Seahawks' Julius Jones fired up to face former Cowboys teammates

RENTON — This is the game for which Julius Jones has waited since he signed as a free agent with the Seahawks in March.

Thursday, Jones, a running back who spent his first four NFL seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, will line up against guys he knows well from the team that he felt coldly cast him off in the offseason. Nothing personal, right?

Wrong.

As far back as training camp, Jones had talked about having a chip on his shoulder and running with purpose against his old team.

"There are just some things that I'll never forget that happened to me there," he said in August. "And I'm going to play like that. And they're going to be able to tell, and you guys will be able to tell, too."

On Tuesday Jones softened that stance, saying he's looking forward to the opportunity to play against the Cowboys and that he will try to control his emotions.

"Towards the mid-part of the season, I knew that I was going to be going somewhere else," Jones said Tuesday at Seahawks headquarters. "My time had passed in Dallas. But that's just the nature of the beast. It's business, and it was definitely a learning experience for me."

At least Jones goes to Dallas — where he still keeps a house and is a neighbor to former teammate Terence Newman — knowing that he will get carries. Maurice Morris got the start last week in the Seahawks' home loss to Washington. This week it's Jones' turn to start.

Morris rushed for 103 yards on 14 carries, Jones 21 on two touches. Morris will be the backup but will play Thursday.

Coach Mike Holmgren was asked if the fact that Jones was facing the Cowboys factored into the decision to start him.

"It absolutely figured in on whether he started," Holmgren said. "Heck, we've made many trades and gotten players from other teams, and when they get a chance to go in and play against their friends that they made on other teams, it's a special game for those guys ... Julius is no different. I just think it's the fair thing to do."

Jones was phased out in favor of Marion Barber last season after rushing for 1,084 yards in 2006. When the season ended, Jones was told that the Cowboys couldn't afford to keep him and Barber.

"Julius is a good back," Dallas coach Wade Phillips said. "Marion made the Pro Bowl last year. He just showed what he could do, and it was hard to keep him out of the game. We started using him more and more as the year went along, and he had 130, 140 yards in the playoff game.

"Marion made the Pro Bowl last year, so everybody recognizes what a strong runner and player he is," Phillips said. "If you had to pick one, that's the guy we picked."

Jones is trying to be patient.

"It'll definitely feel good to play those guys, all my old friends," he said. "It's an exciting time for them, too. I've talked to them this week, and they're excited for me to come back and play against me, too."

Notes

• Seahawks C Chris Spencer missed Tuesday's practice with a sore back, which caused him to miss some practice time last week. If Spencer can't play, second-year center-guard Steve Vallos would step in as the starter. "Who would have thought?" Vallos said. "I'm just going to have fun."

• LG Mike Wahle is likely out for Thursday's game with a continuing shoulder problem, and Holmgren hopes to have him back for the New England game Dec. 7.

• Cowboys QB Tony Romo will likely have to wear a splint over the broken little finger on his throwing hand but is close to getting the protective device removed.

• Former Seahawks DTs John Randle and Cortez Kennedy have been named semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2009. They're among 25 players on the list of candidates.

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