CHENEY – The Seattle Seahawks have the reigning league MVP in running back Shaun Alexander, a dependable veteran wide receiver in Bobby Engram and another receiver, Nate Burleson, whom they signed to a $49 million contract last spring.
So who has been the offensive star of training camp as of late?
That would be undrafted, never-caught-a-pass-in-college tight end Mike Gomez.
If the name doesn’t ring any bells, don’t feel bad. Fans of his alma mater, the University of Illinois, might not even remember Gomez. He was used solely as a long snapper there, and never got onto the field as a tight end.
Yet the 6-foot-6 Gomez impressed Seattle’s scouts during a January workout and was signed to the practice squad last season.
Not until this week has Gomez shown just what he can do.
“Opportunity knocks,” Gomez said. “I’m just trying to take advantage of the opportunities I get whenever I get them.”
Gomez is getting an opportunity to shine because starter Jerramy Stevens (out since February because of knee surgery) and backup Itula Mili (suffered a back strain Monday morning) have been sidelined.
Gomez said that playing for NFL Europe the past two summers was a huge boost to his career in that he actually got to play tight end for an extended period of time.
“Playing experience: there’s nothing that can replace that,” he said. “When you’re playing against a high level of guys, it gives you confidence that, hey, I can do this.”
The next Cody Pickett?: Rookie quarterback Travis Lulay looked like he might be adding to his repertoire Tuesday afternoon.
At the request of the coaching staff, the Montana State product joined a special teams practice and helped chased down kickoffs with the scout team.
“I’ve got fresh legs, so I came out,” said Lulay, who didn’t play any special teams in college. “I’m a team guy, and I wanted to help out in any way I can. If the coaches ask me, I’m more than willing. It’s not something that’s really been talked about, but I got asked to come out here so I did what I could.”
Lulay is an athletic quarterback who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.6 seconds during pro workouts last spring.
“I’d like to think I’m an athlete,” he said. “One of my favorite quotes is from Brett Favre: ‘I’m not a quarterback; I’m a football player.’ “
The other leg: While rookie punter Ryan Plackemeier continues to impress the coaches with his big leg, he’s far from a lock to make the roster.
Gabe Lindstrom, a 30-year old who recently led NFL Europe in punting, has had a great camp thus far.
“That’s why they call it competition,” special teams coach Bob Casullo said. “You guys in the media are so quick to anoint people as designated players, and you have your opinions. But the facts are that we’ve got two serious competitors competing for the punting job. And I’m not ready to choose either one. And I don’t think anybody is.”
Picture this: Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has been carrying a camera around campus as part of an NFL sponsorship with Canon.
The company gave several players throughout the league a digital camera to take with them to training camp. Hasselbeck gets to keep the camera, but he has to send the memory card back for public viewing.
Quick slants: The Seahawks wore pads for the second morning in a row, and the hitting seemed to pick up a bit. Safety Ken Hamlin, who remains at the center of attention because he’s coming back from a head injury, made a nice play to wrap up running back Shaun Alexander in the backfield. Hamlin still hasn’t absorbed any direct hits to his head. … Middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu made a nice break on a pass Tuesday but let the ball slip through his fingers. For the missed interception, he paid an immediate penance of 10 pushups.
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