Mili finding his A lot of things are shaking for the Seattle Seahawks this year.
place as veteran
with Seattle
The Kahuku graduate is
on pace to set career highsBy Nick Abramo
nabramo@starbulletin.comThey've got a new stadium and are playing in a new division. They're wearing new uniforms with new colors.
And they've got a new starting tight end.
Itula Mili, who is in his sixth season with the team, finally found a place in the starting lineup this year when longtime starter Christian Fauria signed with the New England Patriots.
"I love it," Mili said. "The stadium is bringing a lot of excitement to our club. Along with the new uniforms, it gives us a fresh start and a new image. This is not the old Seahawks and maybe this is it, maybe this is the year."
Despite all the newness, the team is struggling with a 2-6 record, but that hasn't dampened Mili's spirit.
"We are starting to put the puzzle together," said Mili, a former standout at Kahuku High School. "We're off to a slow start and stuff, but every game we're improving and haven't regressed. Little by little we're getting there, and soon I feel it's going to take off."
The bad news is the Seahawks are four games behind division-leading San Francisco. The good news is they're just one game behind the St. Louis Rams, who not too long ago were considered among the NFL elite.
Seattle is coming off a tough 14-3 loss to Washington, a game in which Mili had a career-best six catches for 71 yards from quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who took over two weeks ago for the injured Trent Dilfer.
The game marked the season's halfway point for the Seahawks, who are desperately trying to build some steam.
"It's still way down the road, but I feel good about us making the playoffs," Mili said before the loss to the Redskins. "That's always the goal."
Mili has two touchdowns this season, scoring in the first two games against Oakland and Arizona. He has 17 receptions for 150 yards and has a chance to break his career-high year in 2000, when he had 28 catches for 288 yards and three TDs.
Mili, who has eight career TDs, doesn't have a specific routine after scoring.
"People are saying 'Do this and do that,' " he said. "But all the touchdowns I've got so far, I didn't know what to do so I just spiked the ball and that's about it. A lot of people say I should do a Hawaiian dance or a haka or a Samoan slap dance. Eventually, I'll pick one."
Even though Mili doesn't have a signature TD celebration, he continues to gain the respect of coach Mike Holmgren.
"He is a veteran tight end," Holmgren said. "He has always had great talent as a pass receiver and I think he has improved his blocking potential. He's just a good football player."
Holmgren has his skeptics, but Mili isn't one of them.
"He's a tremendous coach who brings a lot of confidence to the team," Mili said. "He's like a wizard or a genius and knows the game in and out."
Mili is working hard to do what he can in order to leave the game with no regrets whenever that inevitability occurs.
"I really enjoy what I'm doing now," he said. "I want to play as long as I can, but everyone knows it doesn't last forever."
National Football League