The show continues for Hawks' "Big Play Babs"
KIRKLAND, Wash. (AP) - Two days after "Big Play Babs" saved the season for the Seattle Seahawks, coach Mike Holmgren was still in disbelief.
"It's funny. I know we won. (But) I'm looking at that play and I'm going `Get him!"' Holmgren said Wednesday, recalling watching the film of the play Monday. "It's unbelievable how close that was."
Jordan Babineaux sprinted across the field Saturday night and grabbed the shoe of Dallas' Tony Romo. The Cowboys quarterback was about to score a touchdown after he dropped the snap on a potential game-winning 19-yard field goal with 1:19 left in an NFC wild-card playoff game.
The play by the Seahawks defensive back clinched Seattle's 21-20 win and a trip to Chicago in the second round Sunday. It also validated the year-old nickname teammates have for Babineaux: "Big Play Babs."
For the last 13 months, Babineaux has taped a sign with white athletic tape inside his locker at team headquarters that reads: "Big-time players make big-time plays in big games."
"He kind of has that reputation now," Holmgren said. "He's a young guy that is still learning to play, but he has been involved with big plays for us."
Not bad for a guy whose biggest game before last season had been the Whataburger Cactus Bowl.
Babineaux is the only current NFL player from Southern Arkansas, a Division II university with an enrollment of 3,135 in Magnolia, Ark.
The school was essentially an agricultural school known as Magnolia A&M in the early 1900s. Sports information director Houston Taylor said the school's distinctive nickname - Muleriders - came from students who grew up on farms and rode mules onto campus.
Southern Arkansas coach Steve Quinn said his campus can't be more than 500 yards from end to end. Yet Quinn chuckled Wednesday recalling that the affable, fun-loving Babineaux bought an electric scooter to get around campus.
Babineaux might still be there, on that scooter, if not for his ambition. And his audacity.
Babineaux, then a safety with obvious speed and elusiveness, kept begging Quinn to let him return kickoffs. Quinn kept saying no. So Babineaux walked down the field to the team's kickoff returners during practices and essentially pulled rank on them.
"They'd put a young guy back there, someone with speed, a little jittery-type guy. I used to tell them to move," Babineaux said, swiping his hand . "I mean, I knew my chances for coming to the league were going to be on special teams. That's the way I approached my senior year."
A third of the way into the season, Quinn found himself without his top running backs and other return candidates. So he finally relented and let Babineaux do it in a game.
"He just took off," Quinn said.
In a game at Delta State, Babineaux ran back one kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. He ran back a second 96 yards for another score. That tied two NCAA Division II records and got him into the Division II all-star game - the Whataburger Cactus Bowl.
What a career move.
There, the Seahawks noticed Babineaux when they otherwise might not have. Soon after the 2004 draft ended without Babineaux being drafted, Seattle signed the free agent.
A week later, during a Seattle minicamp, Holmgren was staring into a pack of anonymous players filling out the 80-man, offseason roster.
"Who's that? Where did he go to school?" Holmgren recalled thinking while looking at a player gliding effortlessly across the turf.
"Jordan's physical abilities popped out right away," Holmgren said.
Seattle stowed its gifted but obscure talent on the practice squad, and then special teams. In 2005, Babineaux became primarily a special teams tackler and extra defensive back in passing situations.
In a game on Oct. 9, 2005, Babineaux forced the Rams' Shaun McDonald to fumble late in the fourth quarter. Seattle then ran out the clock for a 37-31 win, its first at St. Louis since 1997.
Two weeks later at home against Dallas, Babineaux intercepted a pass from Drew Bledsoe and returned it 25 yards with 5 seconds left. Josh Brown kicked the winning field goal on the next play for a 13-10 Seahawks win - part of a team-record 11-game winning streak.
"Big Play Babs" was born.
This season, he started eight games at safety for Michael Boulware, who was benched after giving up huge pass plays. Boulware returned to start Dec. 24 against San Diego. But then Kelly Herndon broke his ankle Dec. 31. Babineaux was back starting again, at left cornerback against Dallas.
On Sunday, Babineaux will start against Muhsin Muhammad and Bernard Berrian. Chicago's receiving duo combined for eight catches, 153 yards and two touchdowns Oct. 1, when the Bears walloped the Seahawks 37-6.
Quinn and his family will be watching from Magnolia. The coach's young sons will again be parked in front of the television, shirts off, Seahawks caps on and 27 - Babineaux's jersey number - stuck on their bare chests and backs in black electric tape.
"Last time I saw Jordan here, I saw that he had traded that scooter for an Escalade," Quinn said. "I guess he's moved up in the world."
"It's funny. I know we won. (But) I'm looking at that play and I'm going `Get him!"' Holmgren said Wednesday, recalling watching the film of the play Monday. "It's unbelievable how close that was."
Jordan Babineaux sprinted across the field Saturday night and grabbed the shoe of Dallas' Tony Romo. The Cowboys quarterback was about to score a touchdown after he dropped the snap on a potential game-winning 19-yard field goal with 1:19 left in an NFC wild-card playoff game.
The play by the Seahawks defensive back clinched Seattle's 21-20 win and a trip to Chicago in the second round Sunday. It also validated the year-old nickname teammates have for Babineaux: "Big Play Babs."
For the last 13 months, Babineaux has taped a sign with white athletic tape inside his locker at team headquarters that reads: "Big-time players make big-time plays in big games."
"He kind of has that reputation now," Holmgren said. "He's a young guy that is still learning to play, but he has been involved with big plays for us."
Not bad for a guy whose biggest game before last season had been the Whataburger Cactus Bowl.
Babineaux is the only current NFL player from Southern Arkansas, a Division II university with an enrollment of 3,135 in Magnolia, Ark.
The school was essentially an agricultural school known as Magnolia A&M in the early 1900s. Sports information director Houston Taylor said the school's distinctive nickname - Muleriders - came from students who grew up on farms and rode mules onto campus.
Southern Arkansas coach Steve Quinn said his campus can't be more than 500 yards from end to end. Yet Quinn chuckled Wednesday recalling that the affable, fun-loving Babineaux bought an electric scooter to get around campus.
Babineaux might still be there, on that scooter, if not for his ambition. And his audacity.
Babineaux, then a safety with obvious speed and elusiveness, kept begging Quinn to let him return kickoffs. Quinn kept saying no. So Babineaux walked down the field to the team's kickoff returners during practices and essentially pulled rank on them.
"They'd put a young guy back there, someone with speed, a little jittery-type guy. I used to tell them to move," Babineaux said, swiping his hand . "I mean, I knew my chances for coming to the league were going to be on special teams. That's the way I approached my senior year."
A third of the way into the season, Quinn found himself without his top running backs and other return candidates. So he finally relented and let Babineaux do it in a game.
"He just took off," Quinn said.
In a game at Delta State, Babineaux ran back one kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. He ran back a second 96 yards for another score. That tied two NCAA Division II records and got him into the Division II all-star game - the Whataburger Cactus Bowl.
What a career move.
There, the Seahawks noticed Babineaux when they otherwise might not have. Soon after the 2004 draft ended without Babineaux being drafted, Seattle signed the free agent.
A week later, during a Seattle minicamp, Holmgren was staring into a pack of anonymous players filling out the 80-man, offseason roster.
"Who's that? Where did he go to school?" Holmgren recalled thinking while looking at a player gliding effortlessly across the turf.
"Jordan's physical abilities popped out right away," Holmgren said.
Seattle stowed its gifted but obscure talent on the practice squad, and then special teams. In 2005, Babineaux became primarily a special teams tackler and extra defensive back in passing situations.
In a game on Oct. 9, 2005, Babineaux forced the Rams' Shaun McDonald to fumble late in the fourth quarter. Seattle then ran out the clock for a 37-31 win, its first at St. Louis since 1997.
Two weeks later at home against Dallas, Babineaux intercepted a pass from Drew Bledsoe and returned it 25 yards with 5 seconds left. Josh Brown kicked the winning field goal on the next play for a 13-10 Seahawks win - part of a team-record 11-game winning streak.
"Big Play Babs" was born.
This season, he started eight games at safety for Michael Boulware, who was benched after giving up huge pass plays. Boulware returned to start Dec. 24 against San Diego. But then Kelly Herndon broke his ankle Dec. 31. Babineaux was back starting again, at left cornerback against Dallas.
On Sunday, Babineaux will start against Muhsin Muhammad and Bernard Berrian. Chicago's receiving duo combined for eight catches, 153 yards and two touchdowns Oct. 1, when the Bears walloped the Seahawks 37-6.
Quinn and his family will be watching from Magnolia. The coach's young sons will again be parked in front of the television, shirts off, Seahawks caps on and 27 - Babineaux's jersey number - stuck on their bare chests and backs in black electric tape.
"Last time I saw Jordan here, I saw that he had traded that scooter for an Escalade," Quinn said. "I guess he's moved up in the world."
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