Back to business for ‘Babs’

RENTON, Wash. – Jordan Babineaux is one of just a handful of Seattle Seahawks remaining who remembers what it’s like to lose a game to the St. Louis Rams.

The Seahawks have won 10 straight over their division rival. St. Louis has also been the one place the Seahawks have found success outside Seattle.

After the Rams defeated the Seahawks three times in 2004, Babineaux and the Seahawks sparked their run to the Super Bowl in 2005 with a big win in St. Louis.

“Big Play Babs” as he came to be known, forced a fumble on a punt return that allowed the Seahawks to hold on and beat the Rams 37-31. Seattle went on to win 11 straight games on the way to the first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.

His heroics continued into the postseason as well. Babineaux made a game-saving tackle of Tony Romo on a field goal try after Romo had the snap go through his hands in a 2006 wild-card game, allowing Seattle to preserve a 21-20 victory. He also had a 57-yard interception return for a score against the Washington Redskins in a 2007 wild-card game.

Babineaux won the starting safety job a year ago when the team decided to part ways with Brian Russell at the end of training camp. He started all 16 games for the team in 2009 and recorded 105 tackles and two interceptions.

With first-round draft pick Earl Thomas and a rejuvenated Lawyer Milloy earning the starting jobs in training camp this year, Babineaux became a high-priced backup for a team looking to get cheaper and younger.

The team decided to part ways with Babineaux during a wild cutdown weekend in early September, but 24 hours later general manager John Schneider called him to ask if he would consider coming back for a reduced salary.

Schneider apologized to him about the way the situation was handled and Pete Carroll talked to him about his role going forward with the team.

That role is as an extra defensive back off the bench in nickel and dime situations and as a stalwart on special teams, the same role Babineaux used to become a staple of the Seahawks defense.

Babineaux is taking the change in stride and is happy to be back doing what he does best, making big plays whenever he’s on the field.

Hill placed on IR