The journeyman soaked in every second of Friday night in the Minneapolis Metrodome. So much so, that Howard Green tucked the football from the final play of the Seahawks 17-point preseason win over the Vikings under his arm, put it in his bag and took it home.
As if it wasn't enough that the 6-2, 320-pound defensive tackle had five tackles – including two sacks and a quarterback hurry – a fumble recovery and a pass defense, but he made a diving interception of a deflected pass on the final play of the game.
Undoubtedly, everybody on the team was happy for him, including coach Mike Holmgren, who acknowledged how hard he worked in the offseason to compete for a job.
"I loved it ... I was very happy for him," said Holmgren, who joked about the interception with Green afterward. "He's really a good guy. You kind of root for guys like Howard to get an interception. The only thing I said to him was, 'When you intercept the ball, get up and run with it. Go the other way with it. That's what you're supposed to do when that happens.' I think he took the ball home, kept it, and slept with it. It's great. The whole team was happy for him in at the end."
A sixth round draft choice from Louisiana State University in 2002 by the Houston Texans, Green has kicked around from the Texans to Baltimore, back to Houston, New Orleans, Miami, Minnesota and then signed with the Seahawks Oct. 16 last year when Chuck Darby was placed on the injured list with a knee injury.
And when Green came to camp this season, the 29-year-old Louisiana native was confronted with the numbers game again. Not only is it about incumbent starters Rocky Bernard and Brandon Mebane, but the return ofMarcus Tubbs from knee surgery, Craig Terrill, the drafting ofRed Bryant and the signing ofLarry Tripplett.
