Q&A: DL John Randle talks of Emmitt, injuries and face paint

One of the misconceptions about John Randle is that a reporter can rarely get him to do a lengthy interview without Randle's rambunctious, intimidating, pro wrestling entertainer-type side emerging in the form of a roar. In this case, Randle's gentler side, the one seen off the field by his wife, family and close friends, comes out in the form of discourses on several topics. Those include Sunday's important but emotional win for Randle's Seahawks against Dallas, sacking an opposing quarterback for the first time this season, his off-the-field manners and face paint.

Seattle Times: What did it mean to this team to get a victory on Sunday?

John Randle: It felt like we got on the right track, and we're kind of headed in the right direction. Everyone's playing on the same page, and it all came together.

ST: Can you describe the scene in the locker room at Texas Stadium when you heard about (wide receiver) Darrell Jackson having a seizure? How did everyone react?

JR: Basically, we acted like a team. We all came together because Darrell was hurt, and Darrell's a member of this team, a very important member. We all said a prayer for him and hoped that everything was going to be OK.

ST: That was just one of the things that happened on an emotional day down there. You had Trent Dilfer's season-ending injury, the big record for Emmitt Smith, a win. ... After you had time to think about it all, how did you feel?

JR: I felt like we had won the war. We may have lost the battle letting Emmitt get his 93 yards (number needed for the record), but we won the war by getting the victory in the game. If he didn't do it (last) week, he was going to do it (this) week). But for us, it was definitely more important getting the win.

ST: You had the knee surgery and it took a long time to rehabilitate the knee before you could come back. Now that it's been three games since you've been back, are you at full strength?

JR: No. I'm somewhat there, but still not. It's like I'm pretty much coming out of training camp now and getting ready for the first preseason game, and everybody else is pretty much eight, nine weeks ahead of me. But I'm closing in.

ST: You got your first sacks of the season against the Cowboys' quarterback, Chad Hutchinson. What did you see in him that let you know you could get to him?

JR: Knowing Hutchinson and the previous quarterback (Quincy Carter), "Hutch" wasn't as mobile as Carter, and I knew I could get their guards to step out to me and play with me ... so I could come back inside and pursue, and the quarterback would be there. It was his first start, too. So I knew I could get to him.

ST: Your thoughts on Emmitt getting the record?

JR: It's a major accomplishment for him. I've been in the league 13 years. ... At one point, that team (the Cowboys) was a Super Bowl dynasty. He's the only guy that was there (in the early 1990s). He's a remarkable player and I'm happy for him, because a record that takes that long to get, man, it's well deserved.

ST: We as reporters see how you are in the locker room, at practice, in games. What is John Randle like away from all of this?

JR: My wife (Candace) and I, maybe one reason why we get along so well is that we are somewhat distant from people. We just kind of stick in our own world and try to blend in as much as we possibly can. We try to get away, just do normal things. I guess when I'm away from the team, I try to be down-to-earth, doing the normal things day in and day out. The way I play and the way I am off the field, I'm completely the opposite. And I guess I like that. When I'm away from the game, I'm grounded. I'll sit around in some sweats spending time with my wife.

ST: Do you still read up on your opponents before games?

JR: I looked up some stuff on Hutchinson, but I spent more time reading about the (Cowboys') offensive line, because they had so many injuries and there were so many guys to look at. So I spent a lot more time trying to analyze and figure those guys out. I saw him (Hutchinson) on that "Hard Knocks" show on HBO, so I kind of had a feel for him already. It was his first start, and I knew he was going to have butterflies, and I figured if we got to him, we could rattle him. Going from baseball to the NFL, it's completely opposite.

ST: You're from Texas, so were you able to reunite with some friends and family while you were back there?

JR: Yeah. To go back home and for them to see me play against the Cowboys and come out with two sacks is pretty big. They (relatives and family) kind of knew what I went through in training camp, just sitting around watching. It was a great feeling for me to go out there and have some success in the game. Even though I missed training camp and I am the oldest guy left on the team, I still have a little bit left in the tank. It was just fun to go back and see them, because they see how I am off the field, but then they also see how I am on the field, and they get a kick out of it because I'm totally the opposite person.

ST: Why do you not wear the black face paint any more?

JR: Because Mr. Gene Washington (the NFL's director of football operations) has kind of put a price tag on it (meaning Randle would be fined). I wear it pregame, but not during the game, because $5,000 can go a long way. I could definitely use that in other ways than giving it back to Gene Washington.

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