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RENTON http://www.theseahawksfanshop.com/Phil-Haynes-Jersey , Wash. (AP) — Pete Carroll’s favorite memory of Paul Allen is an obvious one.February 2014. In New Jersey. On the field of MetLife Stadium raising the Vince Lombardi trophy.“He wanted to be a champion and to be up on the stage with him in the crowd and the confetti’s flying and all that, and to just be there with him, that’s my favorite moment with Paul,” Carroll said Tuesday. “Now, there was a great moment later on that night when he was on stage and he was playing (the guitar). He was hitting it and he thought he was Eddie Vedder or something up there. He was going.“I think that was the great moment that we got to share. He got to have it because you can have all the money in the world, but it’s really hard to have that world championship and it meant everything to him. To be able to share that with him was amazing.”The Seattle Seahawks coach was in a reflective mood Tuesday, a day after team owner Allen died at 65 from complications of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.It was Allen’s message and approach that lured Carroll away from college football and back to the NFL in 2010. Along with general manager John Schneider, Seattle’s power structure created a franchise that has reached the playoffs in six of Carroll’s eight seasons in charge, twice claiming NFC championships and winning the first Super Bowl title in franchise history.Carroll described Allen as “shy,” but the pair communicated regularly. Until this season, Allen was a regular at home and road games for the Seahawks and typically had pregame conversations on the field with Carroll.“He just wanted to know how much we were going to blitz or if we had any trick plays and stuff, basically,” Carroll said. “By that time, that close to game time, there would always be questions about guys who were hurt or healthy and all that kind of stuff. Always wanted to know about the quarterback and what we were hoping to do and how we were going to defend the other quarterback Ugo Amadi Jersey , so it was pretty basic fundamental stuff that a fan would want to know going into the game if they could ask the head coach.”Carroll said the team is still figuring out plans to honor Allen for the remainder of the season. He believes the best way is by keeping Seattle competitive and in contention for a playoff spot in the NFC. The Seahawks are 3-3 entering their bye week after last weekend’s 27-3 win over Oakland in London.“We’re going to battle for him. You’re either competing or you’re not. That’s kind of the way I think we can best give tribute to what he would want us to do,” Carroll said. “I’d love to live in his image of wanting to win championships and keep moving forward and do great things. I don’t see any reason why that’s not still out there, we’re going for it. I feel pretty good about telling you that that’s how we’re going about it.” ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP)When you play for the Detroit Lions, you can be from Canada and still be considered local.Luke Willson, a tight end who signed with the Lions two months ago after five seasons with Seattle, is from Windsor, Ontario, right across the Detroit River from the Motor City. He grew up a Lions fan, although that’s not his only motivation to play well after returning to the area.”I was a big Barry Sanders guy. When I was a kid, it was kind of like the Herman Moore, Barry Sanders,” Willson said this week. ”I was a youngster, but I’ve always kind of, you know Mychal Kendricks Jersey , liked the Lions growing up. But that being said I think it’s important for me to establish a divide. Yeah it was my childhood team, but I’m here to do a job.”It’s been a fairly quiet offseason for the Lions where free agency is concerned, but Willson was an interesting pickup, especially after Detroit cut ties with tight end Eric Ebron. A former first-round draft pick, Ebron became a target for Lions fans for dropping passes, but he did provide production that Detroit needs to replace. He caught 186 passes over the past four years, including 53 for 574 yards and four touchdowns last season.In five seasons with Seattle, the 6-foot-5 Willson never had more than 22 catches, but the Seahawks have had other tight ends to throw to like Jimmy Graham and Zach Miller, so Willson may be capable of more.”I really try to pride myself on being able to do whatever they ask,” Willson said. ”You know, my first year we had Zach Miller, I was more the down-the-seam tight end, and Zach got hurt and you know, I had to quickly learn to be more the hand-down type guy. I think that’s kind of benefited me in my career because I feel comfortable doing whatever they ask me to do.”Willson said at this stage of the offseason Steve Largent Color Rush Jersey , it’s too early to tell what exactly his role will be with the Lions.”I’m here to do whatever the coaches ask me and right now, you know with all the CBA rules, it’s personally just about getting better each day,” he said. ”A lot of individual stuff for me that I can get better and just showing the coaches what I can do, and then from there they’ll decide what role I’ll be playing this year.”Despite the proximity to the U.S., Willson said the quality of high school football where he grew up wasn’t great. He played on a summer team he likened to AAU basketball. He ended up playing college football at Rice, and he was drafted by the Seahawks in the fifth round in 2013.He has carved out a decent NFL career for himself since then, and now he has a chance to come back and play close to home – although it sounds like he’ll be living on the Detroit side of the river now.”Got to shield myself from those Canadian taxes, man,” he said. ”Come on, now. Can’t be doing that. Can’t be doing that.”—