Mcgwire Misses Practice With Bad Back

KIRKLAND - Quarterback Dan McGwire was held out of yesterday's two practices to rest an ailing back.

McGwire, who is scheduled to start Saturday in Indianapolis, is expected to return to practice today.

Coach Tom Flores said McGwire said Friday night before the team meeting that he was suffering from back spasms.

"He was still a little sore today so we kept him out," said Flores, who described the move as precautionary.

Running back Rueben Mayes didn't practice yesterday afternoon to rest a sore left shoulder. Also getting time off to mend from Thursday's loss to the Los Angeles Rams were offensive lineman Brian Blados and defensive tackle Keith Millard.

Returning to practice after being held out of Thursday's game to rest injuries were guard Bryan Millard and fullback Stacy Johnson. -- Starting defensive end Tony Woods, who is entering his sixth season, signed his fourth Seattle contract yesterday.

Woods called the one-year deal "fair for both sides." Woods, whose base salary was $600,000 last year, said he got a raise and said the contract includes "some reachable incentives."

Woods said he signed now because he wanted to avoid a repeat of his 36-day holdout in 1989. -- Bryan Millard became a father for the second time Friday night when his wife, Connie, delivered a baby girl, Alexi Nichole. Spring deliveries were made to Robert and Gayle Blackmon (daughter Kristen Nicole) and Rick and Nancy Tuten (daughter Stephanie Kinley). -- Linebacker Rufus Porter blew past rookie tackle Ray Roberts the two times they faced each other in the pass-rush drill. Last Monday, the fresh-legged Roberts was 4-1 against Porter. -- Yesterday marked the latest the Seahawks ever have made their first cut in a camp.

Released was free-agent center Jeb Flesch from Clemson.

The Seahawks get to carry an extra four players in camp because they loaned four to the WLAF this spring.

Until yesterday when Woods signed, the number of late signings had been close enough to the number of players quitting or retiring to keep the club under the early August limit of 84 players under contract.

Flesch was one of nine healthy players who didn't get into the Ram game. The others were veteran quarterbacks Rusty Hilger and Stan Gelbaugh, Plan B center Brad Leggett and rookie free agents Michael Sturdivant (receiver), Bryan May (guard), Greg Thomas (safety), Gary Needham (guard) and Mike Jovanovich (tackle). -- Theo Adams, who was moved to left guard from left tackle last Wednesday, now is getting work at both positions.

Adams was in the L.A. Rams' camp last summer where the offensive line coach was Hudson Houck, now with the Seahawks. Adams, 6 feet 4, 298 pounds, spent last fall on the Seahawk practice squad after being released by the Rams. The former Hawaii Rainbow Warrior started seven games this spring for the London Monarchs of the WLAF. -- It's a safe bet that no other NFL team is going to get the same kind of good-luck sendoff for the season that the Seahawks got Wednesday when the Blue Angels flew low over the practice field.

The Navy flying team and the Seahawks have had a close relationship for three years. When schedules mesh, Blue Angel personnel work as sideline and locker-room attendants for road games. -- Jo Jo Wooden, younger brother of Seahawk linebacker Terry Wooden, visited his brother this past week. Jo Jo will be a senior linebacker at Syracuse and is likely to be drafted in the first three rounds, according to some publications.