Seahawks Notebook: Bernard shakes things up

The dance dates all the way to his days at Texas A&M, and Rocky Bernard always dances the same dance when he records a sack. He moves his shoulders back and forth, shaking like a man possessed, wiggling and rumbling in a way no large man should be allowed to.

He calls the dance the "Sugar Bear Shake." And never was it more significant than Sunday, when Bernard notched three sacks, even though only two counted. A penalty negated the first.

"I'm glad the world got to see that," Bernard said of his dance.

He might as well have been talking to himself. That's why he broke into a barrel laugh before the question even finished. He knew the sacks he recorded against the Panthers were important for two reasons.

First and foremost, they helped the Seahawks defense shut down the Panthers. They also didn't hurt his upcoming bargaining position this offseason in free agency. Bernard has quietly put together the best season of his career, and he showcased that pass-rushing ability to a national audience this time.

"That's just not something I want to talk about right now," Bernard said, laughing. "I'm focused on going to Detroit and getting that win. We'll worry about that later."

"You really can't put it into words. It's really unbelievable."

Who's the MVP?


We asked users of seattletimes.com who should have been the MVP of the NFC Championship Game. Results of our unscientific survey, with 1,695 votes, by percentages:

• Matt Hasselbeck: 51

• 12th man: 18

• Lofa Tatupu: 13

• Shaun Alexander: 7

• Marcus Trufant: 5

• Mike Holmgren: 4

• Rocky Bernard: 2

• Darrell Jackson: 0

Tatupu turns it up

Lofa Tatupu, the Seahawks' middle linebacker, made quite an impact.

Tatupu intercepted a pass to set up a field goal in the first quarter. Later, when it looked like he had taken the worst of a violent collision with Carolina running back Nick Goings, Tatupu got up with only an equipment problem while Goings left the game "shaken up."

Goings never returned. Tatupu suffered a minor concussion, it was later revealed, but played on and finished with three tackles.

"Lofa did a great job," teammate Kevin Bentley said.

Tatupu wasn't talking after the game.

"I couldn't believe the hit to put the running back out of the game," Bentley said. "The collision was unreal. And once the running back went out ... now they were going to have to pass the ball, and [Jake] Delhomme made a lot of mistakes."

Perks of ownership

The Seahawks had a reason, it appears, for keeping a secret as to who would raise the 12th Man flag before the game.

Owner and chairman Paul Allen took to the south plaza in the third deck and raised the flag, then walked down to a railing and waved a rally towel to urge on fans as the Seahawks lined up for the opening kickoff.

"Raising the flag, that was an emotional thing for me, because they mentioned my father used to take me to Husky games as a kid," Allen said. "So that choked me up, and a lot of fans that were around there, they were saying, 'Thank you for everything you've done for the franchise.' It was a special moment."

Big day for Jerramy

Tight end Jerramy Stevens finished with six catches for 66 yards, including the game's first touchdown. The Olympia native's performance came eight days after he caught just two passes for 13 yards against Washington in the divisional round.

"I hope that I'm big in the game plan, but you never know how it's going to play out," Stevens said. "Once you get a couple of catches early, Matt [Hasselbeck] does a good job of getting the ball back to you."

Super Seneca

If Seneca Wallace wasn't the Seahawks' backup quarterback this season, he would have taken a crack at returning punts. He has that kind of athletic ability.

And he displayed that athleticism in the first quarter, catching a 28-yard pass up the sideline to set up the Seahawks' first touchdown.

"It was a tough catch," Wallace said. "I had to adjust my body to make sure that I got my hands on it."

More Manuel

Safety Marquand Manuel intercepted a pass in the first quarter and returned it 32 yards to the Carolina 17. He also recorded three tackles and batted down two passes.

"We thought the screen was coming," Manuel said of the interception. "It wasn't a screen. We got pressure. And I guess he [Delhomme] just didn't think I'd be there. And I made a great catch."

Super Bowl veteran

Hardly anybody knows Super Bowls like Seahawks receiver Joe Jurevicius, who turned 31 last month.

Jurevicius first played with the New York Giants, who lost in Super Bowl XXXV five years ago to Baltimore. Then he was on the Tampa Bay team that routed Oakland in 2003.

"I'm beginning to think I'm a good-luck charm," said Jurevicius, who signed with Seattle last March.

Jurevicius' last Super Bowl with Tampa Bay, in which he caught four passes for 78 yards, was fraught with personal tragedy, as his newborn son Michael William was seriously ill as the game loomed. The infant died March 24, 2003.

Said Jurevicius, "Back then, I had a lucky charm named Michael who was with me, helping me get my first Super Bowl ring. Now I've got a daughter, and if I can get this one, that ring's going to her."

Notes

• Rookie FB Leonard Weaver was among the Seattle inactives because of illness, the first game this season in which he didn't play.

• Actor Michael Clarke Duncan, who did broadcast voiceovers for the Seahawks before the season started, attended Sunday's game.

Times staff reporter Bud Withers contributed to this report.