Both of the kickers in Sunday’s Super Bowl, Denver’s Matt Prater and Seattle’s Steven Hauschka, failed in attempts to make it with the Falcons.
Back in 2007, Prater beat out Billy Cundiff for the job and made it to the second game of the season. But after missing field-goal attempts from 43 yards and 26 yards against Jacksonville, Prater was cut.
“Before Atlanta, I was down in Miami and I was only doing kickoffs,” Prater said. “I hadn’t been doing field goals for a long time, and I kind of got thrown right into the fire there.
“I had a couple of decent games. The last preseason game. A decent first game and then a terrible game in Jacksonville, and that was end of that experience for me.”
Hauschka was beaten out by Matt Bryant in 2009.
“Sometimes it has less to do with me and more to do with how they feel the team is and what their picture of the team is,” Hauschka said. “Matt Bryant is a great kicker. I didn’t feel that it was a knock on my confidence that they chose him over me.”
Lynch speaks: Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch gave his most lengthy interview of the week.
He couldn’t explain why he’s had some of his better games in the playoffs.
“I’m not sure, man,” Lynch said. “It’s not like I prepare any different. Couldn’t tell you.”
He’s also been impressed with the development of second-year quarterback Russell Wilson.
“You just hope for the best for him,” Lynch said. “It was probably during the preseason when he started showing flashes of it, and then his work ethic just took over. That was probably something that he knew a long time ago, but for me, just watching him progress, knowing he can still get better.”
He’s also fond of offensive line coach and assistant head coach Tom Cable, a former head coach of the Raiders.
“Well, being from Oakland, all I knew about him was that he punched people,” Lynch said. “That’s my type of person.”
Georgia corner: Denver linebacker Wesley Woodyard reflected on his days growing up in LaGrange.
“I remember being a kid, traveling from neighborhood to neighborhood. Me and my brother had a team,” Woodyard said. “We’d go play football against other kids in the neighborhoods. I’ve been playing football since I was 6. The Textile Bowl, that was our Super Bowl back in LaGrange, but it’s great to be on this stage.”
Seattle receiver Ricardo Lockette said he wanted to win the Super Bowl for “Albany, Georgia and Fort Valley State University.”
Robinson's a survivor: Seattle fullback Michael Robinson, a former Penn State quarterback, was sick and lost nearly 30 pounds before he was released by the Seahawks.
After recovering from a reaction to anti-inflammatory medication and regaining weight, he re-signed Oct. 22.
“There were moments when Michael thought he might not ever get another chance,” Seattle coach Pete Carroll said. “So when we did come back to him and we were able to get it together and all, it was very meaningful for Michael. He is a big factor on our team because we don’t have that many older guys, and he really stands for the old guard.”
Robinson, who went to the Pro Bowl in 2011, was extremely emotional after Seattle’s win over San Francisco in the NFC Championship game.
“You can see the emotion come out of Michael,” Carroll said. “He’s the guy that never thought, ‘maybe I’ll never get this chance again.’ Then he comes back to play, and he gets to play in the Super Bowl. I totally get it and respect it.”
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