KIRKLAND – It could be said that Rocky Bernard backed into his NFL career. That is, he did things in reverse.
“Most people don’t have good first years, and I did,” the Seattle Seahawks’ 26-year-old defensive tackle said. “I look at it as my first year was my second year, and my second year was my first.”
Now, almost four years after his initial splash into the league, Bernard is starting back to playing like he’s got a long career ahead of him.
The fifth-round pick from the 2002 draft currently leads all NFL defensive tackles with 7 sacks, which also ties Seahawks defensive end Bryce Fisher for the most on the team. Since being pushed into the starting lineup in place of injured Marcus Tubbs two weeks ago, Bernard has 10 tackles and three sacks.
He’s making the same kind of impact he did early in his career, when Bernard had four sacks in his first four NFL games and was named the league’s defensive rookie of the month for September of 2002.
Unfortunately for the Seahawks, Bernard would finish that season with a total of four sacks.
His second season was even less productive, as the former Texas A&M defensive end had just 16 tackles and two sacks in 12 games. He fell so far on the depth chart that season that he went through one four-week stretch where he didn’t even dress for games.
His NFL future was in doubt the following summer, and, making matters worse, his mentor was gone when veteran defensive tackle John Randle retired.
It was time for the child to grow into a man, and Bernard took it upon himself to mature.
“I could have either gone up or down,” Bernard said this week. “I did well my first year, not-so-good my second. So I was just trying to get back to doing some of the things I did well my first year.”
That started in the weight room. With the help of new strength coach Mike Clark, who had worked at Texas A&M during Bernard’s time there, the portly defensive tackle added strength that would help him throughout the 2004 season. Bernard was part of a rotation that also included Tubbs and starters Cedric Woodard and Rashad Moore, and he put up decent statistics of 39 tackles and 3 sacks.
But Bernard’s NFL future was still in peril heading into 2005. The team added veteran Chartric Darby in free agency, Tubbs was making marked improvement from his rookie season, and second-year player Craig Terrill was also pushing for playing time. With Woodard and Moore expected back from injuries, Bernard headed to training camp with very little job security.
His cause got help from the eventual release of both 2004 starters – Woodard and Moore – who were slow to recover from injuries, and Bernard continued to show the kind of improvement that warranted another season on the roster.
But no one could have expected him to have the kind of impact he’s had with the Seahawks this season. Bernard is the co-leader of a Seattle team that is the NFL’s improbable leader in total sacks (34).
“Anytime a D-tackle can put up sacks like that, that’s huge,” Terrill said of Bernard’s 7 sacks through just 10 games. “He’s having a phenomenal year, and he’s going to keep it up. He shows up on game days, and he brings it every snap. That’s probably his biggest asset.”
Now that he’s making an impact and proving his worth at the NFL level, Bernard can look back and admit that he wasn’t always so sure he’d make it. There was a time when he wondered whether he had what it took to play professional football.
“You never really know,” he said. “You hope and pray. You know you have the skills, but you have to go out and prove it.”
His career finally headed in the right direction, Bernard is doing just that.
Notes: Linebacker D.D. Lewis (knee) and defensive tackle Marcus Tubbs (calf) did not practice Thursday, but both have a chance of playing in Sunday’s game. … Until this season, the Seahawks had not had a winning record in November since 2000. They are currently 3-0 this month, with one game to go.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
