Professor

Words of advice - Gray mentors heir apparent Willis | TheNewsTribune.com | Tacoma, WA

excerpt:

KIRKLAND – As Seattle Seahawks offensive and defensive lineman worked on their respective aspects of pass-rushing drills during Monday morning’s training camp, 15-year veteran guard Chris Gray would invariably pull aside his protégé, Ray Willis, and offer a variety of instruction.

Footwork here. Technique there. How to read a guy when he comes off the ball. The nuances of decision-making.

Whatever was needed, Gray was there to supplement the coaching that Willis has been receiving from coaches Bill Laveroni and Keith Gilbertson.

That is not unique in the sense that both players ultimately are focused on the same goal: The overall success of the team.

But it is rather extraordinary when you consider that it is patently obvious that Willis is being groomed to replace the player who holds the franchise record for most consecutive starts (121), which ended in the regular-season finale last year when Gray suffered a thigh injury.

Everybody knows the situation, including the two players, though Willis is displaying a youthful respect and serving an interior lineman’s code of ethics by deferring to his elders.

In fact, the Seahawks are not shy about announcing that Willis may be on the verge of overtaking Gray at the position. When coach Mike Holmgren was asked on Wednesday about position battles, the one he mentioned most prominently was Willis-vs.-Gray, the age-old story of the eager youngster attempting to nudge out the aging vet.

For the first week and a half of training camp, Gray has worked with the starting unit, one of the stabilizers of an offensive line that became a focal point of the team’s unexpected failures last season.

But the 6-foot-6, 315-pound Willis is there, biding his time, learning his craft, waiting for the moment that the coaches place him in the starting unit between center Chris Spencer and right tackle Sean Locklear – though he does not really acknowledge that.

“I am just trying to come out here every day and get better,” Willis said of starting. “That is really not up to me. I am just trying to become a better football player every day.”

Gray, 37, who signed a two-year contract in the offseason, said he fully understands the position Willis finds himself in. He said he does not feel any contempt or acrimony for the product of Florida State despite the notion that he one day will push Gray out of a job. That claim is only bolstered by the help Gray offers Willis during down times.

“I came back because I felt like I had something left to give to the team, contribute,” Gray said. “But I understand, being a 15-year vet. Do I want to play? Yeah, I do want to play. I would love to start. But, hey, if Ray comes in and just blows up the world and does a great job, I understand. My whole reason for coming back to the team this year was I think we have a shot to come in and go far. I would love to go back to the Super Bowl.”

Gray’s outlook is one achieved almost exclusively through age. When he was 27, he would have been a bit more protective of his turf, he admits.

“Ten years ago, I’d be looking over my shoulder trying to do everything I can (to keep my spot),” Gray said. “I am doing that now – but you realize that you can’t play forever.”

How long Gray remains the starter depends almost solely on how well Willis adapts to learning the guard position. He played tackle with the Seminoles and in his first two years in Seattle, but with Walter Jones and Sean Locklear playing the two tackle spots, the Seahawks switched Willis to guard in an attempt to get his promising career started and to groom an heir for Gray.

In the Seahawks’ system, Willis said, the guard position is much more difficult to learn, particularly in pass blocking scenarios. The tackles generally go man-to-man against the hard-charging defensive ends while the guards are required to make multiple decisions in different schemes.

It is why Gray and Willis pull off their helmets during breaks and huddle together, Gray offering words of advice as Willis shakes his head with acknowledgement and appreciation.

“Chris is a great guy, a great leader and somebody I would love to model my game after,” Willis said. “When you have played in this league 15 years like he has, when he talks you tune in and listen.”

camp kirkland

A capsule look at Monday in fall camp with the Seahawks.

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