Hawks cornerback Marcus Trufant becoming young team veteran

KIRKLAND — Marcus Trufant might never be a vocal leader for the Seahawks defense. But five NFL seasons, a big, new six-year contract, a Pro Bowl and being the second-most tenured Seahawk on defense speak loud and clear.

Only defensive tackle Rocky Bernard has been a Seahawk longer among those defensive players atop the depth chart. And over those five seasons, the 27-year-old has grown both as a player and a person.

"It comes down to being focused," the Tacoma native and former Washington State player said. "Sticking to what I've been doing. No time to relax. No days off. I just have to stick to my guns and work hard and go out there and do my best."

True to his calm and businesslike nature, Trufant takes everything in stride. It helps that the cornerback can look around at his teammates on defense and see the same faces from last season.

The Seahawks seemed to always be adding and subtracting pieces to their defense in recent years as their offense remained largely intact. But now that scenario has flip-flopped with the big additions this offseason on offense, and the same 11 defensive starters from last season expected to maintain their spots in 2008.

Of those 11, only defensive end Patrick Kerney is unable to participate in camp, though Kerney is on the field running and rehabilitating an injury.

"That makes a big difference," Trufant said after the team's practice in heavy rain Thursday. "We did a lot of great things last year, we played a lot of good football. But I think with the core staying the same, I think we can build on that. That's going to be our goal, to do even better than we did last season."

Trufant has taken part in maybe a dozen minicamps. But he's still having fun and enjoys the camps because they get him back into game readiness.

"I do have a role. I'm coming into my sixth year now so some of the younger players are going to look up to me," he said. "But I just have to be about my football. I don't want to be out of character, do a whole bunch of big speeches and rah-rah-rah-type stuff. I just got to go out there and lead by example and play ball."

Notes

• Chris Cooper showed the Seahawks once before that he was too valuable to leave off the 53-man roster, and the veteran defensive end is back this offseason to prove it again.

The Seahawks released Cooper in September 2006 to make room for wide receiver Deion Branch, whom they had traded for two weeks into the regular season. Cooper landed with the Arizona Cardinals, and he took advantage of his chance to play. He even recovered a fumble that led to a Cardinals win over Seattle in December of that season.

Cooper, now 30, hung on for one more season with the Cardinals before being released earlier this year. The Seahawks came calling.

"It feels good," Cooper said. "That they asked me back means a lot to me, that maybe I can help them out a lot more than the last time I was here."

Cooper did not play in the two regular-season games he was with the Seahawks. He feels his past experience in an offseason with the Seahawks can only help him in his quest to make the team again.

"It makes it a little more comfortable, too, because you know everybody," he said.

José Miguel Romero: 206-464-2409 or jromero@seattletimes.com