KIRKLAND — Jimmy Williams has gone from fill-in starter to job seeker, though he might play tomorrow after only being signed by the Seahawks earlier this week.

Yet the smile on his face is an expression of relief and gratitude, because Williams is just happy to be back in the NFL. And coming from where he's been the past few weeks, Williams has a great deal to be thankful for.

The 26-year-old cornerback and return specialist is a native of Baton Rouge, La. He was a member of the New Orleans Saints when Hurricane Katrina leveled the city, and was with the Saints in Northern California for their final exhibition game before being released on Sept. 3.

He went home to Baton Rouge, where he and his wife, Chandra, connected with some of her displaced relatives. The part of New Orleans where Chandra is from was heavily flooded.

"It's pretty dark times down there in Louisiana, so it's kind of good for me to get away," Williams said. "I'd been watching football on Saturdays and Sundays and just kind of been getting that itch. So I don't care what I'm doing, I'm just happy to be a part of this whole camaraderie of a team and locker-room atmosphere."

Williams volunteered at shelters like the Baton Rouge River Center, where many of the New Orleans refugees were staying. He saw helpless senior citizens and children whose parents were missing. He donated money and any food or clothes he could gather.

After a short while, Jimmy and Chandra decided to take her relatives out of Baton Rouge and drive them to better conditions at Houston's Astrodome.

"They weren't really getting that good of assistance in Baton Rouge, so I loaded them up in the car and said, 'Let's go to Houston,' " Williams said. "Took them to the Astrodome, and we stood in lines. I really did walk the walk with a lot of the evacuees. I was just trying to do my part."

It wasn't long before the Seahawks called to offer him a tryout. Williams figured he'd just go back to Baton Rouge when it was over, but the Seahawks called him back with an offer to sign.

Meanwhile, Chandra is back in Baton Rouge at the family home, where some of her family members remain.

Josh Scobey had to wear the number of his friend and former teammate, Marcel Shipp, over his own jersey in practice this week, helping the first unit-defense prepare for what the Arizona Cardinals might show them tomorrow.

But it's just part of the business, Scobey said. The Seahawks' kickoff returner and reserve running back is looking forward to playing his former team.

"It'll be fun, man," Scobey said. "It's really ironic that they're in the same division and I get to play those guys two times in a year, so it's going to be special to me."

Scobey was released by the Cardinals and claimed by Seattle off waivers on Aug. 23. He spent his first three professional seasons with Arizona, but the Cardinals signed J.R. Redmond to take their kick-returning spot.

Redmond went on injured reserve less than a week later with a shoulder injury.

Scobey doesn't take the decision personally.

"I'm pretty sure he wants to put the guys in place that he wants," Scobey said, referring to second-year coach Dennis Green. "So you accept it and move on and go where you're wanted."

Game balls

Coach Mike Holmgren awarded six game balls from last week's win. They went to Darrell Jackson on offense, Rocky Bernard on defense and Isaiah Kacyvenski for special teams.

Other balls went to team president Tim Ruskell, for his first win as president, and temporary defensive coordinator John Marshall. The sixth went to Ray Rhodes, for whom Marshall is filling in. Rhodes will not be calling signals from the coaches' booth at Qwest Field tomorrow, but will be at the game in an advisory role.

Teammates chanted "Rudy! Rudy!" at Kacyvenski as he accepted his award. The linebacker got the nickname as a rookie, because of his breakneck style of play, and it resurfaced this week in print.

Rhodes never got on the field for practice this week as expected, though he watched from inside team headquarters and worked all week.

Notes

• TE Itula Mili still needs to build his strength back up, and isn't likely to play tomorrow.

• LB D.D. Lewis and Bernard, both from the Houston area, said their families were able to get out of the city safely before Hurricane Rita was expected to hit the Texas Gulf Coast region early this morning.

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