Earl Thomas could be Seahawks D's most valuable piece

PHOENIX – The words are burned in Earl Thomas III's mind.

You either change your ways or change your name.

It makes sense that those very words were such an integral part of his life. He heard them all the time growing up. The man for whom he is named, his late grandfather and pastor, was the one repeated them so often. They're words Thomas, the Seattle Seahawks All-Pro safety, carries with him and through which he molds his life.

"If you really think about that, it's powerful," Thomas said, before listing the ways that it has helped him in his career. "Relentless. Just pursuit. My craft. I'm striving for everything. It's never enough."

The Seahawks defense is a collection of specialized parts that assemble a cohesive, efficient and physical machine. And though cornerback Richard Sherman may garner all the fanfare, it's the 5-foot-10, 202-pound Thomas that might be the most important piece. And as the Seahawks confront the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX on Sunday, Thomas' play could be the catalyst to propel the franchise to its second-consecutive championship.

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"He's definitely a guy with a lot of confidence and a lot of swagger," safety Kam Chancellor told USA TODAY Sports. "He earned it, though. That's a guy who worked hard in the film room. Worked hard on the field. He has a lot of passion for the game, a lot of fight for the game.

"He's a little guy with a big heart."

Thomas roams the deep middle of Seahawk defense. In many ways, he's the fixer. Seattle's cornerbacks like to play tight and near the line of scrimmage, a style that – at times – can spawn mistakes and big plays. But more often than not, those big plays never come, as Thomas is one of the only safeties in the NFL who can clean up mistakes with an innate sense of anticipation and the speed to dash from sideline to sideline.

It's not only that. Thomas is the heartbeat of the defense with his unrivalled durability. Counting the playoffs – and get this – the preseason, too, Thomas has started each of the 109 games of his five-year career.

It's no surprise then, that following a dislocated shoulder in the NFC Championship Game two weeks ago, Thomas says there's no doubt he's suiting up for the Super Bowl.

"He has an unbelievable role," defensive coordinator Dan Quinn told USA TODAY Sports. "It's his attitude and the intensity that he plays with. He's a play maker. Really, it's his mindset and passion that he brings to the game. He is an unbelievable competitor and I think that's really the thing that sets him apart: his intensity to go all the way for the fellas. It's unmatched."

Added cornerback Byron Maxwell: "He's a very important piece. His leadership, how he plays – it's his mindset. It's very important to this team and what he adds to it. We wouldn't be where we are today if he's not on this team."

Thomas didn't always possess that confidence and swagger Chancellor mentioned. It was something that the Texas native said he started to build in his hometown of Orange, but admits didn't blossom until his time in Seattle.

Still, he credits his upbringing for shaping him into the player he is today.

"It gave me crocodile skin," Thomas said. "It made me a beast. Pain is nothing. Your environment. That's how it is. But I didn't really let that change me in terms of being a good person. I didn't let the hood, or whatever that environment was, change me. It's always going to be in me, but I know and I understand who I am."

"I never thought I was tough. When the time came, I just never backed down."

Don't expect Thomas to back down – bum shoulder and all – on Sunday. And to help him get through it all, he'll think back on some words he has heard before.

Follow Lorenzo Reyes on Twitter @Lorenzo_G_Reyes.