[Bette]

IRVING – Ken Hamlin isn't an official captain for the Cowboys. But his leadership on and off the field has teammates calling the free safety one of the more important members of the defense.
"He's the man," running back Marion Barber said.
Hamlin is off to the best start of his career. He has tied his career high in interceptions with four and is on pace for a career-high 116 tackles.

"We have some self-appointed captains," coach Wade Phillips said. "But I like that because they're going to stand up and try and do the right things by each other."
Hamlin, 26, quickly learned how to stand up for himself while growing up in Memphis, Tenn.
His family told him if he wanted to play football or any other sport, he had to pay for it himself.

From there, he went to Arkansas and became the first player in school history to record more than 100 tackles three times. Arkansas coach Houston Nutt said Hamlin was so intense on the practice field, he told him to lay off the offensive players.
But Hamlin ran into trouble at Arkansas. He was arrested three times for drunk driving and convicted twice.
Nutt and Hamlin said it was a wake-up call.

Hamlin left Arkansas after his junior season and was drafted in the second round by Seattle in 2003.
He became a fierce hitter for the Seahawks, earning the nickname "The Hammer."
Following a game in Oct. 2005, he was hit in the back of the head by a metal street sign outside a Seattle bar. Hamlin suffered a small blood clot on the left side of his brain, bruising of brain tissue and a skull fracture.

Hamlin suffered seizures as a result of the injuries, and he wasn't sure if he would play again.
When Hamlin signed, the Cowboys said he was the missing piece to the secondary. He gets players lined up properly and helps improve communication on the field.
Dallas Cowboys find safety in Hamlin's numbers, leadership | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | SportsDay: Top Stories