RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesDeMarcus Lawrence didn’t want a long Super Bowl. No overtime, please.
He and his friends on the Seahawks’ top-ranked defense made sure there was nothing close to that. They made short, dominant work of the New England Patriots in Seattle’s Super Bowl 60 victory in December.
That got the 34-year-old edge linebacker/defensive end his first Super Bowl ring after 12 years in the NFL chasing one — the first 11 in vain with the Dallas Cowboys.
The quick Super Bowl win also got him on a plane out of California’s Bay Area back home to Texas in time to see the birth of his sixth, yes sixth, child.
Lawrence’s wife Sasha attended Super Bowl week in San Jose and Super Bowl 60 to see the biggest football time of her husband’s life — while she was 37 weeks pregnant. His wife told Lawrence he did not want him alerted if she went in labor during the game.
On the field following the game during an interview amid the confetti with NFL Network, Lawrence said live on national television : “Where’s my wife? She’s not in labor, right?”
Not yet.
While the Seahawks celebrated in the Bay Area that night then flew back to Seattle the next day, Lawrence and his wife immediately flew on a private jet private plane back to their home in Texas. Lawrence was there for the birth of their sixth child.
With mom and baby safe and well, Lawrence got back on a plane and flew to Seattle. He was there shirtless and wearing commemorative ski goggles for the Super Bowl victory parade through the city that Wednesday morning, three days after game and two days after Lawrence’s baby was born.
That’s San Jose to Dallas Fort-Worth to Seattle, three flights and 3,100 flight miles in about 48 hours.
“You could say it was stressful, but it was a blessing,” Lawrence said Friday after he finished the 12th practice of Seahawks training camp.
“Just to be able to have my mind set on receiving a child into this world, my last child, at that. And then, to put a cherry on top, get to win a Super Bowl.
“I felt like that’s all a man could dream of, receiving a child and winning the Super Bowl.”
Can Lawrence describe for most of the rest of us that can’t fathom: What’s it like parenting six children, from high school-aged to newborn?
“Man, in all honesty, you wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” he said.
“Everybody has their own personality, different characteristics about themselves. It’s really finding out what each child likes, their demeanor. My girls are meaner than my boys. But my boys know they can’t touch the girls, so, the girls just be winding off on the boys.
“So, um...we’ve got an interesting dynamic in the household. But it’s all love.”
How many nannies do he and his wife have for caring for six kids?
“Enough,” Lawrence said, laughing.
Lawrence almost didn’t make it here for his 13th NFL training camp, his second since signing with the Seahawks.
“I kinda had my mind made up: If we won, I was done,” he said Friday.
“But I kind of had a bittersweet feeling in my heart. Understand that with the type of team that we have, we should have been where we were last year.
“This is where the hard part begins, staying on top.
“Shoot, they say it’s no fun when the rabbit has the gone. We’re the ones with the dots on our backs. I just want to see how that feels. See what the different obstacles are that we can overcome, how we are going to stay together in those tough moments throughout the season, and just be a part of this brotherhood.”
Cooper Kupp vs. Devon Witherspoon
That was the featured showdown in practice Friday, an only-in-training-camp matchup of elite on elite.
Witherspoon, the 25-year-old, Pro Bowl cornerback all three years he’s been with the Seahawks since they drafted him in the first round, was in press coverage at the line against Kupp, the 33-year-old, two-time Super Bowl champion and 2021 NFL offensive player of the year. It was a one-on-one passing drill early in the practice, before scrimmaging.
Witherspoon jammed Kupp aggressively off the snap. Kupp put a double fake inside then outside on Witherspoon with his head and shoulders. Witherspoon took a step outside. That was all Kupp needed to cut hard inside across Witherspoon’s face and chest.
With inside leverage, Kupp caught Sam Darnold’s short pass on the slant route, with Witherspoon all over Kupp’s back. Witherspoon punched at the ball in an attempt to break up the catch. Kupp secured it with two hands.
As Kupp turned and ran up field, Witherspoon tilted his head back and yelled in anger.
He does that on every one of the few reps he loses in this camp.
The same thing happened earlier this week when Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the reigning NFL offensive player of the year, secured a catch with Witherspoon tightly guarding him on the sideline.
Devon Witherspoon celebrates, too
Witherspoon wasn’t angry the entire practice.
He reveled in a diving interception of Darnold by linebacker Drake Thomas during 11-on-11 scrimmaging. Darnold’s pass was low and wide of tight end AJ Barner. Thomas dived before the ball hit the grass.
Thomas got up and ran to the other end zone with the ball. Witherspoon ran with him, cackling at the offensive players they ran by.
When Thomas got through the end zone, he punted the ball high straight up. The fans watching from the grass berm roared.
Jadarian Price misses practice
The thinning running-backs corps got thinner Friday.
Rookie first-round draft choice Jadarian Price missed practice. A team spokesman said Price had “lower-body soreness.”
Zach Charbonnet remains on the physically-unable-to-perform list less than six months after his reconstructive knee surgery. Jacardia Wright injured his lower leg while carrying the ball in a scrimmage this week. He missed practice for the third consecutive day. Fullback Robbie Ouzts remains out indefinitely with an issue coach Mike Macdonald was vague but sounded ominous about this week.
George Holani, Emanuel Wilson and Velus Jones Jr. all got time with the starting offensi...
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