By NFL standards, he isn't big, fast or strong, which is why he went undrafted out of Stanford in 2011.
Baldwin has risen from dependable reserve to indispensable starter and fiery team leader due to his unbeatable work ethic. He runs precise routes, has good hands, blocks tenaciously, and has an almost telepathic link with DangeRuss when the quarterback breaks the pocket and improvises.
Happy Birthday also to my man Steven Terrell (b. 1990), Seattle's backup free safety. When you play behind Earl Thomas III, you don't get many reps, but here's hoping that someday we're blowing out somebody and Terrell gets a chance to shine.
Finally, Happy Birthday to my man Jon Kitna (b. 1972), a Seahawk from 1996-2000. After Dave Krieg, Kitna was the most unjustly unappreciated quarterback in franchise history.
Kitna is accustomed to being underestimated.
Coming out of Lincoln High School in Tacoma, Kitna started at Central Washington University without a scholarship, but presumably CWU rectified that at some point before Kitna led them to the 1995 NAIA Championship.
Normally, there is no pro future for you if you played at an NAIA school, but Dennis Erickson stashed Kitna on the practice squad in 1996 and sent him to NFL Europe in 1997, where Kitna led the Barcelona Dragons to victory as the MVP in World Bowl V.
Kitna backed up Warren Moon for two seasons, and then claimed the starting role from 1999-2000, narrowly holding off Brock Huard. Kitna was solid but unspectacular, a gamer, a good runner but a work in progress as a passer. Holmgren saw little potential for growth, so he jettisoned Kitna for Matt Hasselbeck and Trent Dilfer.
Cincinnati snapped up Kitna to deliver them from the nightmare that was Akili Smith. Kitna was the 2003 NFL Comeback Player of the Year, but then the Bengals drafted Carson Palmer and relegated Kitna relegated to the role of backup/mentor.
Until Detroit offensive coordinator Mike Martz made him into the precision passer that Mike Holmgren never thought he could be. Kitna threw for more than 4,000 yards in 2007 and again in 2008.
The journeyman ended his career in Dallas and played well over ten games when Tony Romo was injured in 2010. The last time Romo went down, the Cowboys called Kitna out of retirement onto the active roster... I wonder if Kitna get another call today....
After retiring, Kitna taught math and coached football for his alma mater in Tacoma for three years before Texas high school football lured him away.
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