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Just catch the ball, Stafon

Gary Klein's daily update on practice noted that Stafon Johnson is making some headway in his game play, but when he lost his temper and threw a ball at Will Harris, Pete Carroll embarked on a teachable moment:

Johnson, the former Dorsey High star, took a handoff and ran over cornerback Vincent Joseph, drawing cheers from teammates and observers along the sideline. However, as the play continued, safety Will Harris wrapped up Johnson and added a few choice words as well, inciting Johnson to throw the ball at the defender.

Coach Pete Carroll immediately got into the running back's face, then halted practice for an expletive-laced speech to the team about avoiding unsportsmanlike-conduct penalties.

"It's so important and such a great issue for the young guys, I had to stop it right there," Carroll said. "It's just one of those times you've just got to make a statement. I wanted to put my arm around [Johnson], like 'thanks for the opportunity.'

"He was perfect about it. It wasn't about him at all. It was the issue."

Said Johnson of throwing the ball: "It was just the heat of the moment. . . . Coach was just trying to teach me to keep to myself and play ball."

Johnson responded with several more impressive carries, including a long touchdown run at the end of practice.

Fair enough. As SMQ noted in today's Thursday Hub, it's not the first time that Pete Carroll has used a little Anglo-Saxon invective to make a point...