THIS WEEK’S RAIDER/RAM OPPONENTS : RAIDERS VS. SEATTLE : Bosworth Has His Name, but He Wants His Number

Brian Bosworth had his head down, peeling off tape, when Daryl Turner came by.

Turner, a wide receiver, is one of the Seattle Seahawks’ free spirits, and he was curious about the new guy in the clubhouse.

Turner bent over and rubbed his head against Bosworth’s brushcut. Bosworth looked up and smiled.

Then Turner grabbed a handful and tugged. Bosworth looked up again.

“Is that stuff real ?” Turner asked.

Bosworth laughed. He knew what Turner and a lot of other people are really asking, what the Raiders will be wondering when the Seahawks arrive for Sunday’s game at the Coliseum: Is Brian Bosworth for real, or is he too outrageous to believe?

Was it with massive arrogance or shrewd cunning that he was able to manipulate the National Football League system, which 1,585 strikers couldn’t crack?

How many 22-year-old linebackers would have the chutzpah to throw themselves into a supplemental draft, declare that they would play for one of only five given teams--the Raiders, the Chicago Bears, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the New York Jets and the New York Giants--and then hit up the Seahawks for $11 million over 10 years?

How many linebackers would make a federal case out of not being allowed to wear their old college numbers--an affair that, incidentally, gave him the opportunity to point out its marketing value with a lot of free advertising, i.e., 44 Boz, Inc.?

But how many linebackers graduate in four years with 3.3 grade-point averages and degrees in business and kiss a year’s remaining eligibility at Oklahoma goodby?

Although Bosworth sometimes behaves as if his elevator stopped on the way up, his record indicates otherwise.

Predictably, Bosworth’s celebrated mouth quickly got him into trouble at Seattle. Before the opening game at Denver, he said that if he got a chance to nail Bronco quarterback John Elway, he wouldn’t let up, even if the mayhem cost him 15 yards.

That prompted Coach Chuck Knox to summon the brash rookie for a chat, and when the Seahawks reached Denver they found “No-Boz” T-shirts--likenesses of our hero behind the universal bisected circle--selling like crazy.

As the fans railed at him, Bosworth quietly checked on shirt sales. Few had noticed the label on the shirts: 44 Boz, Inc.

With his peculiar knack for attracting attention, Bosworth has settled in happily at Seattle. The Northwest’s “Emerald City” is truly the Land of Boz.

When the stuffy old NFL said he must wear a linebacker’s number, 55, Bosworth said, “I feel very hurt. The number was more important than the money.”

He may sue after the season. Meanwhile, he has been accepted by the community as well as his own teammates, in their way, although it was reported that he almost came to blows with defensive end Jacob Green during one heated strike meeting.

On Bosworth’s first weekend in town after he signed, he found himself with a free Sunday afternoon. Brian Bosworth with nothing to do may seem like a ticking bomb, but what he did was offer to visit Children’s Hospital, on one condition: There would be no publicity about it.

Two TV stations found out, anyway, but were turned away.

“He’s just a nice, nice kid,” said Gary Wright, the Seahawk public relations director, who must deal with the Boz phenomenon.

Naturally, Bosworth is in demand, so media access is limited, but this week he agreed to meet with reporters for a few minutes.

First, he put them off a day because of another commitment; then they waited until practice was over and waited some more until Bosworth completed his daily ritual in the weight room.

Finally, he arrived, wearing blue reflector sunglasses, pantaloons, a baggy designer sweat shirt and sandals and spent most of the interview poking at one ear with a long-handled cotton swab.

Contrary to what one might suspect, Bosworth does not have a big mouth . Generally, he speaks rapidly in a soft semi-mumble, a little like Marlon Brando with a Texas drawl--he’s from Irving, where the Cowboys play.

Some observations and opinions:

--On Raider quarterback Rusty Hilger, a former opponent at Oklahoma State: “He never struck me as a Raider type. He’s got a good arm and he’s a smart kid. He’s not easily rattled. He can throw the ball 70 yards. (The Raiders) have always thrown the ball deep, so that’s what they’re going to do.

“He looks at his receiver really hard, but that’s something experience will help. Rusty’s not as quick as (49er backup) Steve Young. He’s a pocket passer. If he had to rely on his scrambling and throwing on the run . . . he hasn’t been able to do that.”

--On the prospect of facing Marcus Allen and Bo Jackson: “I wouldn’t mind seeing Bo and Marcus in the backfield at the same time. I enjoy the challenge of playing against somebody that is recognized as being among the best in the business. Certainly, Marcus is, and Bo has to prove himself.

“Marcus reminds me of (the Seahawks’) Curt Warner. They’re both slashing-type runners who look for backdoor cuts. He’s a lot harder to defend against than somebody like (Kansas City’s) Christian Okoye. With his slender and sleek body, (Allen) moves with the wind.

“But with the tendencies we’ve been able to scout, it doesn’t indicate that when they get into two backs they’re necessarily going to run. It’s all situational.”

--On playing the Raiders, one of his original favored teams: “I look forward to every game, but this being the first game back and with what’s at stake, I’m extremely excited about it. This is a divisional game against a team that I’ve always watched and admired.

“They’ve got a pretty complicated system right now. There are a lot of things involved trying to contain Marcus and (tight end) Todd Christensen. But you have to take into consideration that you’re still playing the Raiders, and it’s going to be one of those physical games where you’ve just got to come down and attack--the kind of game I like.”

--On the strike: “Let’s keep the questions to football, please.”

The Seahawks bestowed a rare rookie honor on Bosworth. They elected him the assistant player representative to Ken Easley.

Actually, railroaded might be more accurate. The Seahawks figured that if they could keep Bosworth from crossing the picket line, their unity would be enhanced immensely.

Bosworth dutifully walked the line a few days--once with his Doberman, Raider, but then left town and turned up at a couple of Sooner games. Guard Jon Borchardt assumed the assistant rep’s responsibilities, whatever they were.

The charade probably was unnecessary since Bosworth wasn’t hurting. He had already received a $2-million loan up front for signing, and within a single week appeared on the “Tonight” and “Good Morning America” TV shows, and as a guest on MTV. Who needed football?

Now he is back driving the Corvette of his choice around town.

At first provided a blue one by a friendly dealer, he commented, “It’s nice, but I sure would like to have a white one.”

Voila! The next day it was white, with Boz 44 plates.

Each Friday he has his hair done, now with Seahawk blue and green sidewalls instead of Sooner red. It’s a rite of renewal for him.

Now, with his life almost in order, save for that loathsome 55 he must wear, this veteran of two games in the NFL figures he’ll be in his usual form Sunday, despite the four-week layoff.

“I had to lose a few pounds,” he said. “There was a natural rustiness, but it’s coming back a lot quicker now than in the beginning of training camp. I’m still in fine shape.

“It’s just like the first day of being alive. Each day you learn something new. Day one, I couldn’t walk. Day two, I learned to crawl. I’m still having trouble talking. It’s just a gradual progression until I get comfortable with everything. It’s growing up all over again.”

Growing up? Boz is putting us all on again.