'Anxious But Patient': Seahawks CB Riq Woolen Details Return From Knee Surgery
RENTON, Wash. - After finishing third in Defensive Rookie of the Year balloting and earning a Pro Bowl selection for the Seattle Seahawks last season, Riq Woolen has his eyes on a far bigger prize entering his sophomore season.
But before Woolen can make a push to emerge as the NFL's best cornerback, the 6-4 speed demon ironically has embraced the slow and steady wins the race mentally recovering from offseason knee surgery. Though he was officially activated off the PUP list by Seattle on Sunday, both the team and the player have exercised caution in his first few days back on the field, limiting him to walkthrough and individual drills.
“I’m anxious but at the same time, being patient," Woolen told reporters after Monday's practice. "I know when the time comes, it’ll be time for me to be out there. So far, I’ve been taking all the mental reps I can, and just doing whatever the coaching and training staff tell me to do. That way, we can follow the plan where I can come back healthy and at the right time."
Drafted by the Seahawks as a fifth-round pick out of UTSA, Woolen took the NFL by storm as a rookie. Jumping into the lineup at right cornerback in Week 1, he hit the ground running and never looked back, setting a franchise rookie record and finishing tied for the league lead with six interceptions, including returning a pick six in a road win over the Lions in Week 4, along with adding nine pass breakups and a trio of fumble recoveries.
Few could have foreseen Woolen, who only started playing cornerback midway through his college career with the Roadrunners after originally being a receiver, making such an instant star turn. But the perceived long-term project obliterated all expectations, even from chronically optimistic coach Pete Carroll, taking advantage of his rare blend of size, athleticism, and ball skills to produce a historic rookie season.
Unfortunately for Woolen, shortly after the start of OTAs and only a few days after his 24th birthday, the second-year defender felt a pop in his knee while walking between drills. Looking down, he noticed something sticking out of his knee and at first popped it back into place before attempting to do another play. At the end of that rep, he went to the ground and it "was poking out again."
“I was trying to bend my knee a little bit. It was a weird feeling, but at the same time, maybe it was a sign from God that I have to slow down a little bit and get more into the playbook," Woolen said.
Two days later, Woolen flew to Houston and underwent surgery, as doctors stitched a pocket in his knee and trimmed part of his meniscus. Quickly starting his rehab, he missed the rest of Seattle's offseason program, taking the time away to sharpen the mental side of his game.
Once Woolen reported for training camp in late July, though he had resumed full speed running and was close to being fully recovered, the Seahawks erred on the side of caution. Even with him now back on the field sporting a helmet, with a month until the regular season kicks off, Carroll and the medical staff aren't in any hurry to rush him back into the lineup and want to make sure he's 100 percent good to go before unleashing him.
“It’s great to get him back, Carroll said on Sunday. "His workouts have been extraordinary and we can’t keep him out any longer. He’s just too close. We’re still going to take care of him and make sure that we get him back to the football movements and football change of direction and things and more cover situations. He took individual today... This week it will be really quiet this week. We won’t give him a lot of work, but we’re stressing him in the workouts and the rehab work to make sure he’s getting there and he feels great. He’s really confident and we’re going to make him be begging to get back out there.”
With Seattle investing a top-five pick in Devon Witherspoon and returning veterans Mike Jackson and Tre Brown shining early in training camp, the team has a wealth of riches at cornerback. Even as Woolen watched from the sidelines in the first nine practices, the positional group has stood out as one of the team's greatest strengths, which has made it far easier to stay patient with his return.
Supporting his teammates from the sideline, Woolen has enjoyed watching Jackson, Brown, Witherspoon, and the rest of the cornerback group "out there balling," showing no drop-off without him. While he hasn't yet been able to participate in team drills, he has been observing his teammates closely with the goal of taking what they do well on the practice field and applying it to his game when he returns to action.
Once he's ready to cut it loose, Carroll assured Woolen would vault back into his starting spot at right cornerback, shooting down any possibility of a competition playing out for the spot against Jackson or anyone else.
“I'm not even looking at that right now, I just want to get him back out there," Carroll remarked. "He is a starter for us, he’s been a starter and he earned it. He did a great job last year, so I’ll just ease him back in. It depends on who is on his side at that time.”
From a personal standpoint, Woolen hopes to see his extensive time digging into the playbook, dissecting film, and enhancing the mental aspect of his game immediately pay dividends on the field. Already breaking out as an unexpected star a year ago and thriving in the Seahawks' secondary, with the game slowing down for him at a position he's still relatively new to, he's eager to see how big of a leap he can make with the objective of being the best in the sport at his craft.
As for what it will take reach the pinnacle of his profession, Woolen doesn't think there's a specific formula to attain his goal and right now, he's focused on getting back into the lineup and being the best teammate he can be. After proving doubters wrong as a rookie, he's not paying attention to changing narratives now comparing him to other top corners or any of the other noise being made outside of the VMAC, letting his game and talents speak for themselves between the lines instead.
“Honestly, it just takes playing your game you know. I just feel like I just play my game and I make plays. I’m pretty sure my teammates appreciate me making those plays. Just playing my game, I don’t know what it would take to be the best corner. I just keep doing myself, I can never be wrong and it’s showing. It paid off last year and I’m pretty sure if I keep working, it’ll pay off this year too.”
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