In the first segment of a three-part sit down interview with Q13 FOX's Bill Wixey, Seahawks running back Thomas Rawls, who had his promising rookie season cut short by an ankle injury last December, said he plans to "be ready for camp," something Seattle head coach Pete Carroll has said would "hopefully" be the case. 

"I'm just taking it day by day," Rawls said of his recovery. "I'm getting better. I'm walking on my own, I'm doing a lot of good things, and my recovery is coming very quickly, so I'm looking forward to being out there very soon."

Rawls, who signed in Seattle as undrafted rookie free agent and went on to rush for 830 yards and four touchdowns in his first season, is expected to take over the starting tailback job from Marshawn Lynch, who announced his retirement earlier this offseason. Rawls said he feels "no pressure" in replacing the team's longtime No. 1 back.

"I just go out there and work hard and do my job and have an amazing coaching staff and an amazing teammates to encourage me," said Rawls. "And also just my support back home. Just fighting through all types of adversity, I rise up and I rise to the occasion at times like this, so it's no pressure."

Rawls added more on what he learned from his one year with the Seahawks' "Beast Mode" ball carrier.

"Just all of his knowledge about the game, on and off the field," Rawls said. "Making good business decisions, working on my lateral movements, trying to create holes on my own as far as running the ball and things of that nature and just learning so much from him. And not just him, but other good guys. Like I said, I play on a team of future Hall of Famers, Pro Bowl guys, just different characteristics of different men and great aspects of their lives and just taking so much from the spectrum."

Rawls, a native of Flint, Michigan, was also asked about the water crisis currently affecting his hometown, and on how he plans to help.

(On the situation in Flint...) "It's hard. You've got to bathe babies with water bottles. You've got grown ups taking showers with water bottles. You can only probably spend 20-30 minutes in the shower in your own house and you're paying your own water bill, and can't even take a comfortable shower. It's tough. People's hair is falling out, skin is breaking out, different things of that nature. Something that a human shouldn't have to go through, no human. And it falls back on whoever didn't handle that at the right time. I just ask for everybody to pray for everybody in Flint and just to gain awareness."

(On how he plans to help his hometown...)"As far as what I'm working on, I just want to do some type of day event where everyone can come out, kids and adults. A good day, a fun day where everyone can come out, interact, and just have a good day of smiles. Everyone's sending water back home and it's a kind of negative vibe about the whole water situation, so I just want to enlighten people and bring smiles and brighten up their day, at least for a day. At least they deserve to smile, at least for a day."

Part two of Wixey's interview with Rawls will air Thursday morning with part three coming on Friday.