Seahawks | The "Silent Assassin" steals the spotlight

KIRKLAND — Being a cornerback is a little like being an offensive lineman.

The only time you get noticed is when you make a mistake or are part of a bad play. Chances for positive plays are few.

"You don't want them calling your name too often," Seahawks defensive backs coach Jim Mora said. "You don't want to be making too many tackles because that means they're catching the ball on you, and you certainly don't want to be on 'SportsCenter' tracking a guy into the end zone."

But unlike big guys up front, cornerbacks are in the spotlight, especially when covering a receiver one-on-one.

And ever so quietly, the Seahawks' Marcus Trufant is stealing that spotlight from many an opposing receiver.

Trufant leads Seattle in interceptions with three. But it's the team-high 12 pass breakups that really show how well Trufant has played this season. The number ranks in the top 10 for NFL cornerbacks.

"Marcus is progressing a little bit more each year, and that's what coaches like to see," said former NFL defensive back Rod Woodson, now an analyst for the NFL Network. "He still has a little way to go before he's considered in that elite group of top-five DBs in the league. ... There are a lot of teams who would like to have a corner like Marcus, who understands the game, is physical and who isn't afraid to take chances in the secondary."

Only three opposing wideouts have 100-yard games against the Seahawks this season, two in the same game. The Cincinnati Bengals' T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Chad Johnson had some catches and yards, but none for more than 35 yards. Trufant spent that Week 3 afternoon chasing receivers all over the field but was never burned for the big play, an effort in tandem with right cornerback Kelly Jennings that drew praise from coach Mike Holmgren.

"I still feel like I've got room for improvement," Trufant said. "Still working hard to get better."

Some fifth-year players might think they have done it all and can rely on talent alone. Trufant isn't one of those, and the best season of his career couldn't come at a better time for him. He can void the final year of his contract and become a free agent at the end of the season.

"He's having a fine year. He really is," Holmgren said. "I've always been a fan of Marcus. He has been a little bit of a lightning rod on defense at times, because one, he plays the position that's most visible. If you do have an error there at corner or a little mistake, or no mistake at all, ... it's one of the few positions on the team where people see that all the time."

Play speaks for itself

Trufant is the type of player the Seahawks prefer — a hard worker who lets his play do the talking and is a solid community figure. The off-the-field involvement was natural for the Tacoma native and Washington State graduate.

But it took the former first-round pick some time to learn how his position is played in the NFL. Now Trufant knows receivers' tendencies and routes and is better equipped to make plays on the ball.

"You get the basic chatter out there, anyway. Little trash talk here and there. But it's all the same deal," Trufant said. "We're both trying to work hard. Wide receivers are working hard, I'm working hard. I'm strictly business out there, just trying to get a job done."

Was it the haircut at the beginning of the season, when Trufant said goodbye to the braids he'd worn since his second year? Or the move from right to left cornerback this offseason that turned him from a player with good coverage skills to shutdown corner?

"The more you play, the more you see," he said. "You kind of narrow things down. That comes with experience."

Said Jennings: "He's kind of a silent assassin. He's making plays left and right each and every game and he's not making any mental errors."

Newcomers help

The steady play of the Seahawks safeties, Brian Russell and Deon Grant, deserves a little credit for Trufant's success. The two are frequently around the ball in pass coverage support and are the cornerbacks' security blanket. Trufant has learned from them and a long line of veteran cornerbacks that have come and gone from the Seahawks over his career.

"He is so professional about how he does things. This year, to me, he's mentally and physically tougher," Holmgren said.

"He's always been pretty good. But I think he's stepped it up. Some of that is now he's played a while and he's kind of played against everybody he could possibly play against at least once. Now, it just happens. It's his fifth year, or his fourth year, now he's on the verge of just, 'Vooom,' for another five years, hopefully."

Jose Miguel Romero: jromero@seattletimes.com