Ex-Coug Patterson Waits For A Chance

Down inside, every proud athlete believes he can make a team, earn a roster spot, land a position.

It’s happened many times with the Seattle Seahawks. Linebacker Rufus Porter was the last free agent asked to camp in 1988 and he eventually went to the Pro Bowl.

Eugene Robinson went from unwanted free agent to team captain and all-pro safety.

Still, rookie DeWayne Patterson isn’t looking too far ahead.

Patterson twice earned All-Pacific-10 Conference honors at Washington State, establishing a school career standard for sacks (38).

But with the Seahawks, the battle for a roster spot is uphill, indeed.

“I don’t even think about making the team, I just go at it day by day and play by play, doing the best I can,” Patterson said.

At 6-foot, 250 pounds, Patterson is undersized for a defensive end.

He has made the most of his chances early in training camp, though. In individual pass drills, he has defeated tackles with a speed rush to the outside and a spin move to the inside.

“We don’t get too many reps, but when I do get in, I try to do what I’m best at - rush the passer,” he said.

Playing with the third unit behind veterans Antonio Edwards and Michael McCrary, Patterson basically has to hope that he can catch some eyes in preseason games. “If I can make it to the games, I intend to shine. Until then, all I can do is do my best whenever they call my number,” he said.

The defense employed by the new Seahawks staff closely resembles the Cougars defense he played on. “That attacking style with the two tackles attacking hard is pretty much what we did at Washington State.”

The players, however, are a bit different.

“I can’t believe it, these guys are great,” Patterson said. “Guys like Cortez (Kennedy). I can’t believe it, he’s moving his 300 pounds like I’m moving my 250, he’s so fast. And the offensive tackles I’m going against are much, much better athletes than they are on the college level.”

So, whether it works out or not, Patterson is putting his time to good use.

“All you can do is study your playbook hard, know your plays and do your best to listen to what the veterans have to tell you,” Patterson said. “They tell you what you have to do and when you have to do it. They’ve been a lot of help.”

Camp notes

Steve Emtman’s visit to the morning practice came at a good time. While he was on the sidelines, Seahawks defensive tackles Cortez Kennedy and Sam Adams continued their rampage through training camp.

No offensive lineman has come close to containing either one through the first four contact practices.

Emtman, a free agent shopping for a team, got a chance to imagine what it might be like to line up next to those two. Landing Emtman and putting him at left defensive end would give the Hawks a front wall manned by first-round picks who had been taken No. 1 (Emtman), No. 3 (Kennedy) and No. 8 (Adams) in their respective drafts.

Brian Blades, on bail from manslaughter charges for the July 5 death of his cousin, has looked sharp running routes, but has yet to make a catch in team scrimmage situations.

The most consistent receiver, perhaps surprisingly, has been Robb Thomas. Thomas had four impressive catches in two practices Sunday. “That’s probably as good of a day as he’s had,” Erickson said. “He made some great catches, really laid out for the ball.”

Thomas pulled in a 50-yard scoring pass from John Friesz to highlight the morning drills, while Rick Mirer and rookie top draft pick Joey Galloway teamed for a long completion in a 2-minute drill in the afternoon. The offense faced a fourth-and-15 situation, with time running out on the clock when Galloway went deep. “That’s exactly the kind of play we want out of him,” Erickson said.

, DataTimes