Vallos makes move into Seattle lineup

By Joe Scalzo

The Boardman native began on the practice squad, then started the last five games.

Nobody can say Steve Vallos got an easy start in the NFL.

The Seattle Seahawks offensive lineman was a seventh round pick in 2007 and spent his first season in the league on the practice squad, which combines the glamour of not suiting up for games (practice squad players do get game tickets, which they often won’t use) with the celebrity that comes with being a developmental backup guard.

“You try to tell people you’re on the team, but you don’t go to the games with the team,” said Vallos, a Boardman High graduate who started every game at tackle during his four years at Wake Forest. “It’s a weird feeling.”

He came to training camp this summer as a guard fighting for a roster spot, then become the starting center for a few weeks during the preseason when backup Chris Gray retired and starter Chris Spencer went on injured reserve. He was the team’s sixth lineman for the first 11 games, then got his first start on Thanksgiving Day against Dallas when Spencer suffered a season-ending injury.

He started the final five games at center, going head-to-head with Cowboys NT Jay Ratfliff (a Pro Bowl starter), Dallas backup NT Tank Johnson (a two-time Pro Bowler), Patriots DT Vince Wilfork (last year’s Pro Bowl starter), Patriots DE Richard Seymour (a five-time Pro Bowler who shifted inside when Wilfork got hurt), Rams DT La’Roi Glover (a six-time Pro Bowler) and Jets NT Kris Jenkins (a four-time Pro Bowler).

The 6-foot-3, 312 pound Vallos was usually giving up at least 25 pounds, while trying to get used to the speed of the NFL game after essentially sitting out a year. He also had to make all the line calls while adjusting to a new group of linemen. By the end of the year, Seattle had backups playing all five line positions since all five starters were on injured reserve.

The Seahawks went 4-12, by the way.

“Yeah, that had a little to do with it,” said Vallos of the injuries.

Still, Seattle won two of its last three games and after a few hiccups against the Cowboys, Vallos felt he held his own in his five starts.

“It was definitely a good year for me,” he said. “The first game [against Dallas] was a little rough. I hadn’t done that [play extensively] in a long time and it took a while for everything to get back to normal.

“There’s a lot of pressure on the center to make all the calls and we played a lot of good players. But for learning on the go, I thought I did well.”

Seattle coach Mike Holmgren retired after the regular season finale and will be replaced by former Falcons coach Jim Mora. The team also has a new offensive coordinator in Greg Knapp, so Vallos will need to learn a lot of new terminology. But he already made a big jump in his development — particularly on the mental side — this fall.

For that, he credits offensive line coach Mike Solari.

“He’s really intense,” said Vallos. “He makes sure everyone knows everything. Last year I was focused on my assignment. Now I know mine and everyone else’s, which makes it a lot easier.”

Vallos spent this weekend in West Virginia on a ski trip but will be in Youngstown until March when offseason minicamps start.

“I’m still living with the parents and loving it,” he said.

When asked to compare Seattle to Youngstown, Vallos chuckled and said, “I don’t think there are too many places on earth like Youngstown. There’s a lot of good things and bad things and I miss a lot of things [about home]. It’s nice to get back.”

Vallos said the biggest difference between college and the NFL is the business aspect, where the guy in the locker next to you in August may not survive the afternoon.

“In college, your team is your family,” said Vallos. “The NFL is a whole different lifestyle. So many guys on your team have families and it’s a really cutthroat league.

“There’s 70-some guys in training camp and you’ve got to get down to 53. There’s probably 2-5 spots that could go either way. It’s a big deal when you’re providing for your family.”

Consequently, Vallos feels a lot better heading into this offseason, where he has five starts under his belt and a better feel for his role.

“I think I really helped myself this year,” he said.

scalzo@vindy.com