By Scott M. Johnson
Herald Writer
KIRKLAND – In his first day back from a four-week suspension, Seattle Seahawks cornerback Shawn Springs was surprisingly jovial. But he acknowledged that he is still in coach Mike Holmgren’s doghouse.
“I’m pretty sure Coach is mad at me,” Springs said Wednesday after sitting out practice with a hamstring injury. “He’s mad at a lot of things. I think we still have a great relationship, and I think it’s all going to work out.”
Springs, making his first public comments since the suspension, said his violation was “an honest mistake” that occurred as the result of an injection he received from an independent doctor during the summer. Springs was trying to rehabilitate a hamstring problem that hindered him last season, and eventually suffered a more serious injury during a preseason game.
He said that one of the hardest things about being suspended was that it might affect his reputation as a spokesperson for Junior Achievement and a national literacy program.
When asked whether he felt he had let the team down, Springs said: “You probably could argue that, if I’m that important. I never thought I was that important. You could argue that, but I don’t know.”
As for the latest setback, Springs said he “tweaked” his hamstring while sprinting last week, adding that a partial tear he suffered in the preseason has not fully healed.
Springs has missed a total of seven games this season, including three because of the injury.
The Seahawks, who pieced together a 2-2 record without him, and are happy to see Springs back from his suspension.
“It’s always good to have someone like him back in the lineup,” safety Reggie Tongue said. “You can’t say he’ll mess up the chemistry, because we’re so up and down anyway.
“I think things still would have happened (in Sunday’s loss to the New York Giants) if we had him there. It was just the way we played, and they found some holes in the defense. But he definitely helps out. He knows the ins and outs. He knows the defense.”
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