KIRKLAND – Like every experienced assistant coach in the NFL, Ray Rhodes has put in too many hours for too many years. A typical work week would see him arrive at the office before 6 a.m. and leave sometime after midnight. It was not unusual for him to put in more than 100 hours in a week, or 2,000 hours over the course of a five-month football season.
But not until Sept. 3, the day after the Seattle Seahawks’ 2005 preseason finale, did it finally catch up with him. The Seahawks’ defensive coordinator felt lethargic all day, eventually going to bed early. He woke up the following morning and still didn’t feel right. His fingers were numb. He couldn’t see out of his left eye. His equilibrium was off.
Rhodes, who had spent most of his adult life convincing players to fight through pain, knew his hamster-cage lifestyle was beginning to take its toll.
“I am one of those guys that know when something serious is going on,” Rhodes said Monday. “This was a lot more serious than anything that has happened in my life.”
Last week, doctors finally discovered the source of Rhodes’ discomfort. A mild stroke had occurred at some point during that first weekend in September, leaving the 54-year-old disorientated and vowing to look at life differently.
“The most important thing for me right now,” he said, “is to realize that if I don’t have my health, I don’t have anything.”
Showing no visible signs of the stroke, and a month away from his 55th birthday, Rhodes was upbeat during his first press conference since being hospitalized for three days earlier this month. He will return to his coordinating duties this week with a few restrictions, the most notable of which are his hours.
He’s also vowing to make other changes in his life.
“There are a lot of things I can do,” Rhodes said. “First of all, try to control my emotions. That is one thing I am going to try to work on: try not to get excited.”
Rhodes surmised during a 13-minute question-and-answer session with the media that his emotions may have brought on the stroke. He distinctly remembered a few plays in the preseason finale – a 23-21 loss to Minnesota that saw the Vikings give up a 62-yard, game-winning drive in the final two minutes – that caused his stress level to accelerate.
“When those things happened, I know I really got excited,” Rhodes said of a two-minute drive that included Minnesota conversions on third-and-8 and fourth-and-16. “I think that played into (the stroke).”
Rhodes, who helped acting coordinator John Marshall with the game plan last week, was reflective Monday but still maintained his sense of humor.
He compared a medical test that involved walking in a straight line to a sobriety test, saying, “I couldn’t do that” before the stroke.
He scoffed at the thought of taking the season off: “I am not (trying) to get myself in trouble at home, but I don’t think so. One week at home is (enough).”
Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren, who counts Rhodes as a close friend as well as an assistant, said he will encourage the defensive coordinator to leave the practice facility by 7 p.m. this week, rather than the typical late-night departure that the rest of the assistant coaches adhere to.
“I want to do what’s right for him, and I’m trusting him to be somewhat sensible about this,” Holmgren said. “I know this: this was a thing that he is not taking lightly.”
The Seahawks honored Rhodes with a game ball after Monday’s 21-18 win over the Atlanta Falcons. Rhodes was upstairs in the coaching box for that game, but only in a supportive role to Marshall. He’ll resume his duties as coordinator this week.
“I was very lucky because nothing major was damaged,” Rhodes said of the stroke. “I have seen a lot of people with strokes, and those are not pretty scenes. I feel blessed with not getting a lot of things that were screwed up with me.”
Rhodes said he’s eager to get back to work while admitting that he’s still less than 100 percent. He’s still worn down and doesn’t quite feel himself, but he sees improvement every day.
Most of all, Rhodes is not going to take any more chances with his health.
“Next time I get really tired,” Rhodes said, “I am going to take myself home and go to bed.”
And with that, Rhodes finished his press conference and went back to work. When you live a football coach’s life, the work is never done.
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