Just three weeks removed from his 25th birthday, Kerry Carter isn’t ready to be that guy who saddles up to the bartender, points toward the television screen and howls, “I used to play with these guys, you know!”
But there is a part of Carter who feels that way this week.
While watching the Seattle Seahawks in his Mill Creek condominium, the unemployed running back has felt equal parts pride and nostalgic envy. It’s fun to watch one’s former teammates succeed, but it’s also a bit difficult.
“Anytime you begin a process where you’re building something and you don’t get to complete it, there’s a little bit of regret,” said Carter, who spent 2004 with the Seahawks but got cut after training camp in August. “But there’s not a lot in life I regret. I met a lot of good people there, they helped my career immensely, and I’m sure I’ll be playing against those guys somewhere down the line.”
Carter is one of several ex-players who feel like they’re a small part of the Seahawks’ surprising run this season. After suffering through training camp alongside these players last summer, the one-time Seahawks have felt a sense of reward in Seattle’s NFC-best 13-3 record.
“Being at training camp with the guys, it’s a pleasure to see,” said defensive tackle Cleveland Pinkney, who moved back to his hometown of Sumpter, S.C., while waiting for a chance with another NFL team. “When you sweat with them, and you bleed with them, it does the heart good to see them do well.”
Pinkney, like Carter, said he saw something special in the Seahawks last August. While most of the so-called experts have been surprised by the team’s 13-3 record, Pinkney saw it coming all along.
“They’ve always had good players and good coaches,” he said. “They’ve always been one player or a few bounces away from where they are now. Just being with them at camp, I saw something special.”
Pinkney, who played with three other NFL teams before joining the Seahawks two weeks into training camp, still keeps in touch with some of his ex-teammates. He calls Chartric Darby, a fellow South Carolina native, every other week or so.
Carter is also in contact with some of his ex-teammates. But mostly, he just watches from afar.
“I watch all the games because I’m just a big football fan,” the Ontario native said. “It’s the first time since the sixth grade that I’ve had a fall without (playing) football. It’s very different. It gives you a whole new appreciation for the game.”
Carter has already signed a future contract with the Washington Redskins, giving him a vested interest in both teams at Qwest Field today.
“I’ll just be watching it as a fan,” Carter said, refusing to commit to a team.
Pinkney also has plenty of ties to playoff teams, having been part of Reggie Wayne’s draft class with the Indianapolis Colts and later playing a season with the Carolina Panthers. But he’s not ashamed to admit his allegiance this year.
“Because I went to training camp with Seattle and got to know a lot of the guys, I’m really pushing for them to do well,” he said. “I feel like they’re a team of destiny. They have to win it all now.”
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