Updated Aug 3, 2012 - 5:02 pm
A lighter Kam Chancellor is still 'gonna bring that boom'
Kam Chancellor has changed his body, but he doesn't plan on changing the physical style that came with mixed results last season.
The Seahawks' Pro Bowl safety says he is a little lighter now, having reduced the portions of an already healthy diet. He weighs 226 pounds now and plans to be around 229 when the season begins, down about three pounds from his playing weight last season.
"I'm trying to stay light to where I can run fast but also still have a little weight to keep that boom," he told "Bob and Groz" on Thursday.
 Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor delivered plenty of big hits in 2011, his first season as a starter. (AP) |
They also came with a price – $60,000, to be exact. That's the total amount Chancellor is believed to have been fined by the NFL for a pair of plays it deemed illegal. A helmet-to-helmet hit on Baltimore's Anquan Boldin left Chancellor with a $20,000 fine (and a concussion). He was reportedly fined double that amount for a similar hit he put on St. Louis' Lance Kendricks the following week.
There was also a block he threw during an interception return that sent Arizona's Todd Heap flying. That hit, which some argued was perfectly clean, incurred a 15-yard penalty. So did his sack of Cleveland's Colt McCoy, a ruling that coach Pete Carroll took exception to.
Chancellor will have to adjust, but he won't change the type of player he is.
"No, not at all. I'm gonna bring that boom continuously. I'm gonna always do that because that's my game," he said. "I just have to be smart about how I do it. I can't lead with my head. A couple of hits I probably led with my head and now I know just to be conscious of my shoulder, bring my shoulder before my head. So as long as I know I'm leading with my shoulder and hitting in the correct spots I think I'll be alright."
As Chancellor knows, that's easier said than done.
His hit on Kendricks is a perfect example. The Rams' tight end was falling to the ground while trying to make a catch and the two collided just after the ball reached Kendricks' hands. There was no time for an adjustment.
"They always go back and review the hits in slow motion," he said. "This game is not played in slow motion."
For all the attention Chancellor got for his hitting, he also picked off four passes, tied for second most on the team. Two of those interceptions sealed wins over the Giants and Cardinals.
As well as he played in 2011, it's easy to forget that Chancellor is entering just his third NFL season and only his second as a starter.
"A lot of things slowed down for me this year," he said. "Basically, I'm coming out here to practice [and] I'm more concerned about route concepts and what the offense is running besides me getting myself lined up and knowing what everybody's doing on defense. I've kind of got the feel for that already. So I'm going to try to take my game to another level now."
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Hawkin wrote...Thanks KamAugust 4, 2012 11:08 am{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }- Reply
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Derrol_o wrote...229August 4, 2012 3:40 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }- Reply
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Bob Stelton is the co-host of "Bob and Groz". He came to 710 ESPN Seattle from 101 ESPN in St. Louis and had previously worked for Sporting News Radio in Chicago and Santa Monica, Calif. Bob began his radio career in Seattle in 1997 after a failed attempt to become a rock star. 
Dave Grosby is the co-host of "Bob and Groz." The Groz has spent the last 21 years of his 39-year broadcast career as a Seattle sports talk show host. Dave is also the play-by-play announcer for Seattle U basketball on KTTH 770. Before coming to Seattle, Dave worked at KFI in Los Angeles and KFBK in Sacramento. He's been married to his wife Bonnie for 23 years.
After two years as the producer for "Brock and Salk," Colin Paisley now produces "Bob and Groz." Colin also hosts "Seattle Sports at Night" with Tom Wassell and Matt Pitman. Colin came to 710 ESPN Seattle after five years at various FM music stations in Bellingham and Seattle. In addition to his time as producer and host, Colin likes to spend his time embracing his "Slacker Gen-Y" persona by napping and not caring about stuff. Plus he likes tons of bands you've never heard of, and once you hear of them he'll stop liking them.
