, making my debut, and just going out there and hearing all the fans. It’s great to be back in this area.” Rankin played for the University of Washington, finishing his college career in 2007. He signed with the Oakland Raiders as a free agent last season, but was waived two games into this season. Two days later, he was signed to Seattle’s practice squad. He was moved to the active roster on Oct. 28 and played in his first game Sunday, returning three kickoffs for 82 yards. The day began with a miscue as Rankin and Justin Forsett, Seattle’s other deep back, let a kickoff bounce between them. Rankin picked up the loose ball and returned it 12 yards to the Seattle 19. “We had a miscommunication,” Rankin explained. “I was expecting (Forsett) to get it and he was expecting me to get it.” Later, Rankin had a 41-yard return to the Seattle 44. “That felt good,” he said. “They called me today just to do kick returns, so whatever I can do to send us a spark feels good.” Rankin ran back kickoffs his senior year at Washington, “so I’m definitely comfortable with it. ... But I’m definitely looking forward to getting in there and making some plays on offense, too,” he said. Bright future The Seahawks got their first look at Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford, the No. 1 pick in the 2009 draft, and several players came away impressed. “He has a great arm,” said Seattle cornerback Josh Wilson. “That’s one thing I saw. He can put the ball where he wants to put it.” Well, most of the time. With Detroit moving toward a possible go-ahead touchdown in the late moments, Wilson intercepted a Stafford pass near the sideline and returned it 61 yards for a game-clinching Seattle touchdown. “The pressure of our (defensive) line really affected him,” Wilson said, “and I think that’s what was starting to make him throw some errant passes. But he has a good arm and I think he’s going to be good in this league once he gets settled back there.” “He’s a young quarterback,” added Seattle linebacker David Hawthorne. “But our game plan was to try to distract him. He’s going to be a good quarterback, and he is a good quarterback (now), but I think our game plan worked.” Injury report For the second straight game, the Seahawks appear to have avoided major injuries. Cornerback Ken Lucas aggravated the neck injury that he suffered last week on a first-quarter Detroit touchdown pass, and did not finish the game. But Mora said he thinks his team could have everyone available for practice this week. Tackle Sean Locklear, who has been out since Week 2 with an ankle injury, was in uniform Sunday but did not play. Familiar faces Detroit’s roster has five players who were once Seahawks. Most notably, linebacker Julian Peterson, who started for the Seahawks the last three seasons. Being back in Seattle “was cool,” Peterson said. “It was good. I was happy. The only thing I’m mad at is we didn’t win, that’s all.” Other ex-Seahawks now playing for the Lions are running back Maurice Morris (2002-08), safety Marquand Manuel (2004-05), tight end Will Heller (2006-08) and cornerback Kevin Hobbs (2007-08). All five played against Seattle. Also, Detroit’s tight end coach is Tim Lappano, the offensive coordinator and quarterback coach at UW for four seasons under former head coach Tyrone Willingham. Lappano mentored Husky quarterback Jake Locker for his first three college seasons. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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