TH E DEFE ND ERS
A Rough landing. When a 225-pound Seahawk like Michael Boulware takes down a 215-pound Ram like Marc Bulger, the Qwest Field crowd In Seattle can feel the rumble.
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.,. Bringing down an Eagle. Renaldo Wynn goes after the big prize for all defenders - the quarterback. In this case, It's Philadelphia Eagles' QB Donovan McNabb. In Renaldo's best game of 2004, he had nine tackles against the Eagles and sacked McNabb for a two-yard loss. 1/
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In 2005, he became even more comfortable at strong safety, recording 52 tackles and three interceptions through 11 games. On November 27, his interception of Eli Manning aided a 24-2 1 victory over the Giants and improved Seattle's record to 9-2. Raised in a strong Christian environment, Boulware says his faith has sustained him whenever faced with difficulties that threaten his confidence. In adjusting to the NFL he frequently turned to a special Bible verse. Michael says, "My favorite Scripture is I Corinthians 10:13. ' God is faithful ; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But, when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.' " Moving from receiver in high school to linebacker in college to strong safety in the pros has been a difficult transition. He's had to learn new angles in getting to the ball carrier, how to back-pedal, and to realize he is the last line of defense. Boulware explains, "At linebacker when I made a mistake I knew my safeties and corners were going to back me up. Now if I mess up, the only person who is going to help me is the ref." It was apparent he had all the tools and as his brother Peter, Pro Bowl linebacker of the Baltimore Ravens, says, "I think the move from linebacker to safety is one of the best moves Michael ever made. He is just so fast and athletic." Michael, in his humble, self-effacing manner, contends he is just an average safety. Some opponents would disagree. Last year against Miami, Boulware read QB A. J. Feeley's eyes and got a good break on the ball. He intercepted Feeley's pass and outgunned everyone for a 63-yard touchdown in a 24- 17 win. Afterwards Coach Mike Holmgren said, "Thank goodness for Michael Boulware. He made a wonderful play there and got us out of a jam." Three weeks later Boulware showed he had learned not to get overanxious
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and be fooled by trickery. He saw the Vikings' Randy Moss take the ball on a reverse that seemed to be a run. He stayed home and picked off the pass in the end zone, preserving a 27-23 lead. On October 9, 2005, Boulware experienced a scary time. After a helmet-to-helmet collision in the game against the Rams, Michael lay motionless on the field. Then he was carted off to a waiting ambulance. After being released from the hospital he said, "I was really concerned about being able to walk again and even the possibility of having to retire." But he knew that the prayers of his mom, Melva, who was his first Sunday school teacher, wife Jessica, and the rest of his family and friends were being offered up for him. The next week when the Seahawks played the Texans, Boulware was back in the action. As Boulware continues to improve as a pro football player and grow as a Christian, he says, "God is kind of locking me into a new season of faith." Influenced by his faith and performance, the Seahawks are thankful Michael Boulware has his back to the goal as their last line of defense.
RENALDO WYNN: One Tough Guy BY JOSH UA COOLEY
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• Renaldo Wynn has heard the stories of his grandfather countless times. There's the one when Whit Wynn, a West Virginia coal miner, got his hand caught in a conveyer belt and had to cut off two fingers so the rest of his hand wouldn't get mangled. Or the time when part of Whit's leg got severed by other machinery, causing a nearby coworker to faint from all the blood, while Whit made a makeshift tourniquet until help an·ived. "I just hear stories- my dad talking about him," Wynn says. "He said he was a tough guy, man." It runs in the family. When the Washington Redskins signed Wynn as a free agent in 2002, they got one of the most hard-working, blue-collar defensive ends in the NFL. That's not a polite way of saying Wynn is oven·ated either. Ask anyone in the Redskins organization, and they'll tell you the former first-round draft pick is the real deal, even if he doesn't always produce the glitzy statistics. "He's a guy that has been in this league a long time," Redskins defensive