Hawks linebacker steps up
KIRKLAND, Wash. – Leroy Hill can’t make up for nine years of NFL experience. The Seattle Seahawks rookie linebacker doesn’t intend to try.
Hill hopes his speed and athleticism can help fill in for the loss of veteran Jamie Sharper in Sunday’s NFC West showdown with St. Louis.
Hill will make his second NFL start on the day Seattle could clinch the division race. A win would put the Seahawks ahead by three games with seven to play. Should St. Louis win, the Rams will pull within one game of Seattle.
“It’s the Hawks versus the Rams and I can sort of feel the rivalry,” Hill said. “It’s a lot of pressure on us. But we’ve got a pretty good plan.”
Hill will start in place of Sharper, who is missing the first game of his nine-year NFL career because of an infection in his right knee.
Second-year linebacker D.D. Lewis is a game-time decision with an injured right knee. But if Lewis does play, he will move from his normal position at left outside linebacker to Sharper’s spot on the right side. Hill will take Lewis’ spot.
When Lewis was inactive last week against Arizona, Hill also started in his place. If Lewis can’t play, Kevin Bentley or Isaiah Kacyvenski will start on the right side.
“We have seven linebackers and I’m not sure that there has been a week where all seven of them have been healthy,” coach Mike Holmgren said. “One guy leaves and the other guy steps in. We have been doing it that way.”
With fellow rookie and second-round draft choice Lofa Tatupu in the middle, Seattle could have three linebackers with a combined five seasons of experience starting against the Rams’ second-ranked offense. St. Louis could also have starting quarterback Marc Bulger and possibly top wide receivers Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt back from injuries.
It’s quite the challenge for a rookie to digest.
“I still make a couple of mistakes that I shouldn’t be making, but I’m picking it up slowly,” Hill said. “I think I’m picking up good enough to play my position and not hurt the team.”
Hill was a third-round draft choice after being the Atlantic Coast Conference defensive player of the year his senior season at Clemson. Seattle coaches were impressed with his quickness and athletic ability, and decided early in the season to put those attributes to use.
Hill saw his first extensive action in Week 3 against Arizona, when he had five tackles and a sack. By Week 5 in St. Louis, he was being used as a nickel linebacker when Seattle put extra defensive backs in.
In his first start last week, Hill had five tackles, a sack and a forced fumble against the Cardinals. His 4.5-second 40-yard speed has also been used in various blitz packages.
“I listen to Lofa, I listen to all the other vets,” Hill said. “I’m just soaking it up … just trying to learn it all.”
Developing depth and some interchangeable parts on defense was a goal for Holmgren and team president Tim Ruskell in the off-season. Seattle used seven different starters at the three linebacker positions last season. Only two of them are still with the team.
Instead, Seattle drafted Tatupu and Hill, and signed Sharper and Kevin Bentley as free agents. So far, the decisions have paid dividends as Seattle’s defense has improved from 26th in the league last year to 14th this season.
“It is a challenging position,” Holmgren said. “At the end of our season, our defense will be better because our linebackers will be better, particularly the young guys, just playing and seeing things.”