INSIDE THE NFL
Ballhawks
A speed-oriented defense is the key to Seattle's rapid resurgence
by Peter King
Posted: Wed September 23, 1998
Darrin Smith has done a lot of things in his football life. He
was a 185-pound pulling guard during his junior year at Norland
High in Miami. He played strongside linebacker on two national
championship teams at Miami. He was an outside linebacker for the
Cowboys for four years, during which he won two Super Bowl rings.
He was a nobody for the Eagles last year, missing nine games
because of injuries. And on Sunday, for the injury-depleted
Seahawks, he moved from his outside linebacker spot to middle
linebacker—all 6'1", 230 pounds of him.
After taking pain-killing injections for one broken rib and one
bruised rib before the game, Smith went out for his first play
and lined up across from 326-pound Redskins left guard Tre'
Johnson. What was going through Smith's head? "All I thought was,
I'm Dick Butkus," he recalled later, "and I'm going to make every
play today."
In fact, he played four strong quarters, making seven tackles
(he continues to lead the team in that department) and
intercepting a Trent Green pass to set up the touchdown that put
Seattle ahead 17-7. Then on fourth-and-goal from the Seattle
five midway through the fourth quarter, he hog-tied 249-pound
fullback Larry Bowie four yards short of the end zone. Walking
off the field after Seattle's 24-14 victory, Smith's exultant
voice could be heard above the blaring music. "We play like a
bunch of crazed dogs!" he yelled. "And I'm a big-time player,
baby."
Smith exemplifies the new breed of Seahawks. "Winners," says
defensive tackle Dan Saleaumua, the former Chief who signed with
Seattle as a free agent in 1997. "Darrin Smith. Chad Brown. Mark
Collins [from Green Bay]. Shawn Springs [from Ohio State].
Winning guys, winning programs. There's no old Seahawks
mentality."
With smart draft moves and expensive free-agent signings,
Seattle built a defense keyed by speed rushers. Traditionally a
slow-starting team, the Seahawks have bolted to their first 3-0
start since 1986, attacking weak sisters Arizona, Philadelphia
and Washington (combined record: 1-8) with blitzes almost 60% of
the time.
But in the next three weeks Seattle travels to Pittsburgh and
Kansas City, then returns home to face Super Bowl champion Denver
(combined record: 7-2). "We need to win a game we're not supposed
to win to find out how good we are," says Randy Mueller, the
club's vice president of football operations.
"Sometimes guys are so hungry to make plays that I feel like an
auctioneer in the huddle," says defensive end Mike Sinclair, who
has racked up six of the team's league-high 19 sacks. "I'll say,
'Who's going to make the next play?' And everyone will start
saying, 'Me!' It's like, Going once, going twice...sold! To
Darrin Smith! Or whomever."
A second-round draft pick by the Cowboys in '93, Smith has always
been known for his speed (4.55 in the 40). But Dallas has never
paid its linebackers big money, and Smith became a free agent
after the '96 season. He signed a one-year deal with the Eagles,
but a sprained left ankle and torn ligaments in his right ankle
shelved him for most of the season. His days as an NFL standout
appeared to be over. But Seattle, the only team talking to Smith
about a starting job, came up with a four-year, $11 million deal.
"Call it blind optimism," Smith says, "but I never stopped
believing I was an impact player. In Dallas I was a system
player. In Philly I was hurt. Here I'm in the game all the time.
I blitz. I cover. I make plays. I'm part of an arsenal, and
nobody's going to work harder than me to make plays."
Issue date: September 28, 1998
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