Hawks are happy when Hannam leads block party
MIKE SANDO; The News Tribune
Published: October 15th, 2005 12:01 AM
KIRKLAND – The way he is playing, Ryan Hannam won’t need to update his résumé anytime soon.
But if the Seattle Seahawks’ fourth-year tight end ever does need a reference for blocking, he could do worse than listing five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Walter Jones.
“He is probably one of the better tight ends who can block,” Jones said Friday. “He’s been taught well to keep his hands inside, and he does it well. … I think he takes a lot of pride in that.”
Having Jones endorse your blocking is akin to Chihuly saying you have a way with glass.
Hannam doesn’t look the part. The Seahawks list him at 6-foot-2 and 248 pounds. But when running back Shaun Alexander springs a long run, there’s a chance Hannam helped clear the way.
On a pass play last week, Hannam even walled off St. Louis defensive end Leonard Little, one of the more feared sack artists in the game.
“I don’t think the guys expect it coming from him,” Jones said. “He’s small and then he gets inside them and he don’t let go. … He’s done a great job blocking his guy.”
Coach Mike Holmgren has noticed. Jerramy Stevens is the starter, but Hannam has started twice this season when Seattle opened games in formations requiring two tight ends.
Hannam entered the season as the third tight end, behind Stevens and veteran Itula Mili. Mili has yet to return from an intestinal blockage, but he could be ready as soon as Sunday against the Houston Texans.
“We’ve been playing with two tight ends, which I wasn’t real comfortable with ever before,” Holmgren said. “But we’ve gotten through it. There are some special-teams decisions to make depending on when (Mili) comes back.”
Teams must name seven players inactive on game day, not counting the third quarterback. Mili was on that list for the Rams game.
Hannam won’t be landing on many fantasy football rosters, particularly with Stevens enjoying a breakout season. A fifth-round choice from Northern Iowa in 2002, Hannam has 15 career catches, including six in the first five games this season.
He dropped a pass against the Rams, a rare lapse that ran counter to his nickname.
“We call him ‘Sure-hands Hannam,’ ” Jones said.
The blocking is what keeps Hannam on the field. He has also fought back from a severe knee injury.
“Ryan is the best blocking tight end (on the team), in my opinion,” Holmgren said. “The other guys are OK. They’re fine.
“But Ryan is a pretty good blocker. Ryan is a good player. He has come in and played pretty well.”
Hannam lettered in football, basketball, baseball and track at St. Ansgar High School in Iowa. He put up respectable numbers as a running back.
“Nothing compared to the guys you can talk to around here,” Hannam said. “I ran for 1,000 yards, about 1,100 yards. For a big, slow guy, not bad.”
Seahawks press box
