RENTON, Wash. -- Here's a scary thought for any running back, tight end or wide receiver in the NFL.

Seattle Seahawks strong safety Kam Chancellor, possibly the most vicious tackler in the league, believes he is going to hit players harder this season than ever before in his career.

He has a legitimate reason to think so. Chancellor, 26, has played all four of his NFL seasons with an injured hip, a problem that was repaired with offseason surgery.

He is pain free for the first time in his career, which could mean a lot more pain for the players he faces each week.

"I'm 100 percent and it's kind of scary, literally.” Chancellor said Tuesday on 710 ESPN Seattle. "I feel a lot stronger. I feel like I can hit harder because I can run faster. I feel really powerful, like nothing can stop me.”

This coming from a man known as "Bam Bam Kam" for his bone-jarring tackles, including one in Super Bowl XLVIII when he knocked Denver receiver Demaryius Thomas backwards 5 yards.

Chancellor returned to the practice field this week on a limited basis for the first time since his surgery, but he's says he's ready to go.

"I look at myself as a machine," Chancellor said. "And the machine has to get back on the field to perform with his troops and do battle.”

Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman, speaking on 710 ESPN Seattle Monday, said of Chancellor, "He's all about how many heads he can take off. He's living in a dark place.”

Chancellor chuckled at those comments, but he agreed.

"He pretty much got it right," Chancellor said. "I do live in a dark place. People don't know it because I smile a lot, but anytime I'm on the field, I'm in a dark place.”

And now that he's healthy, his opponents may find themselves in a dark place, also, wondering what just hit them.