The Olympian Logo

The long road to recovering | The Olympian

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • Customer Service
    • About Us
    • Buy Photos and Pages
    • Contact Us
    • Plus
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Newsletters
    • Newspaper in Education
    • Subscribe
    • Subscriber Services
    • Archives

    • News
    • Business
    • Crime
    • Databases
    • Death Notices
    • Education
    • Local News
    • Military News
    • Obituaries
    • Politics & Government
    • State
    • Traffic
    • Watchdog
    • Weather
    • Opinion
    • Cartoons
    • Editorials
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Opinion Columns
    • Submit a Letter
    • Sports
    • College
    • High School
    • Mariners
    • Preps Stats
    • Seahawks
    • Sounders
    • UW Huskies
    • Politics
    • Living
    • Announcements
    • Food
    • Health & Fitness
    • Home & Garden
    • Travel
    • Entertainment
    • Arts & Culture
    • Comics
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Events Calendar
    • Horoscopes
    • Movies
    • Restaurants
    • Outdoors
    • Fishing

  • Classifieds
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Cars
  • Homes
  • Place An Ad
  • Mobile & Apps

Seattle Seahawks

The long road to recovering

BY DAVE BOLING; Staff writer

    ORDER REPRINT →

August 19, 2010 09:44 AM

RENTON - When you see his fluid hip turn, the mirror coverage on a receiver, and the nice pop delivered when he makes contact, rookie Walter Thurmond elicits visions of a young Marcus Trufant when he joined the Seahawks eight years ago.

His diving sideline interception in a recent practice, for instance, ranks among the most impressive and athletic plays of training camp.

But there is one accessory to Thurmond’s look that spoils the parallel to Trufant: The clunky, offensive-lineman style brace on his right knee.

Trufant was a first-round draft pick from Washington State. Thurmond arrived from Oregon at the cost of a fourth-round pick ... the discount caused by three prominent scars carved across that knee.

SIGN UP

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The Olympian

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

“Honestly, we thought Walter was one of the top handful of corners in the draft,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. “Had he been healthy, we think he would have had a chance to be a very high draft pick.”

Had he been healthy ... yes.

Thurmond had been such a playmaker for the Ducks – returning five career interceptions or kicks back for touchdowns – he was named a 2009 preseason All-American and put on the national award “watch” list for defensive backs.

Taking the opening kickoff against Cal last September, the future was wide open for Thurmond. Until somebody missed a block, and Thurmond was flipped into the air by a hit on the right side of the knee. He didn’t see the man coming.

“Everything went POW!” he said.

Going on instinct, he stood and tried to trot off the field. The knee buckled.

The results of his MRI didn’t arrive until 7 the next evening. Three cruciate ligaments – the ACL, MCL and PCL – were all torn, leaving only the lateral collateral ligament holding the joint together.

“When they told me, I broke down,” Thurmond said. “My senior season was gone. I had worked so hard to get into the best shape of my life. ... Yeah, I was crying, and it was tough.”

The timetable for recovery? Who knew? A year ... forever?

He was told that the recovery for a regular ACL tear would be roughly eight months. But with everything else shredded in the knee, the prognosis was speculative.

“After I left Oregon, I went to Alabama with Dr. (James) Andrews’ people, and I started rehabbing all day, doing whatever I could to get the knee as strong as possible,” he said.

Typically, the workouts went from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., five days a week “... doing everything I could to get back to where I could play.”

Thurmond was invited to the scouting combine in February, where he was thoroughly examined, but was not yet ready to prove he could run.

“He should be a highly valued cornerback ... if his knee is completely healthy,” read the summary from the NFL draft prospects report.

The uncertainty left Thurmond on the board until the fourth round.

“Sure, being a competitor, I wanted to go higher, regardless of the knee,” he said. “But I know I was fortunate they picked me. It’s an opportunity and you can’t ask for more than that.”

Carroll touted his “speed, athleticism and kick-return ability,” and believes his quick return and aggressive play could make him one of the steals of the draft.

“He’s just an active, physical kid and he continues to make things happen,” Carroll said. “So that’s a great sign for us, and is just another great pickup for us, I hope, if he can continue to do that stuff.”

Until Thurmond can get on the field and stay healthy, he’ll be shadowed by that lingering “if.”

Like so many others picked up in the Hawks’ offseason bargain-shopping spree of rehabbers and reclamation players, Thurmond carries a risk.

But plays like he’s been making during camp and early preseason hint of a impressive potential reward.

  Comments  

Videos

Shaquem Griffin shares moment with young boy with one hand

Pete Carroll talks about how Seahawks’ rebound season ended in first round of playoffs, where he feels they are going

View More Video

Trending Stories

Woman dies after wreck on highway in Thurston County

February 17, 2019 11:20 AM

Infant girl, plus woman holding her, suffer gunshot wounds after man ‘shows off’ handgun at party

February 17, 2019 09:48 AM

Where’s the Lacey Albertsons? It’s gone, now that senior housing project is under way

February 18, 2019 02:53 PM

Woman who died in Thurston County wreck has been identified

February 18, 2019 04:59 PM

Local business owner says she is running for Lacey City Council

February 18, 2019 02:03 PM
Local display advertising by PaperG

Read Next

Settlement with Colin Kaepernick shows NFL money can buy anything. Including silence

Sports

Settlement with Colin Kaepernick shows NFL money can buy anything. Including silence

By Gregg Bell

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 15, 2019 05:50 PM

The NFL’s settlement of its grievances with Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid shows the league that basically prints money can buy anything. Including silence, first on concussions and now on possible collusion.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The Olympian

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

Defense, defense, defense: Latest mock drafts have Seattle Seahawks taking a defender at No. 21

Sports

Defense, defense, defense: Latest mock drafts have Seattle Seahawks taking a defender at No. 21

February 13, 2019 02:21 PM
New spring AAF league begins. Why Pete Carroll, Seahawks, many in NFL are hoping it succeeds

Sports

New spring AAF league begins. Why Pete Carroll, Seahawks, many in NFL are hoping it succeeds

February 08, 2019 07:43 AM
Seahawks Guarantee Friday: Cash for Kam Chancellor, four other veterans--and a snowcam for us

Sports

Seahawks Guarantee Friday: Cash for Kam Chancellor, four other veterans--and a snowcam for us

February 08, 2019 03:08 PM
Here’s what early mock drafts have the Seahawks doing with the 21st pick in the 2019 NFL draft

Sports

Here’s what early mock drafts have the Seahawks doing with the 21st pick in the 2019 NFL draft

February 08, 2019 11:10 AM
Trading down to get more picks has been Seahawks’ M.O. For the 2019 NFL Draft, it’s imperative

Sports

Trading down to get more picks has been Seahawks’ M.O. For the 2019 NFL Draft, it’s imperative

February 06, 2019 08:56 AM
The Seahawks move that made Kevin Mawae a center--and now a Pro Football Hall of Famer

Sports

The Seahawks move that made Kevin Mawae a center--and now a Pro Football Hall of Famer

February 02, 2019 05:00 PM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

The Olympian App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Contests-Promotions
  • Vacation Hold
  • Rewards
  • Pay Your Bill
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Photo Store
  • Archives
Advertising
  • Information
  • Place a Classified
  • Local Deals
  • Place an Obituary
  • Today's Circulars
  • Special Sections
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story