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KIRKLAND, Wash. (AP) -Lofa Tatupu walked off the practice field and draped his massive arm over the shoulders of Dan Curran. The two Seahawks then traded laughs after the first practice of minicamp Monday.
Curran is the type of player the Seahawks expect Tatupu to mentor. He is a first-year, undrafted free agent trying to learn.
But Tatupu's learning his own lessons right now.
Seattle's captain and three-time Pro Bowl linebacker is facing a drunken driving charge. Kirkland police say Tatupu was apprehended in the early morning of May 10 after an officer saw him driving about 50 mph in a 35 mph zone a couple of miles from team headquarters.
The Seahawks' public relations staff did not allow Tatupu to speak publicly Monday.
Last month, Tatupu issued a statement through the team apologizing to his family, teammates, the organization and fans for a "poor decision" that he said disappointed and embarrassed him.
The police report stated Tatupu registered blood-alcohol levels of .155 and .158 in breath test readings - nearly twice the .08 legal limit in Washington.
Tyrah Kahn, an assistant with the private law firm Moberly and Roberts, with which Kirkland contracts to prosecute, said Monday the office still had not made a decision whether to file charges, and that the delay was not unusual in such DUI cases.
Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren has already made his decision about the incident. He described it as "a good guy gets jammed up."
"He's really a fine guy. And you know, I always say, 'But for the grace of God go I,"' Holmgren said.
"I think if we all looked at our things that we do and all the times that we've been driving too fast and didn't get caught, things like that - you know, stuff happens and it's life. And he felt very, very bad about it. He is a good man. He is a leader of this football team. ...
"So he's learned from this - 'never happen again.' So we move on."
Holmgren said he hasn't had to address Tatupu's leadership of the team.
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