Seattle • The opening kickoff sails over the head of Tampa Bay’s returner and Seattle Seahawks rookie Cody Barton completes his dash to the end zone, where he raises his arms to exhort the crowd and slaps hands with fans in the front row.
The former Utah linebacker’s job description seems enviable. He runs down the field on kickoffs and backs up one of the NFL’s most durable players, ex-Utah State star Bobby Wagner.
Barton’s limited role is quite a departure, though, from last season, when he played every meaningful defensive snap for the Utes and led the team in tackles as Utah won its first Pac-12 South championship.