CHENEY – If all goes according to plan, Donnie Jones might one day pen a book titled, “Nine Seconds to the Super Bowl.”
The Seattle Seahawks’ rookie punter has already had one book published, and he’s started writing a journal at training camp that could factor into another.
Jones’ “Nine Seconds to a Championship” came out two weeks ago, chronicling his career at Louisiana State University. The title comes from the final play of last season’s national championship game, when Jones unleashed a high, hanging punt that stayed in play nine seconds before rolling out of bounds as time expired.
“I had thought about doing it for awhile,” Jones said of writing a book. “And after being on one of only two teams at LSU that had won a national championship, and 45 years since we’d won one, I thought it would be interesting to write about. I’ve watched football for a long time, and I don’t remember a national championship game ending on a punt.”
Jones did a signing in Baton Rouge when the book came out late last month, and he’s heard that sales are going well. The 100-page book took him about four months – from February to late May – to complete.
“It really wasn’t that bad because I didn’t have to think about what to write,” Jones said. “I pretty much knew what I wanted to write. I had an idea for five years.”
Jones doesn’t plan to write multiple books, although he would like to pen one about his NFL career. His eventual goal, after football, is to be a public speaker.
“It always helps your credibility if you’ve written a book,” he said. “But that’s not the main reason. The main reason was that I had an awesome five years at LSU, and really it was a tribute to the fans.”
And if Jones does end up writing a book about his NFL experience, what will the title be?
“We’ll just have to see what happens,” the seventh-round draft pick said. “There will always be an event you can base the book on. We’ll see, down the road, how things go.”
Urban progress: One of the early stars of camp has been second-year wide receiver Jerheme Urban.
Urban, whose first name is pronounced Jeremy, stepped into the split end position with the No. 1 offense while Koren Robinson recovers from a strained hip. The Trinity (Tex.) University product has been Matt Hasselbeck’s favorite target through four practices.
Urban’s work with Hasselbeck during informal passing sessions in Kirkland this summer helped him gain a rapport with the quarterback.
“He’s a guy that’s been working hard with all the quarterbacks, watching film and studying them, and has really, really made an impression on a lot of people,” quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said. “I think we expect a lot of good things from him this year.”
Urban spent most of last year on the practice squad as a rookie. He was added to the active roster in late December but never played in a game.
“With (Robinson) not being ready yet, it gives the other kid a real door’s-open chance,” offensive coordinator Gil Haskell said of Urban. “And he’s done a good job with it.”
Robinson is expected to start practicing sometime this week.
Ouch!: The Seahawks put the pads on for the first time Tuesday, and some players paid the price.
Running back Shaun Alexander took the biggest hit of the day when linebacker Chad Brown leveled him on a screen play.
Alexander bounced away without any lingering effects. Like most of the Seahawks, he was happy to finally get some full contact.
“You put on your equipment, and then you’re told not to kill each other,” Alexander said. “So it’s like, what do we do?”
Not all of the players came out unscathed. Rookie safety Arnold Parker watched the afternoon practice with a minor shoulder injury, while cornerback Bobby Taylor also took the afternoon off as a routine rest.
Quick slants: Rookie defensive tackle Marcus Tubbs remains unsigned after two days of camp. He is one of five first-round picks who have not signed with the teams that drafted them. … Strong safety Terreal Bierria made the defensive play of the day when he intercepted a pass that tipped off another defender, went off the hands of Urban, and ran down the sideline untouched for a 35-yard touchdown.
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