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Seahawks defense could be helped by Tubbs

Sweat poured down his face, the kind of salt-soaked shower that forces you to blink and wipe your brow and squint to see your inquisitor. But Marcus Tubbs wasn`t worried about the after-affects of another heated Seahawks practice. He was letting something else out. Something called heart. And soul. Remember Marcus Tubbs? The big fella out of Texas? The defensive tackle labeled a first-round bust by many after a rookie year in which he played just eight games and recorded 13 tackles?

The 24-year-old Texan proved just one thing last year. He`s human. It`s a simple fact that fans and media sometimes forget when judging athletes who carry high expectations and aspirations. Heading across the country to his first job at a time his mother was fighting for her life took something out of Tubbs, as it would anyone with a beating heart. He arrived at training camp late, overweight and unprepared to deal with the NFL. He pulled a hamstring, began working his way into shape during the season and then sprained his ankle.

And then his mom died back in DeSoto, Texas, her six-year struggle with breast cancer finally coming to an end.

"It was by far the hardest time in my life," he said. "I don`t think a lot of people really understood what I was going through. At no time was I looking for sympathy. I just wanted people to respect my situation. At times I felt some people didn`t understand. But it`s all behind me. I`m just ready to move on. I`m looking forward to helping the Seahawks."