Wyman on Seahawks: Thoughts on Nwosu’s value, ‘old school’ new RB coach

Aug 16, 2024, 11:27 AM

Uchenna Nwosu of the Seattle Seahawks reacts during a 2022 game. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

(Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Host, Wyman & Bob (2-7 p.m.)

The Seattle Seahawks’ new running back coach, Kennedy Polamalu, is someone I’ve known since we were on the same recruiting trip to Notre Dame back in 1982.

Wyman: Why Seahawks’ joint practices were so valuable

“KP” went on to play at USC while I ended up at Stanford, so we met on the football field once every year and had some epic battles, him at fullback and me at linebacker. I told him recently, “We hated you!” which is the highest praise you can give an opposing player. He was basically an offensive guard playing running back and was as tough and nasty as could be. Every year we would say, “That big fullback from USC is coming to town!”

Since then we’ve crossed paths many times and I have come to know him as one of the most respected and loved football coaches. Two weeks ago after we talked to second-year Seahawks running back Kenny McIntosh on Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob, I told him all about my history with KP. You could see his eyes light up.

“He’s a great coach and I love him,” McIntosh said.

I had a chance to talk to Kennedy before the Seahawks’ joint practice Thursday with the Tennessee Titans in Nashville, and what stood out to me was something very “old school.” He didn’t talk about scheme or execution.

“To me, this is about team building and loyalty to one another. We’re looking for guys that have each other’s backs,” he said.

Seahawks get best of Titans’ injury-limited offense in joint practice

There were plenty of opportunities for the Seahawks to have each other’s backs during the practices Wednesday and Thursday as a few fights broke out. For the record, coaches discourage the fighting after a play, but off the record, they’re looking for the kind of passion that can get you into a fight.

One noticeable situation was during the punt coverage drills. Seattle’s “gunners” or wide-coverage players were double-teamed on both sides, and when two Titans defensive backs threw Seattle’s coverage guy out of bounds and on his “wallet” (as my Seahawks Radio Network teammate Steve Raible likes to say), their sideline erupted. Two plays later, the same thing happened on the Seattle sidelines in favor of the Seahawks and the Seattle sideline erupted. It was clearly payback for what had happened two plays before and leading the charge was Uchenna Nwosu.

That’s what coach KP is looking for.

Our own Dave Wyman (@WymanAndBob) delivers some hard-hitting information from the #Seahawks & #Titans joint practice that we know you're looking for:#DeepThoughtsWithWyman pic.twitter.com/lkM4sLd4fz

— Seattle Sports (@SeattleSports) August 14, 2024

Glad to have Nwosu back

Nwosu was injured in the Arizona game last year in Week 7. No one really knew how much the Seahawks defense would miss him, but as the season went on, it was obvious that the answer was “sorely.”

What stood out to me when I interviewed him this week in Nashville was how focused he is no matter what he is doing. There was never a time where he was not looking me directly in the eye, and there is an intensity about him whether he’s answering questions, punishing opposing quarterbacks or setting the edge against the run game.

Speaking of the run game, through the six games when Nwosu was healthy last year, the Seahawks’ defense allowed just 87 yards per game. In the 11 games the rest of the way, they gave up almost twice as much on the ground (166 per game). That tells you how valuable Nwosu is in “setting the edge.”