Talking NFL with some Showcase Hawks, Ram

Fear not Seahawks fans.

Yes, there’s a little bit of unknown when it comes to the receiving group this year, that’s nothing new.

That was the case once before, in 2011, when Sidney Rice joined the team after beginning his career with the Minnesota Vikings.

The rest, well, is history.

RICE WASN’T on the field for the team’s 43-8 win over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII after tearing his ACL against the then-St. Louis Rams.

With Rice out, the opportunities opened for guys like Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse.

“I knew when they were in training camp that if they worked on their craft, they were going to be good,” Rice said. “It was amazing watching two undrafted free agents make the team, then score touchdowns in the Super Bowl. It was just simply amazing.”

Baldwin retired following last season. Kearse, who was traded to the New York Jets for Sheldon Richardson in 2017, signed with Detroit during the offseason.

Rice played for Seattle from 2011 to 2013, with injuries forcing him to retire.

Seattle lost in the divisional round at Atlanta in 2012 after winning five straight games to conclude the regular season to advance to the playoffs.

“It was just that (2013) season, but a lot of things leading up to that season,” Rice said. “How that season (at Atlanta) and how we started the next year (Seattle won 11 of its first 12 in 2013), there was a lot of amazing memories. The thing I was impressed with was the camaraderie. We had one of the best defenses of all time. Our offense did well and it was an electrifying season. To be a part of that and everyone understanding and doing their part was amazing to be a part of.”

Rice was part of the Minnesota Vikings in 2009 when they advanced to the NFC Championship game, losing to eventual champion New Orleans. The quarterback of that squad was Brett Favre.

As for comparing Favre with Russell Wilson?

“They’re actually totally great in their own ways respectively,” Rice said. “Russell is straight forward, and you would expect that from a guy selected in the third round with a chip on his shoulder. He’s all about business, getting things done. With Favre, in his 20th season, he just wanted to have fun. Brett was a tremendous quarterback, but an even more amazing person and made the game really fun. Russell, he’s just great, and does a great job with what he has. The team is steadily making improvements and I can’t wait to see them get back to the Super Bowl.”

BRYAN WALTERS was a rookie on the Seahawks in 2013, but also due to injuries, found himself in a key role in 2014.

“Winning the Super Bowl was a big memory for me,” Walters said. “The NFC Championship game the next year, coming back on the Packers was another one. We just had two really good teams those years.”

Seattle trailed 19-7 with less than three minutes remaining, but rallied to win 28-22.

“We at no point thought we were going to lose that game,” Walters said. “We were down 16 points (at halftime), but there was no doubt. It’s tough to find that in a group of guys.”

Rice and Walters were in Coeur d’Alene for the sixth annual Showcase golf exhibition at the Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course on July 26 and 27.

“This tournament is amazing,” said Walters of the Showcase, which raised $4.2 million for the Community Cancer Fund last weekend. “They continue to make it better and better each year, if that’s possible. Last year was my first year, and I was lucky enough to get back into it this year. They just keep raising the bar.”

“It’s for a good cause — as you can see me up there in last place,” Rice joked after finishing last in gross scoring, but was tied for third in net scoring. “There’s great people and those that donate the money to the cause are great. And (Ryan) Longwell, my teammate in Minnesota (who finished fifth at The Showcase), really got me into golf. Coming off the field in two-a-days, I look across and see Ryan walking off during the second practice with golf clubs and thought, ‘I should have been a kicker.’ You see your old friends and support a great cause. This is one thing that I always mark off on my calendar.”

WHILE HE didn’t play for the Seahawks, Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson recalled a special night at the Kingdome in 1985.

“It was on Monday Night Football, and I’d just came back from a holdout,” Dickerson said. “I had two practices in, and finished with 150 (yards) and three touchdowns. That was a good night.”

That night, the Los Angeles Rams beat the Seattle Seahawks 35-24.

“It was very loud and they’ve (Seattle) got some great fans,” Dickerson said. “We were deep in their end, and the crowd was getting loud, then I broke a 40-yard run and quieted them down.”

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at (208) 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at jelliott@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter @JECdAPress.