JERSEY CITY, N.J. -- Seahawks coach Pete Carroll this week pointed to pass rusher Bruce Irvin's springtime suspension for performance-enhancing drugs as a turning point in how Seattle has addressed its own rash of league-imposed bans.
Telling reporters that the team has leaned on group meetings, speakers, seminars and one-on-ones, Carroll said "working through that with our coaches and players, we really came together with a really simple thought: We're Seahawks 24/7."
Cornerback Richard Sherman -- who in 2012 won his appeal of a four-game suspension for the use of performance-enhancing substances -- explained Thursday what "Seahawks 24/7" means inside the locker room.
"It's just a saying. Guys are accountable 24/7," Sherman said. "Guys have to be accountable for their actions. Guys have to always abide by the rules, which we only have three: take care of the team; no whining, no complaining; and be early."
Said Sherman: "Those are the simplest rules ever. But guys have really embraced it this year and really taken care of one another, made sure that we kept one another out of trouble and made good decisions all year long. That's what it came out to. It came out in a meeting earlier in the season with all the nonsense that was going on, and guys really made a point to correct the mistakes that other guys had made and make sure they're accountable for their actions."
Both Carroll and Sherman exude optimism on the topic, but the fact is that Seattle has endured more PED suspensions than any other team in the league since the coach took over. We're also just two months removed from cornerbacks Brandon Browner and Walter Thurmond being suspended for violating the league's policy on substance abuse.
The track record is spotty, but the Seahawks -- from what we're hearing this week -- seem to believe they've turned a corner.
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