Seahawks move corner to his Tru spot

By Chris Cluff  |   Thursday, August 09, 2007  |  Comments( 1 )

Seattle Seahawks
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Marcus Trufant is going home again, and it might just result in a trip to Hawaii.

The Seattle Seahawks' fifth-year cornerback has played out of position the past three seasons to protect a weak right shoulder, and new secondary coach Jim Mora has decided it's time to put Trufant back where he belongs so he can live up to the promise he showed when the team drafted him 11th overall out of Washington State in 2003.

Trufant began his career at left cornerback, but surgeries on his right shoulder after each of his first two seasons prompted Seattle's defensive coaches to move him over to the right side to protect the shoulder.

Trufant played well on the right side, prompting coach Mike Holmgren to say in this camp, "Marcus has been as consistent a defensive player as we've had here the last couple of years."

But Mora said it's time to switch back to the left side because "that's where most of the premier corners work. This guy has the ability to be a premier corner."

After a dozen days of training camp, Trufant has consistently showed that ability. He has been one of the standouts of camp, drawing praise from coaches by sticking tight to all of Seattle's receivers - Deion Branch, D.J. Hackett, Nate Burleson and Bobby Engram - and making big plays nearly every day.

On Wednesday, Trufant challenged Hackett for a pass from Matt Hasselbeck down the sideline, and the 5-foot-11 corner's interception against the 6-3 Hackett was so good that even Hasselbeck had to praise the corner.

"Every time he makes a play, it elevates his confidence," Mora told reporters. "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."

It helps that the Seahawks are using more press coverage, which fits Trufant's style. The play against Hackett came on a blitz that left Trufant alone against the receiver.

"It makes it a little bit more fun," Trufant 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."

As for the return to the left side, Trufant said there's no place like home.

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

Mora can tell.

"I don't know if he feels more comfortable on the left side, because I haven't asked him," the coach said. "I just know he looks comfortable over there."

So comfortable that he might be poised to earn his first Pro Bowl spot and that trip to Hawaii in February.
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About Chris Cluff

Chris Cluff spent 10 years as an editor and sportswriter for The Seattle Times. He was a key figure in the newspaper's coverage of the Seahawks, particularly during their Super Bowl run in 2005. He also has written two books on the Seahawks: "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Heart-Pounding, ...
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