SEATTLE – While the prospect of playing in a college football stadium is old hat for most NFL players, it’s a relatively new experience for Seattle Seahawks tight end Marcus Pollard.
By his best count, the 35-year-old Pollard has donned football pads just three times in college stadiums. One of those came during Pollard’s second NFL season, when his Indianapolis Colts played a preseason game against New Orleans at Purdue in 1996.
The only other two times? Both were at Husky Stadium – once for a preseason game between the Colts and Seahawks in 2000, and again for Wednesday’s training camp practice.
“There’s a different environment in college stadiums,” said Pollard, who played college basketball at a school that didn’t have a football program. “Everybody’s outside enjoying the elements.”
A one-time power forward for Bradley University’s basketball team, Pollard got a tryout with the Colts in 1995 because athletic director Ron Ferguson was friends with a member of the Colts’ personnel department. Pollard made the team and has gone on to play 12 NFL seasons.
While he doesn’t regret his decision to play basketball at BU, Pollard did admit there have been times when he misses not having an opportunity to play college football.
“A lot of times, on Saturdays (during the football season) everyone else on the team is talking about who’s playing who,” Pollard said, “and I’m just sitting there. Sometimes I wish I could have played in college so I’d have something to talk about.
“When it’s time for Bradley to play hoops, there’s no one to talk to. The locker room’s empty, and it’s March Madness.”
Gilby’s new role: His official title is still assistant offensive line coach, but former University of Washington coach Keith Gilbertson is assuming new roles with the Seahawks this season. Gilbertson, a 59-year-old assistant, is working less with the offensive line and overseeing more passing drills.
“Keith is a fine football coach, a bright guy, very creative mind,” head coach Mike Holmgren said. “And I would be foolish if I didn’t try and use that more than I’ve used it in the past. So I have expanded his role.”
Gilbertson, who was an offensive coordinator when Dennis Erickson was coaching the Seahawks in the 1990s, wasn’t making a big deal of his position.
“I’m just a guy who does what he’s asked to do,” Gilbertson said, “and whatever’s best for the team.”
Rest just fine for Gray: At 37 years old, Chris Gray is just happy to still be playing the game. So don’t expect the Seahawks’ starting right guard to complain about losing reps in practice.
Gray has stepped aside on occasion to let Ray Willis, who turns 25 next week, work with the first team this training camp.
“I think it’s great,” Gray said. “It gives him a chance to get some experience and see things. And it gives me, as an older guy, a chance to get rested. I get my work, but at the same time I’m not getting killed.”
Coach Mike Holmgren has said that Willis is competing for a starting job, but for now it’s still Gray’s position to lose.
Quick slants: Left tackle Walter Jones was on the field for his second practice, and first in pads, since last week. … After spending Wednesday morning at Husky Stadium, the Seahawks headed back east to their Kirkland facility for an afternoon special teams practice.
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