KIRKLAND, Wash. – Seahawks free safety Ken Hamlin was hospitalized with a fractured skull and a blood clot in his brain when the Cowboys came to Seattle last season.
Hamlin, who suffered the injuries in a fight outside a Seattle nightclub, made a full recovery and has regained his status as one of the leaders of the Seahawks' defense. He ranks second on the team with 96 tackles and leads Seattle with three interceptions.
"Off the field, there are some things that I've done differently," Hamlin said. "But on the field, I think I still play the same. I made up my mind that when I did get back out there, I wasn't going to hesitate."
Hamlin, a fourth-year player from Arkansas with a reputation for being a big hitter, wasn't cleared to participate in contact drills until midway through training camp. He sneered when teammates talked to him about taking it easy.
The 6-2, 209-pound Hamlin is the backbone of a banged-up secondary entering the playoffs.
"He's a guy that other teams have to know where he is at all times," middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu said. "No. 1, he'll knock you out. And No. 2 he's an athlete that will make big plays. When things aren't going well out there, he'll come out of nowhere to make a big hit or do something to set the tone."
12th Man compromise: The Seahawks reached an agreement with Texas A&M in May over the use of the term "12th Man" in reference to the teams' fans. Per the agreement, the Seahawks acknowledge A&M's ownership rights of the trademarked phrase. The Seahawks continue using the phrase in marketing and promotions under license with A&M.
A&M filed the lawsuit in February. A restraining order had been issued the week of the Super Bowl forcing the Seahawks to halt usage of the phrase.
The Seahawks retired No. 12 in honor of its fans in 1984. A 12th Man flag has been raised at every Seahawks home game since Oct. 12, 2003.
Home hasn't been sweet: The Indianapolis Colts are the only team with a better home record than Seattle (26-6) during the last four regular seasons.
The Seahawks, however, lost their last two games at Qwest Field. San Francisco and San Diego beat Seattle in back-to-back weeks last month. The Seahawks had a 12-game home winning streak snapped by Minnesota earlier this season.
Briefly: Outside linebacker Julian Peterson, who has a team-high 10 sacks, missed Thursday's practice because his girlfriend is about to give birth to their child. ... Outside linebacker Leroy Hill (concussion) was upgraded from questionable to probable.
E-mail tmacmahon@dallasnews.com
