Mili good catch for Seahawks
By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Columnist
SEATTLE — When Christian Fauria took the free agent highway to the New England Patriots in March, the Seattle Seahawks looked high and low to find a replacement for their trophy tight end.
They toured the free agent market and inquired about possible trades. Then, they jumped heavily into the college draft.
Who knew they had the man right in their Elliot Bay backyard all along: Itula Mili?
Given an opportunity to audition for the opening and passes to catch, the Kahuku High graduate has stepped out of Fauria's shadow to become one of the most productive elements of an otherwise lacking Seahawk offense.
With 25 pass receptions to date, Mili is among the Seahawks' leaders and four catches from a career best.
In a Seahawk season that has come to match the slate gray skies hereabouts, the 6-foot-4, 260-pound Mili has been a rare bright spot. In a lineup filled with injuries, he has been both a healthy and steadfast performer.
It is a rise that has tested Mili's patience and persistence as much as his talent time and again. When the Seahawks drafted him out of Brigham Young in 1998, there was some doubt whether there would even be an NFL career.
Mili had severely injured a knee in the Western Athletic Conference title game. It was so significant an injury that he dropped from a likely early round choice to a mid-sixth round selection. With the rehabilitation, it wasn't until 1999 that Mili began to see consistent playing time.
Then, when Fauria left, Mili the heir apparent had cause to wonder where he fit in at all as the Seahawks began negotiating with free agents and then used the draft to bring in rookies Jeremy Stevens and Ryan Hannam.
"It made me like I was unwanted at first," Mili said. "That's kind of the way I felt. But I'm glad I didn't let it affect me and make me feel sorry for myself."
The birth of a son, Tiki, in January gave Mili pause to look at a bigger picture. "Having a child really gives you perspective and I decided to approach it positively. If that was the way it was going to be, if the team was going to bring people in, then, I just decided I'd show them every day, every practice and every game, what I could do."
When Mili, who backed up Fauria for six years, got to audition for the starting job, he won it in preseason camp and has held onto it during the season, starting all 10 games.
"When I got the chance, I was prepared for it," Mili said. "Playing behind a really good tight end like Fauria was good experience. I learned a lot that I never knew about the mental part of football and I matured some, too."
It turns out the Seahawks really didn't have to go very far to find their "new" tight end after all.
