Three cheers for Pork Chop Womack

CHENEY — Lenna Womack wasn't rich. Raising her son Floyd in Cleveland, Miss., she couldn't pamper him with cars and clothes and big-screen TVs.

But she gave Floyd everything she had. In fact, she gave the neighborhood everything and anything it needed. And Floyd Womack watched her selflessness, saw her generosity and learned from her.

"Growing up watching her, she did a lot of things for people and never asked for anything in return," the Seahawks guard said Monday, after two grueling training-camp practices. "She was just being a good person."

She taught her son that life wasn't all about him. It was about lending a hand. Doing what you can do. It was about giving up some glory to make the people around you better.

"She would give anything away," Womack said. "She'd give away her leg if you needed it. Pretty much with everything, if she wasn't using it, you could have it. And I'd watch her and think, 'Why are you doing that? It's all we have.' But she was just that type of lady."

Womack learned Lenna's lessons well.

He has sacrificed himself for his team's success. Spent summers playing out of position while Walter Jones held out. Spent much of last autumn hurt, on the sideline, watching Sean Locklear take his job.

For the last five seasons, Floyd "Pork Chop" Womack, 27, has been the ultimate teammate.

When Jones held out in 2002, '03 and '04, Womack moved from guard to left tackle in training camp and the exhibition seasons, knowing that even though it was helping the team, it was restricting his growth. Knowing that when the season began Pro Bowler Jones would return and reclaim his job.

Womack never complained. He kept working to get better.

Last summer, he was expected to be the starting right tackle. It was supposed to be his big break.

But he injured his left triceps muscle before the season started, lost his job to Locklear and spent most of the season watching his teammates' march to the Super Bowl.

He never complained. He worked to get healthy.

"He's a guy that you know he wants it," center Robbie Tobeck said. "But he's a team player. He comes back last year and all of a sudden Locklear's got his job, but him and Locklear are friends and he helps Locklear any way he can.

"I mean, Pork Chop makes a couple of jokes out of it. You know, 'You stole my job,' that kind of thing, but it's all in fun. So it's good to see him coming in, from Day One this year, with an opportunity, once again, to be the guy. I'm looking forward to him staying healthy and getting it done this year. I'm happy for him that he's got the opportunity."

This summer, Womack is the heir apparent to Pro Bowl left guard Steve Hutchinson's job.

Another summer. Another position. Another opportunity.

"He's had to sacrifice a lot," coach Mike Holmgren said.

Want to root for someone this summer? Want to pick a Seahawk to watch and root that he can play a full season, injury-free and share in more of the celebrations from September into possibly another February?

Cheer for Pork Chop.

Cheer for him, because there's no "I" in Pork Chop. There's no overblown ego. There's no look-at-me.

"Chop's the kind of guy who believes that things happen for a reason," Locklear said. "He helped me out more than anybody. During the games he was watching me. Even from the preseason, he was giving me all the keys. He's all about, 'If I can't play, we need somebody in there to get the job done.' He's a team player.

"When the season was about to begin and he figured out that he wasn't going to play, he came up to me and said, 'The coaches believe in you. If they didn't think you could play, they wouldn't put you out there.' That's all he said and it meant a lot."

Womack probably would have loaned Locklear a leg, if he thought it would help. Anything to make the Seahawks better.

That's what Lenna would have offered. That's just what good neighbors and good teammates do.

Steve Kelley: 206-464-2176 or skelley@seattletimes.com