Springs returns as opponent
ASHBURN, Va. – Shawn Springs sounded as if he were going to a family reunion instead of a playoff game.
He flashed his charismatic smile and spoke fondly of coach Mike Holmgren, former teammates, a “400-pound Seahawks fan” named Big Lo, the guys in the equipment room, and the team vice president’s wife who once helped the young cornerback find a house.
Springs spent seven enjoyable years in the Pacific Northwest, and he’s returning as a visiting player for the first time when the Washington Redskins play the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday.
“I was raised in that organization,” Springs said. “They’ve seen me go from a young man to who I am today.”
Springs has willed himself back to health to prepare for his old team, returning to practice Tuesday after missing last week’s playoff victory over Tampa Bay with a groin injury. He wonders whether he’ll be received as an old friend who was the No. 3 overall draft pick out of Ohio State in 1997 – or as the ungrateful kid who took the money and ran and once said that, in NFL terms, Seattle might as well be Egypt.
“I’m curious. I think it’ll be mixed reviews,” Springs said. “First of all, the game is way bigger than me going back to Seattle. It’s a playoff game, so I think everybody will focus on it being a playoff game.
“But there’s probably a lot of (No.) 24 jerseys still out there. I had a lot of die-hard fans. I think some people are blue, but some people will be happy because of the memories of some of the things I did in Seattle.”
Springs said he was perceived by some people in Seattle as “a cancer in the locker room,” but that his relationship with Holmgren was good. The coach didn’t want Springs to leave when free agency beckoned in 2004, but Holmgren’s persuasion was no match for Redskins coach Joe Gibbs’ determination, Washington owner Dan Snyder’s millions and the influence of a mother who wanted her son back near his hometown of Silver Spring, Md.
Gibbs called Springs at the stroke of the midnight deadline when free agency began. Snyder flew him to Washington immediately – Springs will never forget the wood-grain toilets on the jet – and the owner offered a $30 million, six-year contract with a $10 million signing bonus.
“It was like: ‘You’re not leaving. You’re signing in Washington,’ ” Springs said. “My mom was putting pressure on me. I didn’t even get a chance to go back to Seattle. My mom overruled everybody. ‘You’re going to sign with Washington.’ ‘Well, Mom, I can probably get a lot more money from Arizona, somewhere else.’ She was like: ‘Sometimes it ain’t about the money. It’s coming home.’ It worked out for me.”
So it did. Springs last season became the first defensive back in NFL history to lead his team in both sacks (six) and interceptions (five). He has no sacks and only one interception this season, but that’s because the Redskins aren’t blitzing as much from the corners and because opposing quarterbacks don’t want to throw the ball his way.
“What you have in Shawn is someone who’s battle-tested,” Gibbs said. “There’s no substitute for experience. He’ll add a lot to us, having him back.”
Notes
Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, while discussing the Seahawks’ anonymity on the national scene, referred to the Philadelphia Eagles as the “Philadelphia Egos” during a conference call with Washington reporters. Hasselbeck said it was a slip of tongue. … Redskins running back Clinton Portis was limited in practice as he rested his two sore shoulders, one of which went numb with a pinched nerve during the Tampa Bay game. “Portis took some light work,” Gibbs said. “I think he’s fine.” … Three-fifths of the starting offensive line – right tackle Jon Jansen, left tackle Chris Samuels and right guard Ray Brown – had limited work in practice, but Samuels (probable with an ankle) is the only one on the injury report.