KIRKLAND – He lost his two best friends and was told he’s not in the mix for a starting job, but Bobby Engram has no time to mope. The Seattle Seahawks receiver is too busy smelling the roses.
Engram, who missed most of last season with a thyroid condition, has a new appreciation for the game of football
“Any time you go through a setback like that, it forces you to refocus your attention,” said Engram, who played in just seven games last season because of an unexpected thyroid condition that sapped all his energy. “I’m excited and just trying to get my legs back under me, get back into game shape and have a great year.
“Hopefully, we won’t have any freak thyroid conditions or freak broken bones or any of the other freak injuries I’ve had the last couple years so I can be out there helping this team win games.”
Engram said that the condition has not bothered him since the end of last season.
“I’m fine now, and that’s the most important thing,” he said after Monday’s morning practice. “I met with the doctors last week, and everything is great. They can’t figure out why it happened. They did a great job of diagnosing it, and I came back as fast as I could.”
In addition to trying to get back into playing shape, Engram has had to adjust to some personnel changes. Former teammate Darrell Jackson was traded to San Francisco, joining Koren Robinson as ex-members of the Seahawks’ so-called Three Amigos. Engram, Jackson and Robinson were inseparable for years, and now Engram is the only one left.
While the 34-year-old Engram said he’s become more of a “family man” now that Jackson and Robinson are gone, he misses their youthful exuberance.
“I don’t want to grow up too fast,” he said. “I’ve still got that kid in me.”
No matter who is missing from seasons past, Engram is just happy to be back on the field after a forgettable 2006 season. “It was tough,” he said. “The injuries and broken bones, yeah, you’re going to take that because it’s a physical business. But the illness … if you don’t have your health you don’t have anything. I couldn’t help this team, and I couldn’t even take care of my family.
“It really puts things in perspective. The health issues are a little different than the injuries. I’d rather deal with the injuries.”
Favre’s heroes: Following in the footsteps of a 2002 special called “Holmgren’s Heroes,” which focused on the former Mike Holmgren assistants who have gone on to become head coaches, NFL Films recently taped a show about Brett Favre’s former backups.
Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck joined Ty Detmer, Mark Brunell and others in a roundtable discussion of what it was like to have once backed up Favre.
“I tried not to tell any stories,” Hasselbeck said Monday. “I tried to talk as little as possible because there’s probably payback.”
Hasselbeck did not know when the segment will be aired.
High-flying visitors: Among those invited to attend Monday’s practice were members of the Blue Angels, who were fresh off a weekend of performing at Seafair.
Holmgren met with the group after the morning practice, while Matt Hasselbeck, Chris Gray and Patrick Kerney were among the players who also stopped by. Kerney was the most excited player, which has something to do with the fact that he’s a licensed pilot.
“What they do, that’s incredible,” Kerney told The Associated Press afterward. “Someone told me they fly 18 inches apart. I’m a pilot, and when someone flies within a mile of me, I go the other way.”
Open to the public: Wednesday’s morning practice will be held at Husky Stadium, and fans are encouraged to attend at no charge.
The team’s Kirkland practice facility is not set up for more than a few spectators, so the Seahawks had to close training camp to the public. The only opportunity for fans to see the 2007 Seahawks has been at last Saturday’s intrasquad scrimmage, which was held at the Seattle Center and included an entrance fee. A limited number of players will be available for autographs after Wednesday’s practice at Husky Stadium.
Quick slants: Tackle Walter Jones continues to be sidelined by a sore shoulder. … Niko Koutouvides came out of Monday’s morning practice due to a chest contusion. He removed his pads and watched from the sidelines as practice concluded. Koutouvides was not on the field for an afternoon special teams practice.
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