Mike Holmgren

Mike Holmgren
Michael George Holmgrenis a former American football coach and executive, most recently serving as president of the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. Holmgren began his NFL career as a quarterbacks' coach and later as an offensive coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers, where they won Super Bowl XXIII and XXIV. He served as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers from 1992 to 1998, appearing in two Super Bowls, and of the Seattle Seahawks from 1999 to...
ProfessionCoach
Date of Birth15 June 1948
CitySan Francisco, CA
I did realize how hard it was. I think coaches realize it a little bit sooner than players do. I had hoped that we would have been able to do it a little sooner than we have done it, but you know things happen along the way.
It was a sad thing what happened to Kenny. The good part is that he has healed up. What his football future is, I can't tell you right now. I'm somewhat optimistic about it. He will be there with us Sunday. He has had an emotional impact on this football team before he was hurt and certainly after the injury. My hope and prayer is that he will be able to continue playing football next year.
That happens on occasion. You'll get a team signing somebody that skews, that's like Alex Rodriguez signing with Texas.
As I've told the team, ultimately you'll be judged by what happens and where you are at the end of the season. I understand why we are the underdogs, and there's really only one way to handle that. That's not by talking, it's by playing the game and seeing what happens.
You're not quite sure what's going to happen at that point. Do we miss Ken Hamlin? Certainly, we do. But Marquand Manuel has been better than good this season.
This happened every year I've coached in this game. By Thursday or Friday they get a little cranky and stuff happens.
I talk about that a lot. I think if you asked one of my players, they'd probably tell you I kill them with that stuff. Just being careful. It's the last thing I told them Sunday night after we broke from the stadium after the game. After this incident, it gave me another opportunity because they were listening. I mean for the guys who kind of tuned me out before, now I had everybody listening and we talked about it, which, I think, is my responsibility as a coach. You know these guys are my family, and it would be like talking to your own kids, you don't want bad things to happen to them so let's try to help them a little bit.
It happens, because now you're down to one game, and anything can happen in any one game. But I think if you look over percentages over the last however many years, most of the times the guys that are playing at home have the advantage. So we're choosing to look at it that way.
I think the world of him and I think he is a really good football player. I set the bar very high for him. Anytime he falls short of that, fair or not fair, I will talk to him about it. He is a wonderful guy ... and he wants to do well. To go with his physical ability, all the things you have to do to be a great player, it should happen for him.
I've very, very proud of the job he has done. He is stronger and better because of some of the tough things he had to go through. He and I kind of banged around a little bit, but we're in a good place now.
It would be an understatement to say I'm not happy about this.
It was uncharacteristic of my team to have that many penalties. We had a touchdown called back, a pass to the 1 called back and a punt return called back. That's tough. That's hard to overcome.
It was a nice second half. The team played very, very well, especially in the second half.
The Seattle football fans have probably gone through some stuff in their history, ... and now we want to give our fans a team they can be proud of, where they can be excited about it, talk about it and have hope.