Kerney's extreme effect

KIRKLAND — The glazed donuts arrive every Friday, provided by a rookie required to provide Krispy Kremes for the rest of the Seahawks' defensive linemen.

It has been a full season now, and no one has ever seen Patrick Kerney eat so much as a single donut.

"He's tempted, though," defensive tackle Craig Terrill said.

Kerney must be. He's a defensive lineman, after all, and men who start every play with their hand in the dirt don't usually count calories in the morning.

"You see that gleam in his eye," defensive end Darryl Tapp said.

But it has been six months now, and Kerney's donut total is just that. A donut. Zero.

"He's very disciplined," Terrill said, "very strong, focused on what he's doing. A good example for his teammates."

Kerney is a study in extremes. He's a millionaire who drives a Honda Accord Hybrid, a free spirit who attended a concert wearing a Speedo while in college at Virginia. He's 31 and goes to bed before 10 most nights during the week and then gets so amped up on game day he has trouble sleeping that night.

"There's always those three or four plays you want to have back," Kerney said.

Of course, there are also the 14.5 sacks Kerney made in his first season with Seattle. A total gaudy enough to earn the first All-Pro selection of his career and make the Seahawks No. 2 in the league in sacks. As a defensive end, Kerney sits at a crucial corner of Saturday's divisional playoff game. The Seahawks are one of the best pass-rushing teams in the league while the Packers are one of the best pass-protecting teams.

At 272 pounds, Kerney is strong enough to stand up to bull-dozing run blockers yet quick enough to chase down quarterbacks. He is built like a prototype left defensive end. It's his personality that really breaks the mold.

"He's probably not your typical NFL defensive lineman in terms of his lifestyle," said Jim Mora, the Seahawks assistant who coached Kerney in Atlanta.

Mora saw that his first day on the job with the Falcons when Kerney attended the news conference when Mora was introduced. Last March, Mora was aboard Paul Allen's private plane when the Seahawks flew Kerney to Seattle for a visit. Mora asked for an up-close view of Mount St. Helens and the pilots obliged by flying low enough to see the trees. It made an impression on Kerney, who happens to be a licensed pilot.

The Seahawks got more than a pass-rusher when they signed Kerney last March. They got a cornerstone.

"There's very few other NFL players that have it more together than he does on and off the field," linebacker Lofa Tatupu said of Kerney. "He's got it all figured out, I'll say that much."

Kerney's not stingy with those answers, either. He paired himself up with Darryl Tapp before the season even began. The two attended rival colleges, Kerney playing at Virginia, Tapp at Virginia Tech. They became quite a pair, Kerney luring Tapp to go run up Tiger Mountain along with Mora one weekend this offseason.

Competition isn't the right word for what Kerney brought. More like a challenge. In the weight room one afternoon, Tapp concluded a set of one-legged squats with six repetitions at 250 pounds. Kerney came over and asked Tapp if he was done. Then Kerney started using that weight for his warm-up exercises.

"Tapp wasn't going to be outdone," said Tatupu, who watched the back and forth.

Tapp went through the rest of Kerney's workout, the single-legged squats going well above 340 pounds, one bookend of Seattle's line challenging the other to keep pace.

But there's one category Kerney trails everyone. Donut consumption. Every Friday, rookie Brandon Mebane is responsible for bringing donuts to the defensive line's meeting. Well, not just donuts, but Krispy Kremes. Glazed Krispy Kremes. Consider it a sweet reward for seniority along the front of Seattle's defense, a temptation not too many of the men pass up.

"That's probably what kills me the most," Terrill said.

Not Kerney. It's been a full season, half a year, and no one's seen him eat one yet.

Danny O'Neil: 206-464-2364 or doneil@seattletimes.com