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**RoyWilliams** · 08-09-2007, 09:01 AM

Quote:

While reviewing video of the secondary he had just inherited, Jim Mora had one question:

Why wasn't cornerback Marcus Trufant playing on the left side?

That was in January, just after the former head coach of the Atlanta Falcons had been hired to help revamp the personnel -- and fortunes -- of a secondary that was a primary problem for the Seahawks in 2006.

"I didn't know his history of shoulder injuries," Mora said this week, between training camp practices.

Trufant had needed surgery on his right shoulder following his rookie and second seasons, the result of leading with it when making tackles against the run while playing on the left side.

So he moved to the right side the past two seasons.

But the left side is where the premier cornerbacks in the league play, so Mora made the switch, figuring it would help the former first-round draft choice reach the full potential that has eluded him since the Seahawks made Trufant the 11th pick overall in 2003.

"We feel like Marcus has the ability to be one of those top, top-tier guys," Mora said.

Asked what the next step is for Trufant, Mora said, "First and foremost, it's becoming a shutdown corner that helps us get to and win the Super Bowl. Then, we need to get him across the water."

That would be Honolulu, where the Pro Bowl is played each February.

It's not that Trufant has been a disappointment. In fact, coach Mike Holmgren said the former Washington State University and Wilson High School star has been "as consistent a defensive player as we've had here the last couple of years."

But when you have the coverage skills and athletic talent Trufant possesses -- not to mention his lofty draft status -- the expectations are heightened.

Returning to the left side should help him consistently meet them.

"The left side (is) where I started my career, so it does feel like home," Trufant said. "I'm back to being comfortable."

So should the self-assurance that comes with playing as well in practice as Trufant has in the first 10 days of training camp.

"Every time he makes a play, it elevates his confidence," Mora said. "And he is making plays.

"I think Marcus right now is feeling very confident in his game, and he deserves to feel confident because he's worked very hard."

With Mora's arrival also came a more aggressive approach. The corners are playing more press coverage.

Defensive coordinator John Marshall is devising more blitz schemes, involving more players.

The smile on Trufant's face says bring it on.

"It makes it a little bit more fun," he said. "You get to go out there and rough guys up a little bit and just play football. And that's what it's all about."

Trufant is only in his fifth season, but he also could be one of only two holdover defensive starters from the pre-Tim Ruskell era. The other is tackle Rocky Bernard.

Trufant also has almost twice as many starts (62) for the Seahawks as the next highest player among the post-Ruskell imports -- Lofa Tatupu (32).

And he's only 26.

Trufant laughed before offering, "It's been crazy. But that's where the business will take you. Guys are in. Guys are out. But it just comes down to trying to jell together and everybody being on the same page."

It also can't hurt that Trufant is back on the left side, where he belongs.

**Professor** · 08-10-2007, 06:38 PM

Trufant making strides toward cornerback elite | TheNewsTribune.com | Tacoma, WA

excerpt:

KIRKLAND – As the Seattle Seahawks were practicing safety blitzes at Husky Stadium on Wednesday, cornerback Marcus Trufant found himself in one-on-one coverage with split end D.J. Hackett along the sideline.

As quarterback Matt Hasselbeck threw, it seemed a foregone conclusion that Hackett would come down with the ball.

After all, not only did he have three inches and 10 pounds on Trufant, but this was the exact type of play on which Trufant was repeatedly beaten last season, the sort where he was in position to make the play but got outmaneuvered at the last moment.

It has been a point of emphasis that the coaching staff has stressed this season with Trufant. It is not enough just to be there, they told him, but you have to make an impact. It is what separates the good from the great.

“He has been victimized a little bit by that over the years,” Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said. “This camp, clearly, if you have been watching it the whole time, he makes plays now. He is thinking about it, and he is improving in that area.”

It was something of a comfort for the Seahawks then when Trufant, the Tacoma native who starred at Wilson High and Washington State, somehow came away the ball after getting tangled with Hackett. He outmaneuvered Hackett and recorded the turnover.

If anybody besides Hackett should be upset about the play, it was Hasselbeck, whose pass was well placed. But Hasselbeck understands the overall importance of the defense to the Seahawks’ ultimate fortunes, and so he came away with growing admiration for Trufant, against whom he competes every day in practice.

“That was an amazing play,” Hasselbeck said. “I think Tru is playing with a lot of confidence right now. He’s making a lot of plays.”

In a completely revamped secondary that includes safeties Brian Russell and Deon Grant, signed as free agents in the offseason, Trufant has stood out the most.

Granted, some of that is because he is being tested so often, going against the best receiver time and again. But he has seemingly withstood nearly every challenge. The only times he has really gotten beaten in practice is when a receiver makes an incredible catch.

The biggest change in Trufant is that he is back on the left side, where he grew up playing and earned his reputation at Washington State. Kelly Jennings is playing Trufant’s old position.

After suffering shoulder injuries from leading with his right shoulder while tackling, the Seahawks switched Trufant to the right side after his rookie season to protect the injuries.

But when Jim Mora took over as secondary coach, one of his first decisions was to move Trufant back to his original side, a place where he admittedly feels more comfortable.

“It’s one of those where you get used to one side, different footwork, a lot of different little things,” Trufant said.

erikfootball51 · 09-05-2007, 12:10 AM

Trufant needs to have a good year. It is key for him to play well. Kelly Jennings is good but young and Josh Wilson just recently got injured so it is very very important for Trufant to step up and play well.

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