Plucky Ex-Duck Knows It Takes More Than Luck -- Fenner's Holdout Helps Keep Seahawks' Loville On The Run

KIRKLAND - In that hotel elevator in Green Bay last December, Derek Loville was well aware that Ahmad Rashad didn't know who he was.

So Loville said, "You set a lot of records at Oregon, but somebody broke them."

The NBC celebrity with Tacoma roots replied, "Oh, yeah, who?"

"Me," Loville said.

Loville, a gregarious, second-year running back with the Seattle Seahawks, is battling to stay on the payroll. Derrick Fenner's holdout is giving Loville extra training-camp opportunities.

Loville grew up in the San Francisco suburb of Pacifica, where his parents made sure he got plenty of athletic opportunities.

His father, who operates a cable car, and his mother, a credit analyst, "made a lot of sacrifices for me," he said.

"For football, I always got the cleats I wanted," he said. "I would tell them, `Hey, this is an investment. It's going to pay off.'

"They would say, `These cost $75; they'd better pay off.' "

They did.

Loville starred at Riordan High School in San Francisco and earned a scholarship to Oregon.

As a Duck, Loville erased Rashad's career records by scoring 272 points and rushing for 3,214 yards. His most memorable year was 1988, when Oregon beat Washington and USC in back-to-back games.

Loville, who never redshirted at Oregon ("Sometimes I wish I had," he said), was not selected in the 1990 draft. The Seahawks signed him as a free agent, which translates as two words - long shot. But he made the team and played in 11 games.

Technically, he became the first Seahawk rookie free agent to start a game because he was in for the first play at Chicago when the Seahawks used a spread formation.

Loville was left unprotected by the Seahawks in Plan B but turned down an offer from Green Bay.

"I felt more comfortable here," said Loville, whose responsibilities expanded five months ago when his girlfriend gave birth to his daughter.

At 5 feet 11 and 196 pounds, Loville is the elusive runner he needs to be, with quick feet and good cutting ability. He carried the ball only seven times last season but returned 18 kickoffs for an average of 19.9 yards.

This year, he is working on returning punts and blocking, a weakness because of his size.

"Derek has worked a lot in the weight room, and he's stronger and he's using a little more explosiveness engaging on the blocks," said Chick Harris, Seahawk running backs coach. "He's doing well. He's not intimidated by linebackers."

Loville describes himself as "real personable," and Harris confirmed the description.

"He's an excellent guy, real coachable," Harris said. "You'd like to have all your players like him, because he comes with a great attitude every day."

Loville said he has much more confidence this year.

"I'm confident about my play now and my blocking," he said. "I came into camp physically ready, and now I'm also mentally ready.

"Last year, I was physically ready, but it took awhile for me to grasp the whole mental aspect of being in the NFL. Now I know what to expect."