They go by “Deuce” and “Bam-Bam.” Or “29” and “31.” Or even “Thunder” and “Lightning.” Or just Earl and Kam.
But by any name – or number – Pete Carroll is just happy to call 
“Our guys are uniquely qualified,” Carroll said. “You can’t get any bigger than Kam is and you can’t get any faster than Earl is, and those guys are very special in that regard. They are both aggressive, they both play well at the line of scrimmage and they both have good ball instincts.
“So we’re fortunate in the regard.”
Thomas and Chancellor are the youngest starting safety tandem in the league, but you never would have known it by the way they have performed as the Seahawks’ last line of defense. Entering today’s game against the Atlanta Falcons at CenturyLink Field, Chancellor is the team’s leading tackler (22) and Thomas is second (17). Chancellor also had a fourth-quarter interception to ice last week’s 13-10 victory over the division rival Arizona Cardinals in the Seahawks’ home opener.
And it’s all by design, not happenstance.
They were selected in last year’s NFL Draft – Thomas with the 14th pick in the first round; Chancellor in the fifth round. Thomas, who grew up in Texas and played at the University of Texas, turned 22 in May. Chancellor, who grew up in Virginia and played at Virginia Tech, is 23. Thomas is smaller (5 feet 10, 202 pounds), but faster – a prerequisite to play free safety in Carroll’s defense. Chancellor is bigger – a lot bigger (6-3, 232) – and is as physical as he is big. That definitely works when you’re playing strong safety.
Their paths have crossed in the Seahawks’ secondary, and so far they have been on a collision course with any opposing player who dares cross their paths. This is just what the coaches expected when they drafted the pair last year, and exactly what they are getting.
“That was absolutely the thought and the plan, and that’s what they’ve grown into,” said Kris Richard, the former Seahawks cornerback who is now coaching the defensive backs on Carroll’s staff.
Thomas was a starter last season, when he tied the franchise rookie record with five interceptions and also finished fifth on the team with 71 tackles. Chancellor played behind Lawyer Milloy until the bye week, and then starting replacing Milloy at strong safety in one of the nickel packages so the veteran could be a playmaker even closer to the line. Chancellor finished with 12 tackles, including a sack.
But the Seahawks decided against re-signing Milloy, in large part because they wanted to see what Chancellor could do given a larger role. He and Thomas have meshed their similar-yet-diverse talents into an impressive 1-2 punch.
“You can see it in the way their relationship has grown,” Richard said. “It’s grown tight, and the influence that they have had over the (meeting) room as far as effort and intensity is concerned is absolutely phenomenal.”
The relationship between these two homebodies who find themselves a long way from their respective homes was almost instantaneous.
“The chemistry has been there since Day One,” Thomas said. “We’ve been roommates since Day One, and we hit it off. We’re best of friends.”
During the 136-day lockout that erased the offseason minicamps and OTA sessions, Thomas and Chancellor trained together, played basketball together, just hung out together.
“We spent a lot of time on and off the field, so I think that’s what has created the great chemistry between us,” Thomas said.
Chancellor also felt the connections almost immediately.
“We’re both laid-back guys. We’re both competitors. We both hate to lose,” Chancellor said. “I guess it’s just the competitive instinct we both have. We just clicked, and we’ve got each other’s back.”
They’ve also becomes fans of one another.
Thomas on Chancellor: “Kam’s a big guy. So you’ve got a guy who can run and a guy that can fill gaps like that, you can’t coach that. He’s very aggressive and it shows.”
Chancellor on Thomas: “Earl is so fast. He has such great instincts. And he’s just getting better every week.”
As for Chancellor being part of the same draft class, and coming to the Seahawks with their second pick in the fifth round, Thomas said, “I’m glad we got him. We got a steal.”
But their first encounter prompted Thomas to do a double-take. “When he walked into the DB (meeting) room, I thought he was in the wrong room,” Thomas said with a laugh.
Another similarity: They create the action, rather than waiting for it to come to them.
That was apparent in the opener. Their combined 17 tackles didn’t come only while chasing down receivers after big gains. They were forcing plays by forcing the issue. Each had two tackles for losses. He had two tackles inside the red zone.
“That’s Earl’s nature,” Richard said of Thomas’ style that is as fearless as it is aggressive. “The one thing he is absolutely committed to is giving his best every play that he’s out there.”
That same description could be used to define Chancellor’s style.
“Kam is just a factor,” Carroll said. “He’s just a big hammer in the run game and can make plays in the passing game. He’s been probably the most productive guy around the football, and all throughout our camp time and preseason as we were preparing.”
And these guys are basically still kids, even on a roster as young as the Seahawks.
“There is no age specification as far as effort and enthusiasm and all the things we ask in a game is concerned,” Richard said. “If you go out there and you do your best to do what we ask you do, that is what’s up to them and what they have done.
“That’s what they’ve taken advantage of, essentially. They’re doing everything they’re asked and they’re doing it with great intensity and effort.”
But what about that “hammer” tag Carroll hung on Chancellor? “Hammer and Nails,” anyone?
Which brings us back to those other nicknames. Thomas is “Deuce”; Chancellor is “Bam-Bam.” In the vernacular of linebackers coach Ken Norton, who challenge-issuing voice is the metronome by which the defense beats during practice, Thomas is “29” and Chancellor “31” (their uniform numbers). But what about “Thunder and Lightning”? Chancellor should be “Thunder,” and Thomas “Lightning.” Their games are so interchangeable, however, that the tags can be applied to either.
“Whatever people want to say, that’s fine,” Thomas offered. “As long as we win.”
Thomas and Chancellor comprise a winning duo that should be the Seahawks’ starting safeties for many seasons to come.
As Thomas put it, “I think we can be special for a long time.”
