Shorewood: Family Tradition -- Mike Is Last Of Four Rockey Brothers To Play T-Bird Football

-- SEATTLE

The Shorewood Thunderbirds are more than Mike Rockey's football team. To the junior running back, the green and blue uniform is more than a symbol of team. It symbolizes community. It stands for family tradition.

After all, Mike Rockey is the fourth member of his family to have an impact on the Shorewood High School football team.

"I started going to Shorewood football games when I was three years old, when the school first opened, because my oldest brother was on the team," Rockey said. "I grew up watching football here."

Rockey said Friday night football games have been a regular part of his life, and he looked forward to the day he could play instead of watch.

"To me, high-school football has always been much more exciting to me than colleges or the pros because so much of the game is about community. It's like having your entire neighborhood sitting up there in the stands and rooting for you. It's a great feeling."

Rockey's oldest brother, Brian, said he and his brothers had a mini-Shorewood uniform made for Mike when he was six or seven, and took him to games as a mascot.

"We even got decals for his helmet, and after the games we'd get out there and play tackle with him," Brian said. "It's kind of a joke for us now. Mike gets embarrassed by it, but we can't believe that that's him out there now."

Rockey's uniform is now regulation size, and he has proved more difficult to tackle now, a decade later. He has rushed for 440 yards in three games and has scored three touchdowns for the Thunderbirds, 0-1 in the Western AAA Conference, 2-1 overall.

Having a Rockey play outstanding football is nothing new for Shorewood. Brian was a standout linebacker and offensive lineman for the Thunderbirds. Steve followed and played quarterback. Dean was an all-state running back.

"Dean and I play the same position, but I could never compare myself to him. First, he was 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds when he played," said Rockey, who is three inches shorter and 15 pounds lighter. "He was so much faster than I could ever be. My best time in the 40-yard dash was 4.7 seconds. Dean ran a 4.4 in pads."

Shoreline District athletic director Rich Gustafson has watched all four brothers play for Shorewood, and he sees similarities between Dean and Mike.

"They both love to run over people," he said. "They're both quick and strong.

"Sometimes I think he likes to run over people just to feel like he's getting even with his older brothers. The reason Mike is so tough is that he's had to put up with those three older brothers growing up."

Shorewood Coach Mark Kreutz, who was a student assistant coach during Brian's senior season in 1977-78, said the biggest comparison for Rockey is not with his brother, but with last year's standout runner, Avery Slaughter.

"Mike isn't the power runner Avery was; there aren't many runners who are," he said. "I'd describe Mike as more of a slasher."

Rockey said he hears the comparisons to Slaughter, but he tries to ignore them.

"I don't compare myself to Avery; other people do that for me," he said. "I've tried hard to create my own identity, to be the best football player I can be and not try to be what Avery was."

Kreutz said he has been pleased with the way Rockey has blossomed as a junior.

"We knew Mike had the kind of ability he's displayed so far," he said. "We just didn't know when it would show up on the football field."

Still, yesterday's practice was tough, after the team's 20-0 upset loss at home to Marysville-Pilchuck Friday night.

Mike Rockey rushed for 99 yards, but Kreutz said the team wasted that performance with crucial fumbles inside the Tomahawks' 20-yard line.

The offensive and defensive line drilled until players were gasping and dripping with sweat, and the entire team ran through conditioning drills before retiring to go over game films.

"Losing that game hurt," offensive tackle Kim-Ho Barnes said. "We try to live our motto, `Together As One,' but losing is kind of personal. We're going to have to move it up a couple notches."

Rockey agreed.

"We're going to have to come back and play as hard as we can the rest of the way," he said. "We can't afford to have another game like that."

Having big, experienced players such as the 6-2, 280-pound Barnes opening holes is Rockey's biggest help on the field.

But Brian Rockey insists his youngest brother's biggest advantage is found within the family.

"Mike's biggest attribute, or maybe his biggest liability, is to have three older brothers who all played there," Brian said. "But we are his biggest fans."