By Seattle Seahawks Had to Hide Non-Red Jerseys from Sidney Rice, Who is Being Eased Back From Injury
August 23, 2012 – 7:00 am by Brad Gagnon
Sidney Rice is finally back on the field. The wide receiver has been sidelined much of the offseason after undergoing dual shoulder surgeries, not long mind you after recovering from the concussions that prematurely ended his 2011 season.
But a lot has changed since Rice was last practicing with the Seahawks. The team has a new free-agent quarterback, a new rookie quarterback and a trio of new pass-catchers who bring quite a lot of baggage experience to town.
Sidney Rice joined Ian Furness and Jason Puckett on KJR in Seattle to discuss his shoulder injuries, rookie quarterback Russell Wilson and new offensive weapons Terrell Owens, Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow.
On trying to pull a fast one and avoid wearing a red jersey in practice (the red jersey denotes that a player can’t be hit):
“I took it upon myself to come out in the white jersey. I was tired of hearing the red jersey quarterback jokes. So I put on my blue jersey, came out … came in the next day and my blue jersey was gone out of my locker. I was a little upset about it. So they took them away and put the jerseys in the back, in the equipment room so I couldn’t get to them, and red jersey it was.”
On what the doctors are looking at before letting him go full board:
“Just check out the strength of my shoulders. Everything else is good. The hip is good. Everything else but a few minor things, nothing that will stop me or hold me out of a game or anything like that. But just want to make sure I’m ready to take the contact, the impact, going across the middle, diving for balls and things like that.”
On the team wanting him to do a better job going to the ground:
“They say I don’t know how to fall.” [He’s asked if that’s something you can actually work on.] “That’s what I’m asking.”
On rookie quarterback Russell Wilson:
“He’s picked up the offense really well. Love his work ethic — comes out every day, stays after practice. … He stayed after with me today to throw a couple of balls, routes that we screwed up in practice today. So he has great work ethic.”
On Wilson’s leadership skills:
“He always speaks up. If he sees something he doesn’t think is right, he speaks up. No matter if it’s myself, a running back, offensive lineman. He’s gonna say something.”
On if he’s learning from Terrell Owens, Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow:
“Definitely. I really don’t say much out at practice or things like that, but when Terrell comes off or Braylon and they made a big play or something like that, I’ll see how they went off the line, and when they come back to the side I’ll ask them, I’ll be like, ‘What did you see right there? What made you do that?’. And just try to learn things from those guys, because Terrell’s been in the league for a long time now and he’s made hundreds of plays and scored many touchdowns. So whatever I can pick up to add to my arsenal I’m gonna do it.”
Listen to Sidney Rice on KJR here
Tags: Matt Flynn, NFC West, NFL, Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks, Sidney Rice
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