Notebook | As a Seahawk, kicker Olindo Mare will get first look at Miami's visitor locker room

RENTON — Olindo Mare grew up just minutes away from the place where he'll be kicking Sunday, Dolphins Stadium. He was the perfect local-guy-makes-good story, spending 10 seasons with the Dolphins before departing in a trade after the 2006 season as Miami's all-time leader in field goals and scoring.

Mare, who is now with the Seahawks, has his kicking shoe from 1999 in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. That's the year he set an NFL record by kicking 39 field goals, though the record has since been tied and surpassed. Mare might be the most famous alum from a high school in Cooper City, Fla., if not for former supermodel Niki Taylor.

"The year I left, she became who she was," Mare said. "Everybody in the school knew she was a model."

As for his South Florida homecoming, Mare said it will be fun but still just another game.

"Never been on the other side of the field or in the [visiting] locker room," Mare said. "Had I left here next year and came back and played the Seahawks and knew 70 guys it would be different. I know maybe four or five guys [now with Miami]."

Rookie report

Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren was asked for an assessment of the Seahawks rookies this week.

Seattle has six 2008 draft picks on the roster, and five have appeared in games this season. Two are current starters — tight end John Carlson and defensive end Lawrence Jackson, who lost his spot but regained it because of an injury to Patrick Kerney.

Carlson is the Seahawks' leading receiver with 22 catches for 244 yards. He had a crucial drop last week, however.

"Clearly John Carlson is playing a lot and is making great progress," Holmgren said. "I thought he had his weakest game last week."

Holmgren mentioned that rookies are adjusting to the length of the NFL season — at this point, their college seasons would be nearly over, but the NFL season is at the halfway point. That, Holmgren said, "happens every year to every guy."

Jackson, Holmgren said, responded well to losing his starting job to Darryl Tapp in Week 7.

"Sometimes you have to come up here and take a step back before you can take the steps forward again just because of the difference of the game," Holmgren said. "You realize what you have to do to prepare on and off the field, those types of things. And that varies from player to player. I was very happy with how he looked at that change."

Fifth-round draft pick Owen Schmitt made his first NFL start last week in place of the injured Leonard Weaver. Schmitt has been used mostly on special teams.

"He's physical and the contact part of the game he enjoys, and he'll do that well," Holmgren said. "Learning the other things and just learning the offense, sometimes it can be a little overwhelming in the first year. I think he's handled it pretty well, though."

Defensive tackle and fourth-round draft pick Red Bryant has played in four games, but he sprained an ankle against Philadelphia on Sunday and will miss at least a few weeks.

"It's a shame he got the injury because he was getting his chance to play," Holmgren said. "He watched and practiced and earned a chance to play. We know he's very strong. He's disruptive inside. He's green as grass. But now, unfortunately, he has to wait for a while."

Justin Forsett, a seventh-round pick, was released and then brought back and placed on the active roster to be the punt returner. Holmgren said he was glad the team could get Forsett back and that he has been a good scout-team player in practice.

Note

• Things might not be going the Seahawks' way in terms of wins, but the team remains loose. That was evident in the spirited wrestling match that some of the defensive players got into in the locker room after Thursday's practice.

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