DETROIT – As 13-year NFL veteran Mack Strong held court from a booth at Media Day earlier this week, entertaining a never-ending flow of reporters with his stories about perseverance and hope, teammate Leonard Weaver stood behind the mass and watched in awe.
“This is so great,” the 23-year-old backup fullback said, his round face glowing with pride. “To be in the league 13 years and finally make it … “
While Strong represents one extreme in NFL endurance, Weaver and seven of his fellow Seattle Seahawks rookies are grateful to be living at the other end.
“We say it all the time: ‘We are so lucky to be here in our first year,’” said third-string quarterback David Greene, who was playing at the University of Georgia just over 13 months ago. “Look at Mack Strong. He’s spent 13 years, in Seattle, and he’s never been here. (Quarterbacks coach) Jim Zorn has been part of the NFL for 30 years, and he had never been here. I’ve been a part of it for one year.
“I don’t know any different. Hopefully that’s a good thing. All us young guys, we don’t know any different. We think it’s always like this.”
Some, like Greene, Weaver and first-round pick Chris Spencer, are basically along for the ride. None of them see much playing time, so their Super Bowl experience is a little easier to take because of the lack of pressure.
But a couple of Seattle’s rookies are actually contributing and making a big impact. Starting linebackers Lofa Tatupu and Leroy Hill have made smooth transitions from college to the NFL and are being rewarded with a trip to the Super Bowl – a rarity for most rookie starters.
Tatupu’s trip has been well-chronicled: from undersized, overachiever at USC to one of the prized rookies of the NFL’s Class of 2005. He led the Seahawks with 105 tackles during the regular season and has been credited with providing his defensive unit with immediate leadership at the age of 23.
“We wouldn’t have moved up and taken him in the second round (of last April’s draft) if we didn’t think he could come in and do that,” acting defensive coordinator John Marshall said, referring to the Seahawks’ decision to trade two fourth-round draft picks to move up nine spots and take Tatupu. “Now, did we expect him to come in the first game and be the locked-in starter? You’re never sure of that. … Lofa just kept getting better and better.”
Hill’s path to the starting lineup took a little longer. After a hamstring injury slowed him at training camp, Hill worked his way back into the lineup as a reserve before a knee injury to veteran Jamie Sharper in early November left the Seahawks needing the Clemson rookie to step in as a starter.
“Jamie goes down, and then I’m starting and making plays, and I’m off and running,” Hill said. “All of a sudden we’re in the playoffs, and now we’re in a Super Bowl. It’s been a progression.”
While Hill and Tatupu have mainly spent this week preparing for the Pittsburgh Steelers, some of the rarely-used rookies have had a chance to sit back and enjoy the experience.
“Just being a rookie, I’m trying to soak it all in,” Greene said. “I’ve got to enjoy this whole experience because you never know: you may never come back. Hopefully I will, but you’ve got to enjoy it.
“I’m kind of sitting back and watching, whereas there’s a lot of pressure on them. But at the same time, I’ve got to be prepared to play. We’ve got to do what we have to do. They pay us good money to be here, so even though I’m in a backup role, I have to be ready.”
For Seattle’s most high-profile rookie, the past week hasn’t been all that out of the ordinary. Tatupu played in the 2005 national championship game with USC and earned a part of the national title with the Trojans the year before that.
The rookie middle linebacker will have a chance to win his third consecutive championship this Sunday. So maybe that’s why he’s not too surprised to be here.
“You only play this game to win,” Tatupu said. “I would be a fool to say I didn’t think we could make it to the Super Bowl.”
And all of Seattle’s rookies would be foolish to think that it happens every year.
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