Quotes from Seahawks coach Pete Carroll’s Wednesday press conference.

Seahawks Pete Carroll met with the media again Wednesday, which if you’re keeping score, is the fourth of six straight days he is available. So if some of this seems redundant, it’s not your imagination. As different media outlets roll into town throughout the week, a lot of the same questions are asked.

Anyway, there’s still some interesting stuff in here, including Carroll defending Marshawn Lynch (again), talking about having his son Nate on his coaching staff, and dealing with the trappings of being the defending champs.

(on how much he will embrace practice today) “This is finally the day we get into the weekly routine, practice-wise. There is still a lot that goes on just in getting to the practice field today, but once we’re there, we’ll be in pretty good shape and it should feel very comfortable for the team.”

(on the core of he and general manager John Schneider’s success) “I think at the core it’s a philosophy, it’s an approach that we agree upon and there are a number of, kind of tenets you know, but developing a really competitive roster, keeping it young, always trying to upgrade. That mentality is really pervading. It shows up everywhere. The style of play that we want, that we agreed to, about being a physical team and running the football and playing defense on teams, and with that thought, those are all just kind of the tenets that we’ve built it on and we’ve tried to remain uncommonly consistent in that commitment. I think that’s at the core of everything.”

(on the late practice time and what ‘competition Wednesdays’ are about) “Why, are we practicing late? The schedule based on the media commitment and all that kind of fits us into this time slot. We’ll be on the practice field and really starting practice at game time. The game starts at 4:29 and we’re rolling. So, we have a little bit of a benefit for these two days that we’re going to try to feel comfortable with that time slot and getting up in the morning and all that, so we’ll make the most of that. This day is the first day of the week for us on the field and so the central theme in the program is competition so we, in essence, focus on competing on this day, not necessarily about the opponent, it doesn’t have anything to do with that. There are game plan issues of course that we cover, but this is really to get it going back, to leave what has happened before, the game that happened before, the events that happened before, to put us on course with the normal week. So, we compete. There will be a lot of work one-on-ones today. We work offense against defense right off the bat in practice to get the tempo and the speed and the feel that we want to begin the practice. The rest of the session is really at a high level. It’s really about making this a great practice day and that means that we want to compete whenever we can. That’s what happens. We keep score, somebody is going to win, somebody is going to lose today.”

(on the three things his players have said all week about loving your brother, perseverance and finishing) “I realize how consistent they were yesterday too, with all the questions that were asked, that they’re on that and they understand that we’ve turned our focus to kind of the essence of team, which is really playing for one another. We also know that the perseverance part you bring up is about competing and battling and there is nothing that’s going to get in the way of us getting to the point where we’re playing the way we want to play. That’s what we’re trying to focus on. Then finishing, it’s always been about finishing. It ain’t about how you start, it’s how you finish. That’s something that we’ve taken for years as a base principle of this plan, to put this team in motion. There is a lot that goes into that, more than I used to coach too, so it’s been a really cool thing to focus on for our guys.”

(on having his son, assistant wide receivers coach Nate Carroll, on his coaching staff) “It’s truly a treasure for me. To have the chance to have Nate to be on this staff and watch him develop over the years he’s been with us and grow as a coach. To compete with your son, really at this level, to battle and to work day and night to try to figure out ways to try to win football games and you’re doing it with those that you love, it just makes it a cherished time for us. More so maybe for me than him, but I feel very fortunate that we get to do that together.”

(on what he thinks Junior Seau’s legacy is and what connection he had with Seau) “Really through the USC connection, Junior was a heralded college player in all of the same ways that he carried on to his professional days. He was an extraordinary guy because his spirit was so obvious. He was so strong with the way he expressed himself and the effect he had on people around him. The number that he wore, 55, back in college days was a big deal when I arrived there to find out that there was a great legacy there in school. I think the style of play that he brought to the league, he was so outgoing and so aggressive and took chances and was a big risk taker. We looked at him when we had to coach against him because he would always try to find a way to run through and make a play in the backfield and then he would celebrate like crazy and try to get every ounce out of the moment. It really made him unique and made him special and has, I think, always singled him out. He was so true to the person that he is. He was so consistently that way, he was a remarkable kid.”

(on how difficult it was to see New England cornerback Brandon Browner leave after his time with the Seahawks) “Brandon was really one of the core guys for us. We loved what he did for our time as he contributed to kind of the mindset and growth of the group. If you’ll notice our guys, they’ll talk about him with an endearing manner. They really care about him. He was there at the start of it all and to me, it’s a really cool story because we knew about him all the way back in his high school days. Seeing him come through in our program and do well, it was a shame that we weren’t able to maintain it, but that’s kind of how this thing goes sometimes. You don’t always get to do it with the guys you want to and it changes. Those tough decisions occur every year. But, we wish him the very best and he’s a great competitor and he’s going to battle just as we’re going to battle and it’ll be really fun to be on the field with him.”

(on if the comeback in the fourth quarter of the 2012 Divisional Playoff game against Atlanta was the first time people nationally looked at Russell Wilson and what he could do late in games and if it also opened his eyes to Wilson despite losing the game) “No, I don’t think so. I think it was significant in that we gave up that opportunity. We felt like we really had that game and there are 34 seconds left and they come back and beat us. They did a great job to finish that one. We were so close to capping off a great comeback and a statement to go to the next level. I think earlier than that we had discovered that Russell could be a centerpiece in those kinds of situations. I think the Chicago game might have been the one. He had a chance the first game of the year against the Cardinals, we almost won. I think it was more so that the Chicago game was when that really happened significantly. That was a great moment for us to really make a statement that we could do it again in a playoff situation and we didn’t get it done. So, in that regard, it’s still a significant occurrence because we were playing pretty good football at the time and we let one get away from us. But, I think it goes all the way back to Chicago.”

(on how and why the season turned around for his team and if he thinks you can win with integrity in the NFL) “Two pretty different questions there, good job. We did make a significant shift. It sounds like that’s the only time it has ever happened to our team, but we did the same thing the year before, the same thing where we were faced with a similar situation where we weren’t playing very well. We kind of lost connection with the fundamentals and the style of play that we wanted to demonstrate and we discovered them. We did the same thing this year. A little different storyline, a little different way of getting to it, but the same kind of pain you go through that makes you have to get to those moments. That’s kind of what happens to teams in most sports. There is a moment when things have an opportunity to go one way or the other and fortunately in the last couple years, we’ve been able to turn it to the positive where it helped us grow and get better as a team, so that’s that. Then, the question of integrity, I think it should be only understood that we wish to maintain the highest level of integrity. That doesn’t mean that we always make the right choices and we do the right things in all of our lives. We make mistakes, we screw up. We misinterpret a situation and we don’t handle it properly. The integrity is demonstrated by how you come out of that I think, not by the fact that you falter and you err. I think it’s how you respond to it and then do you respond and stick to the right manner and stay on the right path. I think that’s what we’re faced with. We dwell so much on the issue, I think really the crucial aspect of this is how do you respond. Do you face up to the truth? Do you get to it and do you work to do the right thing? Even then we make mistakes, we continue to falter. But, that’s not because we’re not trying to act with the highest of standards. I think the league is working really hard to do that and we have a tremendous responsibility. Everybody is watching, everybody cares. We have a chance to help people learn also how to right their own issues in the way we demonstrate. I think we’re fortunate to have this responsibility and we’re called on to do the right thing as best we possibly can. I think the league is trying to do that.”

(on the different ways that cornerback Richard Sherman and New England cornerback Darrelle Revis have gone about becoming the best corners in the league and the differences in their game) “I don’t know Darrelle that well, other than to watch him on film. I don’t know the person at all. But, both of those guys play with a recognizable style of awareness and savvy and instinct that I think separates guys from being really good to being great players. They can make plays in crucial situations. They make unusual plays. They see things before other people see them and they respond with the courage that comes from being a confident premiere type of player. It’s interesting, I would say as I look at it technically, they don’t play within the same style, but yet the results are really similar. I think it’s a great opportunity for an astute fan to really watch these guys and see how they play and see what happens in the game, see how the offenses give those guys their opportunities to do what they can do and it’ll be cool to see what happens. I’m looking forward to seeing it too.”

(on what he feels helped develop the relaxed and calm demeanor he displays in this setting and if his team’s play is a reflection of that) “I think it’s reps. Just a question of reps. There have been a lot of these opportunities. I do feel comfortable in this situation and I would hope that our players would feel comfortable in this situation as well for the same reason, because we’ve practiced, we’ve repped it out. We know what to expect. We kind of can anticipate what it’s going to be like, so that we can feel comfortable in that situation. Not comfortable, not caring, it’s comfortable and secure, trusting that the preparation will allow you to do well. In that regard, I hope we all fit together in that. If you see our team and you think they look relaxed, well they are to a certain extent. They’re thrilled to be in this situation. They can’t wait to go play the football game. They can’t wait to go play the way we like to play. We don’t have any idea how the result is going to come out. This is a great football team we’re playing and we don’t know who is going to win or lose, but we know how we want to play. We also are practicing, daily, how we want to take this on. We’ve worked really hard on our mindset to be able to enjoy, embrace the opportunity and make the most of it and that’s what we’re going to try to do and we’ll see what happens.”

(on if he ever talks to Marshawn Lynch about how he is possibly missing an opportunity to communicate with fans) “I think that you’re seeing a demonstration of a guy being himself and not being what everybody wants him to be. That is why you will continue to hear our players support him. He’s trying to do the best job he can of being him, and maybe you don’t feel that that’s what he should do, but that is what is going on. In that sense, he’s being true to himself and we understand that. I understand that people would like to see him do different things. He’s not comfortable with that, so that’s what he’s telling you. He’s doing it exactly the way he knows how to do it best. That conversation about supporting the person that he is, we talk about all the time. That is a mainstay of our conversation within going along with what it’s all about, which is being a team member and he’s an incredible team member. This environment just isn’t one that you get to see him in the way you want to see him. You’re seeing him as he is and in that regard, it is what it is.”

(on offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell’s comments on Russell Wilson’s special awareness and how they use that ability to the best of the offense) “We recognized real early that he is a tremendous all-around athlete. He can play basketball, he can play baseball, he can play football obviously. There is nothing that is difficult for him. He can pick up a tennis racket, he can hit a golf ball. He just can do all those things. That’s just his make-up. To allow him, and to really kind of promote his opportunities to take advantage of that, is what we do. We have strict rhythm, quick passing game. We’ve got play-action stuff, we’ve got him out of the pocket and then there is a whole other realm of his game that he can demonstrate and we totally love it when he does all of that. He’s shown over the years that he is really comfortable in those settings and he makes great choices when he’s out of the pocket. It’s really just managing the array of things that come out during the course of a game and sometimes we just don’t know. When he’s at his best is when he’s able to create and take it to a different level. We promote it and we’re excited about it and we want to be the best scrambling team in football, run and pass. That’s what we work to be.”

(on being a second-opportunity or ‘re-tread’ coach and what advantages there are to being a second-opportunity coach) “Well, coming from a ‘re-tread’ (laughing), multiple times, it’s just experiences. This is a really difficult job the first time. There are so many things that happen in this position that you just can’t predict and you just don’t know and you don’t see it coming in your preparation. You just have to deal with it as it hits you. Everybody is going to falter and make mistakes and say, ‘I wish I would have known then what I know now.’ That’s going to happen. What unfortunately doesn’t always happen is guys get enough time to work through those early years so that you can find your way and you can find your voice and you can find your perspective. So, often guys get kicked out. I got kicked out after one year at the Jets. I didn’t even get started figuring that thing out, I was a mess. But, those experiences are extraordinarily valuable and I can see why owners look to a guy who has had experiences. To hire a guy like John Fox, how could you not want to hire John Fox? He’s done everything. He’s been through it all and he’s a great coach and a communicator. I understand why guys get a second chance in that regard. It’s based on the accumulated experiences that give you more wisdom, more understanding, and also an opportunity to see a guy. You’ve seen them in situations and you know more so what you’re getting. I think that happens too.”

(on what prompted him to put the tackling video together with defensive passing game coordinator Rocky Seto and what feedback he has gotten from coaches on all levels) “What prompted it was looking at the Heads Up videos that were on TV and realized there was a lot of room here to expand the coaching of this part of the game, the tackling part of it. We’ve been involved with this kind of tackling stuff for years, way back into our USC days. So, we just decided that let’s make an effort, let’s see what happens. Let’s see if we throw something together with our thoughts, let’s share it with whomever wants to see it and see if we can’t help the game a little bit. It’s a culmination of myself, personally making the transition of not fighting the old way and giving in to that we’ve got to take care of our players in a better way. We have found that you can tackle and totally emphasize shoulder tackling and getting your head out of football and really that coincides so much with the language and the message we’ve heard come about for all of the right reasons, that we wanted to share it, so we did. With The Huddle Company that distributes stuff to all of the high school coaches, 14,000 high school coaches and thousands of youth coaches, we thought maybe we can get the word out. When I first asked Roger (Goodell) and sent it to the league and said what do you think, and one of the first phone calls I got was from Coach John Madden. He called and said, ‘Where has this been? We’ve needed this. This gives us an opportunity to shift the language some and the focus.’ First off, it was like talking to Frank Caliendo on the phone (laughing), I wasn’t sure. That was a really big statement that validated that we’re on the right track and so, it’s gone out. I know that the league sent it out to everybody that they send stuff out to, so thousands and thousands of people. The responses that we get have all almost always been favorable. I love the responses we get from coaches that say, ‘Thanks for doing this because it helps us with our kids,’ or whatever. This is just the start though. I think there are next, following steps that will help us continue to get the head out of football, make this game safer than it has ever been. We have taken a lead in language from rugby and the Rugby Associations around the world that play and have made a similar step. We follow in hand. We can practice tackling without our helmets on and that’s a really good statement of affecting this game I think in a positive way. We kind of lucked into this thing and stumbled into it and it hit pretty good, but there is a lot more to come if we follow this up properly.”

(on if there is ever a danger of expecting that this is normal to play in the Super Bowl being here for a second time) “There is. The questions come up like the normal traps, are you going to be over-confident? Are you going to overlook? It’s not the first time, so you’re not as excited and stuff like that. People used to say that when you’d go to the Rose Bowl year after year and they think it’s not any fun anymore. I don’t get that, I don’t understand that. This is the greatest opportunity that we have. I think our players understand that. It takes a tremendous amount to get here the first time, it takes another tremendous amount of effort to get here a second time. Now that it’s here, for us to miss the emphasis and undershoot this thing, it’s not going to happen. That has nothing to do with winning or losing. This is a great team that we’re playing against. They have every reason in the world to win and to outplay whoever they play and whomever they play. But, we’re going for it again. We’re going to try to do this again. I think the fact that we’ve been here before helps us. The fact that we did it mindfully and we knew what we did to get here and we took accounting on the way, we’ve used that experience to help us get back on track and to get here. Now that we’re here I think we can do something really special with it if we can play a good football game. We’re so fortunate to be here and we’re not going to miss this opportunity to go for it.”

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