Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll agrees to turn Russell Wilson loose
May 30, 2013, 8:35 AM | Updated: 3:36 pm
Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, right talks with quarterback Russell Wilson (3) during an NFL football practice Tuesday, May 28, 2013, in Renton, Wash. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
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Seahawks coach Pete Carroll held a Town Hall meeting Wednesday night streamed online. He was taking questions from a crowd of season ticketholders and fans worldwide via social media.
A 12th man (12th boy) fan asked this: “Are you going to turn Russell Wilson loose this year?”
“That’s what I’m talking about,” said Carroll. “We’re going to not only turn him loose. He’s going to be so hot this year. You’re going to love everything. Russell Wilson is on the loose.”
Coach Carroll looked at the past season, talking about the most notable game of the year – against the Chicago Bears – and why it was a game changer for the team.
“That was the time when we were in a dog fight with the number one team in their division,” he says. “They’re playing for first place. It comes right down to the end, and our offense goes down and scores in regulation and gives us a chance to be ahead. And they make a miraculous play, kick a field goal and here we go we’re in overtime. Right after that drive, we go down the field again and take it down and win in overtime.”
“That was the moment that there was no more holding Russell Wilson back,” he says as the crowd reacts with approval. “From that point on we really did get going on both sides of the football.”
Coach Carroll talked about the present too. He said they have 90 guys in camp right now but will be cutting it down to 53.
“It’s going to take a while to do that,” he said. “What we create is a competitive environment, give our guys a chance to battle every day.Try to move guys around, give them shots, sometimes different positions, sometimes with different combinations of players to try to figure out who they are and what they’re all about.
“I’m looking for the unique qualities that the guys bring, trying to find out what does each kid have that’s unique that could add to our team in a special way.”
But he did not talk about the future. He refuses to get caught up in the Super Bowl hype surrounding the Seahawks.
“You would think that we would look, OK it’s all about getting to the Super Bowl. That may be the way you see it, but we can’t focus that way. We have to focus on the things right in front of us,” said Carroll. “That first game comes, that’s the only game in the world, then the second game, and we just take them and start marching.”
Marching toward the 2014 Super Bowl!
