Hamlin a force again

Published 9:00 pm Tuesday, August 8, 2006

CHENEY – The first pop came on a meaningless play and 20 yards downfield.

Running back Leonard Weaver had broken through the front line of defense and into the secondary, and as he let up near the sideline, a defender lowered his shoulder and left Weaver sprawling to the ground.

The play, which came Tuesday morning at the Seattle Seahawks’ training camp, had no significance other than the man who delivered the hit.

Free safety Ken Hamlin, who is nine months removed from suffering major head injuries in an off-the-field incident, started to make some big hits at training camp for the first time Tuesday.

“It’s just practice,” Hamlin said, shrugging off the hit on Weaver and another pop on tight end Keith Willis. “I’m just out here trying to get better. There are different situations. I think that situation was live, so we’ve got to hit.

“I guess you can say I was forced to.”

While Hamlin had avoided a big collision through the first 10 days of training camp, he said that he wasn’t avoiding anything because of the past injuries.

“I don’t think I was tentative at all,” Hamlin said after the morning practice. “I came in knowing what I had to do.

“You could say this is not my first rodeo. I knew how to pace myself as far as keeping myself conditioned. That’s really all I was getting at.”

Hamlin’s next test comes Saturday night when the Seahawks host the Dallas Cowboys in their preseason opener at Qwest Field. Like he has just about every other question since the injury, Hamlin shrugged off the significance of his first game since Oct. 16, 2005.

“It’s a preseason game,” he said. “It is what it is. It’s still training camp, still working hard. There’s nothing special about it. I’m blessed to be out here, and that’s what I’m happy about.”

Unprepared addition: When tight end Matt Murphy flew in for a tryout with the Seahawks on Aug. 1, he had little more than the clothes on his back.

Murphy, who had asked for and been granted a release from the Houston Texans two months earlier, packed a couple pairs of shorts, three T-shirts, one pair of underwear and an extra pair of socks. He had a return flight scheduled for the next day, so he didn’t plan on staying long.

Except Murphy had such an impressive tryout that the Seahawks signed him 40 minutes later, and now he’s stuck at Eastern Washington University without much to wear.

“I had to go (to Wal-Mart to) buy socks and underwear, a toothbrush and toothpaste – all that stuff,” Murphy said.

More apparel is on the way, thanks to a care package that his wife mailed on Tuesday morning. But he won’t get his most valuable possession: a son that was born on July 24.

“The good thing is that (his wife’s) parents are actually at my house (in Houston) right now to help her out,” he said.

Murphy already has enjoyed Seahawks camp if for no other reason than the opportunity to catch passes again. The Texans tried to convert the four-year veteran to an offensive lineman, which caused Murphy to ask to be released.

“I hadn’t caught a pass in five months,” Murphy said. “And I hadn’t run a 40 in about four years. But it’s turned out well.”

Jones sits out: Left tackle Walter Jones took a routine day off on Tuesday, while rookie defensive end Darryl Tapp watched the afternoon practice from the sideline following a minor hip injury.

Wide receiver Taco Wallace (bruised ribs) returned to practice after missing the previous two days.

Tight end Jerramy Stevens is expected to make his training camp debut today after missing the entire offseason because of knee surgery.

In addition to Jones, Alexander has been limited in practices even though he’s healthy.

“I’ve always learned by studying film or watching someone else do it,” Alexander said. “I don’t have to take a lot of reps to understand the flow of something.”

Big words: Running back Shaun Alexander was asked Tuesday whether the 2006 Seahawks are better than the 2005 version.

“Definitely. Without a doubt,” he said. “I think this year’s team would beat last year’s team pretty good. Defense always wins championships. … Our defense is just better, and anytime you have a good defense, you have a chance to win.”

Kennedy to be added to Ring: The Seahawks will hold a press conference on Friday to announce that former defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy will be added to the Ring of Honor.

Kennedy played 11 seasons with the Seahawks, from 1990 through 2000, and went to eight Pro Bowls. In 1992, he was named the NFL’s defensive player of the year.

Kennedy will become the 10th member of the Ring of Honor in a ceremony during the 2006 regular season.

Quick slants: The Seahawks signed wide receiver Justin Surrency, a rookie from the University of Northern Iowa. … To make room for Surrency, Seattle released rookie kicker Ryan Killeen of USC. Killeen’s release leaves veteran Josh Brown as the only placekicker at camp.