For Seahawks Receiver, It’s All Uphill Goines Hopes Stiff Training Regimen Will Help Him Fight Off Knee Surgeries

Eddie Goines isn’t fooling himself.

Two knee operations and 30 months removed from being the player who set school receiving records at North Carolina State, Goines knows his third chance to play for the Seahawks is probably his last.

“It’s pretty obvious, another knee injury and that’s going to be it for me,” said Goines, a sixth-round draft choice in 1995 who has not played the past two seasons. “So I want to do everything in my power to make sure that I did everything that I could.”

For Goines, that meant having a discussion with offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski, even if it entailed listening to something he didn’t want to hear.

“Eddie asked me about that early in the process: ‘Do I have a legitimate chance to get the fourth spot?’ ” Bratkowski said. “I said, ‘Yeah, you do. But you’re fighting an uphill battle.’ “

To begin his long climb back, Goines decided to start at the bottom of “The Hill” - a gnarly knoll in San Carlos, Calif., that is 2.6 miles of lung-draining, muscle-mangling trails. It is the trademark of a workout program devised by Raymond Farris, a conditioning guru in the San Francisco Bay Area who also works with Jerry Rice of the 49ers, Ricky Watters of the Philadelphia Eagles, Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants and Mitch Richmond of the Sacramento Kings.

“The Hill” provides the base for Farris’ program, and Goines is hoping it will be a launching pad for his return to form.

“Progress doesn’t always come in a straight line,” Goines said. “I just have to remember that.”

Farris is there to remind him.

“No matter how many times you run it, you always get a different effect on it,” he said. “Eddie was fortunate to get here during ‘The Hill.’ “

Goines could have selected an easier path. After all, he tore two ligaments in his left knee in November of 1994 when a defensive back fell across his leg during a game at North Carolina State. Goines tore the anterior cruciate ligament again last August. After having reconstructive surgery twice on the same knee in 20 months, no one would have blamed Goines if he had just walked away.

Except Goines. And even he admits to ambivalence.

“You definitely get frustrated. I’ve had a couple of different things happen in my life where you wonder why,” he said. “It takes a little more inner strength to get myself going again.”

But now, he is off and running. And Goines has shown a little more in each of the Seahawks’ first three minicamps.

“Eddie is still in the process of regaining strength and quickness,” Bratkowski said. “When you go two years without really executing the moves you have to as a receiver, that’s a long time. So it takes a long time to get rhythm and quickness and all those things back. That’s what Eddie is fighting.”

That’s why Goines sought out Farris.

Since the beginning of April, Goines has been part of Farris’ group, a collection that also includes wide receiver J.J. Stokes. Goines lives with Stokes while in the Bay area.

After spending six to eight weeks building strength on “The Hill,” Farris’ class switches to a daily routine that begins with track workouts for 30 minutes to an hour, then another hour of running pass routes and other on-field drills. The day ends with a session in the weight room.

As with any program, it most helps those who help themselves.

“I think Eddie is a mentally strong person, but sometimes it can get frustrating,” Farris said. “I think we’ve blocked out the part where we don’t have to worry about the knee anymore. That’s the biggest hurdle.

“What I’ve designed is a program to train the athlete, not the football player.”

Goines has designs of his own. He wants to join Joey Galloway, Brian Blades and Mike Pritchard in the Seahawks four-receiver sets this season and eventually make even more of an impact.

“For me to feel good, I need to get that fourth receiver spot,” Goines said. “Then I want to contribute - and offensively, not just running down (to cover) kickoffs. To come back and just be on the roster, it would honestly be unfulfilling to me.”

Goines is the type of person and player who has even those competing against him pulling for him.

“You really do find yourself hoping this happens for Eddie,” said Ronnie Harris, who is battling James McKnight and Goines, as well as rookie Andre Cooper, for the fourth receiver spot that opened when Ricky Proehl was released this spring.

“Eddie has been through more than most people I’ve been around,” Harris said. “Just to have the heart to come back and give it a go again says a lot about him.

“He’s showing improvement every day. I’m glad for him.”