Pair of Seahawks Nominated For NFL Rookie of the Week Honors
In this story:
On the heels of a monumental NFC West victory over the Cardinals on Sunday, Seahawks running back Ken Walker III and cornerback Tariq Woolen have been chosen as two of six nominees for the NFL's Pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Week honor in Week 6.
Along with Walker and Woolen, Jets running back Breece Hall, Giants defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux, Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe, and Commanders running back Brian Robinson also were nominated after standout performances this weekend.
Stepping into the lineup in place of an injured Rashaad Penny and making his first NFL start, Walker immediately made his mark in Seattle's 19-9 win on Sunday, rushing for 51 yards on his first two carries. While Arizona brought him down in the backfield several times, he rushed for 97 yards on 21 carries and scored a pivotal 11-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to extend the lead to 10 points with under 12 minutes left to play.
Showing off his explosiveness, elite contact balance, and overlooked power, Walker rushed for at least 17 yards on three different carries. The most impressive of those runs came in the third quarter when he took a handoff from Geno Smith and bounced outside to his right with several defenders bearing down on him as he approached the sidelines. Somehow managing to stay on his feet and inbounds, he broke through multiple tackles and turned a short pickup into a sensational 21-yard gain.
Wowed by his talent and athletic traits, coach Pete Carroll gushed about the dynamic rookie ball carrier in his post-game press conference and couldn't have been more enthused about his explosive starting debut.
"I thought Ken Walker showed you how legit he is," Carroll commented. "He's really a special runner, and he's going to have marvelous, miraculous runs. He's going to shock you with the things he does. He's so laterally gifted and breaking and bursting and all that. I thought that was great today."
Walker wasn't the only rookie he starred during Seattle's win, however. Picking up where he left off after recording an interception in each of the past three games, Woolen ran stride for stride with receiver Hollywood Brown on a go route in the fourth quarter and high-pointed Kyler Murray's fourth down pass for his fourth pick of the season to all but seal the victory.
Earlier in the contest, Woolen recovered a fumble created by fellow rookie cornerback Coby Bryant, who punched the ball out of Murray's hands at the end of a long run in the red zone. It marked the second straight week that the young tandem had worked together to force and recover a fumble for a key turnover.
Writing his name in the record books, Woolen became the first Seahawk since Brandon Browner in 2011 and seventh player in franchise history to produce a pick in four consecutive games. According to the Seahawks PR, he also became the first rookie since the 1970 NFL/AFL merger to have an interception and a fumble recovery in consecutive games.
After seeing Woolen create turnovers seemingly on a weekly basis, Carroll isn't surprised by his exploits at this point and expects him to continue getting better as he gains experience at a position he still only has played for a couple of seasons. Given how well he's already playing, that's a scary proposition for the rest of the league.
"He's comfortable now. He's feeling it," Carroll said of Woolen. "And so he's capable of - those aren't hard plays for him to make. He's just in the right place. And he's so dynamic as an athlete, he can get up and get off the ground on the high ball, and you really can't contest him. So it's pretty exciting."
Fans can cast their vote for the rookie of their choice via NFL.com and a winner will be announced on Thursday, October 20.
Hey, 12s! Get your Seahawks Tickets from SI Tickets ... HERE!
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Seahawks? Click Here to subscribe to AllSeahawks.com's Newsletter.
Follow All Seahawks.com on Twitter and Facebook
Make sure to subscribe to our daily podcast @lockedonseahawks today! Click here To Listen.
