Eric the Red
Team HuskerBoard
Ex-Husker Stokes finds comfort in Super Bowl-bound Seahawks' front office
BY KEN HAMBLETON / Lincoln Journal Star
Finally a day off, tickets to the Super Bowl and nothing else on the agenda for Eric Stokes.
Lincoln East graduate Eric Stokes holds the George Halas Trophy, given yearly to the winner of the NFC, after the Seattle Seahawks defeated the Carolina Panthers to earn their first trip to the Super Bowl. Stokes, who briefly played for the Seahawks, is now Midwest-area scout and pro-personnel assistant for the team. (Courtesy photo)
The former Nebraska defensive back from Lincoln East has been traveling across the country on a daily basis in his role as Midwest-area scout and pro-personnel assistant with the Seattle Seahawks.
“This is going to be a fun weekend because I finally don’t have to do anything but sit back and watch the game with my wife, Tisa,” he said.
Meanwhile, his three daughters, Erisa, 5, Payton, 2, and 2-week-old Madison, will stay with Grandma Stokes in Woodinville, a Seattle suburb. Eric’s dad, Leroy Stokes of Lincoln, will attend the game.
Stokes recently has been at the Senior Bowl, matching college all-stars in Mobile, Ala.; at the East-West Shrine Bowl in San Antonio; and visiting a number of colleges around the country.
“This is so great that the Seahawks have made it to the Super Bowl because this is a team that never gave up and really pushed hard all season,” said Stokes, who played for the Seahawks and the Cleveland Browns before joining the Seattle front office in 2000.
Stokes started with the pro-personnel office, helping evaluate NFL players the Seahawks might be interested in getting in a trade or by free agency. He recently added the job of Midwest-area scout (for colleges) to his job.
“It was weird because when I was doing the pro-personnel job, I was running into all those guys I played with at Nebraska (1993-1996) and I was doing evaluations on them,” he said. “Now, I get to go to the colleges and I got back for some Nebraska games this last fall and got to meet the new staff there.
“It seems like they’ve got it going in the right direction at Nebraska. I was like a lot of people who thought it was really over after the loss to Kansas, but the Huskers put a mark on the season and had a great performance in the bowl game.”
Stokes said the Seahawks had a similar season.
“We lost to Washington on a missed field goal by Josh Brown and lost early in the season to Jacksonville, and each time this team bounced back and played harder and better than ever,” he said.
Stokes said he agreed with Seattle defensive end Grant Wistrom, a former Nebraska teammate, that the Seahawks may have sacrificed some talented players to get players who bought into the “team concept.”
“We’ve also been healthy, and you can bet that’s one of those things every Super Bowl team can count as a break in their favor,” he said. “We also have a group of players and front office people dedicated to building the best team possible.
“We’ve made our mistakes, with Koren Robinson, and we’ve learned and moved ahead with people of character as well as talent,” he said.
Stokes’ schedule will soon pick up steam. He will be deeply involved in Seattle’s scouting at the NFL Combine in a few weeks and will be back on college campuses in March for pro timing evaluations.
Reach Ken Hambleton at 473-7313 or khambleton@journalstar.com.
BY KEN HAMBLETON / Lincoln Journal Star
Finally a day off, tickets to the Super Bowl and nothing else on the agenda for Eric Stokes.
Lincoln East graduate Eric Stokes holds the George Halas Trophy, given yearly to the winner of the NFC, after the Seattle Seahawks defeated the Carolina Panthers to earn their first trip to the Super Bowl. Stokes, who briefly played for the Seahawks, is now Midwest-area scout and pro-personnel assistant for the team. (Courtesy photo)
The former Nebraska defensive back from Lincoln East has been traveling across the country on a daily basis in his role as Midwest-area scout and pro-personnel assistant with the Seattle Seahawks.
“This is going to be a fun weekend because I finally don’t have to do anything but sit back and watch the game with my wife, Tisa,” he said.
Meanwhile, his three daughters, Erisa, 5, Payton, 2, and 2-week-old Madison, will stay with Grandma Stokes in Woodinville, a Seattle suburb. Eric’s dad, Leroy Stokes of Lincoln, will attend the game.
Stokes recently has been at the Senior Bowl, matching college all-stars in Mobile, Ala.; at the East-West Shrine Bowl in San Antonio; and visiting a number of colleges around the country.
“This is so great that the Seahawks have made it to the Super Bowl because this is a team that never gave up and really pushed hard all season,” said Stokes, who played for the Seahawks and the Cleveland Browns before joining the Seattle front office in 2000.
Stokes started with the pro-personnel office, helping evaluate NFL players the Seahawks might be interested in getting in a trade or by free agency. He recently added the job of Midwest-area scout (for colleges) to his job.
“It was weird because when I was doing the pro-personnel job, I was running into all those guys I played with at Nebraska (1993-1996) and I was doing evaluations on them,” he said. “Now, I get to go to the colleges and I got back for some Nebraska games this last fall and got to meet the new staff there.
“It seems like they’ve got it going in the right direction at Nebraska. I was like a lot of people who thought it was really over after the loss to Kansas, but the Huskers put a mark on the season and had a great performance in the bowl game.”
Stokes said the Seahawks had a similar season.
“We lost to Washington on a missed field goal by Josh Brown and lost early in the season to Jacksonville, and each time this team bounced back and played harder and better than ever,” he said.
Stokes said he agreed with Seattle defensive end Grant Wistrom, a former Nebraska teammate, that the Seahawks may have sacrificed some talented players to get players who bought into the “team concept.”
“We’ve also been healthy, and you can bet that’s one of those things every Super Bowl team can count as a break in their favor,” he said. “We also have a group of players and front office people dedicated to building the best team possible.
“We’ve made our mistakes, with Koren Robinson, and we’ve learned and moved ahead with people of character as well as talent,” he said.
Stokes’ schedule will soon pick up steam. He will be deeply involved in Seattle’s scouting at the NFL Combine in a few weeks and will be back on college campuses in March for pro timing evaluations.
Reach Ken Hambleton at 473-7313 or khambleton@journalstar.com.