Holding head high

Charlie Weinheimar barely gave it a second thought when his 9-year-old son pulled on a No. 51 Seattle Seahawks jersey Saturday morning in Renton, Wash.

The fact that Brody Weinheimar’s favorite player had been charged with driving under the influence three months earlier was of little consequence to Charlie, his father. Charlie Weinheimar had heard that Seahawks linebacker Lofa Tatupu had apologized for his crime, and that was good enough for him.

“That was important, especially in a celebrity status,” said Weinheimar, a Seahawks fan from Lynden. “In sports, par for the course would be to talk their way out of it or to make excuses. I haven’t followed it real closely, but I haven’t seen that from (Tatupu). And as far as I know, this was a first-time thing for him.”

Despite Tatupu’s high-profile arrest in May, his popularity seems as high as ever. His No. 51 jersey was the most heavily-displayed piece of apparel at Saturday’s preseason home opener _ and no other uniform number was even close.

More than three months have passed since Tatupu was arrested for suspicion of DUI, a charge to which he eventually pled guilty and had to spend a day in jail. Tatupu issued a statement of apology shortly after the arrest and stood before cameras and microphones on the first day of training camp while making similar statements. The apologies, fans say, helped restore his image.

Tatupu said Monday that he has appreciated the support. He is just as contrite as ever, and it’s apparent that the son of former NFL player Mosi Tatupu is still embarrassed by the arrest.

“Most of my life, I’ve been one of those people who really don’t care what people think as far as the critics and things like that,” he said. “But as far as supporters, I care very much what they think. I always tried to do the right thing growing up. My dad, he had a good name and a good thing going. He worked hard at being the best man he could, on and off the field. I tried to uphold that my whole life.”

“I’m glad people know who I really am and that it’s something that will never happen again,” Tatupu said on Monday. “It’s something that I’m truly sorry about.”

Spencer on hand

Better late than never, center Chris Spencer returned to the Seattle Seahawks’ practice field – albeit on a limited basis.

The question now is how quickly he can get up to speed.

After undergoing surgeries on both shoulders and his thumb, and then straining his back in late July, Spencer had been out of action for seven months.

Bears name quarterback

Kyle Orton was selected to be the Chicago Bears starting quarterback by Coach Lovie Smith.

Orton won the competition with Rex Grossman for the starting job.

Orton, the fourth-year player from Purdue, will start Thursday’s third preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers and the Sept. 7 regular-season opener against the Indianapolis Colts.

Suggs returns to practice

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs reported to the team and began practicing after signing his $8.47 million, one-year tender.

On the advice of his agent, the Ravens’ franchise player skipped training camp to protest the franchise tag. Suggs is expected to play about 15 snaps against the Rams in the team’s third preseason game on Saturday night in St. Louis.

Around the league

Tight end Jeremy Shockey ran some plays with the first team offense in practice and appears on track to make his first appearance in a Saints uniform when New Orleans plays its third preseason game on Saturday night in Cincinnati. … The New Orleans Saints signed former Pro Bowl safety Lance Schulters. … The Houston Texans placed guard Fred Weary on injured reserve because of lingering problems with his right leg, which he broke last season.