Itula Mili stays positive on the scout team

A one-handed grab over the middle, a few high-fives and cheers, and a reason to smile.

At long last.

Another win. A nice catch by his teammate, Jerramy Stevens, or a nice block by another tight end, Ryan Hannam. A reason to be happy, if only for a few moments.

But Itula Mili has always been straightforward, and he can't lie now. Not in his body language or his words.

Not playing is difficult. Not playing, especially when he is healthy, is rough. So Mili, a nine-year Seahawk who has been through the good and bad with this team, is trying to contribute to the team by serving on the scout team in practice and supporting his teammates from the sideline.

Such is Mili's role these days while the Seahawks keep it rolling with win after win, making play after play. He's been deactivated for all but one game this season and doesn't have a catch.

"I try to always stay positive," Mili said. "I think it's more crucial to be more of a team player, because you start thinking about yourself and I could easily get frustrated and easily get angry about the situation. ... I never even thought about being in this situation, but it is what it is. The more I dwell on it, the more it really affects me."

The man with the most catches and receiving yards in a season among all tight ends in team history missed the first couple of games because of a sudden intestinal blockage. Since Mili's recovery and return to playing shape, the team has found no place for him on the 45-man roster because of special-teams needs, and the fact Stevens and Hannam are having the best seasons of their young careers.

Stevens is closing in on Mili's records. All Mili can do is offer his expertise from experience and give a good look to the young defense in practice.

"I like 'Tula. He's a heck of a ballplayer, but things change fast in this league," wide receiver Bobby Engram said. "He can still play, it's just Jerramy's playing very well."

Engram and others try to keep Mili's spirits up. But Mili isn't the type to let it get to him. At least on the surface. Yet one can hear the frustration in his voice.

Mili and Stevens were very close in competition for the starting tight end job in training camp. Days before the opener at Jacksonville, Mili had to be hospitalized because of the blockage. He didn't go with the team on the trip.

Mili returned to practice two weeks later, but coach Mike Holmgren stressed the need for Mili to regain lost weight and strength.

Accounts vary — Mili said it took him only a couple of weeks to get back into good shape, while others say it took at least five.

"It's certainly not an easy deal for him because he wants to be there," tight ends coach Jim Lind said, "and it's just one of those things. The other two guys have been playing real well, and I guess we haven't given him a chance to get back out there."

Stevens can empathize. He was supposed to quickly supplant Mili after being chosen in the first round of the draft in 2002, but Mili wouldn't give up the job and kept his starting spot in 2002 and 2003. There were times when Stevens felt he wasn't being utilized enough and where his own inconsistent play opened the door for Mili to get an opportunity to shine.

"He knows how it goes and what to expect. I don't think he's letting it wear on him," Stevens said. "Obviously he's a competitor and he'd like to be out there competing and helping us win, but everybody has a different role to play at different times. When I was down a couple of years ago, he was there for me like, 'Yo, you know, just wait your turn. It will come. Be patient.' "

Mili can only keep working, waiting and hoping for an opportunity to be the reliable receiver he has been in the past. He's played as well as any Seahawk in the team's two playoff games the past two seasons, with 12 catches for 160 yards in those losses.

"I'm a firm believer in if it's not broken, don't fix it," he said. "I remember me being in that situation. I respect that stuff."

But there is solace and some satisfaction in helping others get ready for games.

"That gets me up every day to get in here," Mili said. "That's the biggest motivator for me. Selflessness. You come out here and you work, and you know you're not going to get in a game. The only game you get in is for other people. Inside it makes you feel good, too. You benefit from it somehow, some way."

José Miguel Romero: 206-464-2409 or jromero@seattletimes.com