RENTON Once Cliff Avril lost feeling in his hands and arms from getting kicked under the chin on the first night of October, John Schneider picked up the phone.
The Seahawks’ general manager called to find out if Dwight Freeney wanted to chase and sack quarterbacks again.
That call came just in time, too.
“I was literally one week away (from walking away from football for good),” the 37-year-old, seven-time Pro Bowl defensive end said Wednesday, his first day as Seattle’s new defensive end for the rest of this season.
Avril’s scary injury that has him on injured reserve and deciding about neck surgery created this opportunity for the Seahawks to add a Hall-of-Fame caliber fill-in for the next few months.