October 5, 2022 • 23 mins
From USC to Seattle, success on the football field followed Seahawks Legend Lofa Tatupu wherever he went. He shares his stories with Robert Turbin on the Seahawks Stories podcast. Today’s show: Lofa Tatupu introduction (00:40), USC journey (02:26), nothing but success (09:06), reuniting with coach Carroll (13:28), Seattle teammates over the years (15:15), and best Seahawks memories (18:51).
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
You're listening to Seahawks stories, dicking you behind the scenes
with your favorite current and former Seahawks play fake prop fact,
go the froward. D got a man, it's Metcap. He's
out the touchdown Seahawks powered by Seahawks dot Com. Turbin
in the backfield. When Wilson, who goes out of the
shotgun look out here comes to Platts Rustle steps up.
(00:22):
Now he's got a scramble. Now he comes to Turbin
midfield forty five forty damn here, signing like thirty twenty five,
puts his head down on a run by Turbin. He's
all the way down to the Chargers twenty one yard line.
A thirty two yard pickup. Now here's your host. Super
Bowl forty eight champion Robert Turbin second and four from
his home thirty four mcmanthrows intercepted again, it's the twopoo.
(00:44):
He's inside the twenty for fifteen but then the five
touchdown Seahawks. Two interceptions, two touchdowns for the Seahawks, a
thirty four yard return. Well put the twopoo. Welcome to
the NFL. Baby, what's up? What's up? Baby boy? Shop boy?
Robert turban a k A turbot in the building once
again for another beautiful episode of Seahawks Stories. I got
(01:09):
the one and only you heard it, Pick six man
himself loaf to Tupu, joining the building with me. How
you doing, man, blast Man? Thank you for having me
talk about that pick six right there. Linebackers don't get
too many of those, man. I was blessed to have
two of them, and I remember him very well. But
that one was Philly. They ran the stick concept, you know,
(01:32):
the tight end five yards out, and I just, uh,
you know, I pulled the trigger. Shoot the gunners, they
like to say. And you got to make the most
of the the opportunities. And I'm just lucky it was only
thirty four yards because I did not want to get caught.
You who you remember? Who the quarterback was? Hib? Okay?
And what about your other pick six? Um, Jimmy Clawson
(01:52):
Carolina twenty six yards left flats? Okay? All right, all right?
You know I only asked because you never know, like,
you know, you know, he get an interception off somebody
who's like, you know, maybe you grew up watching or
idolized growing up, any any of those come to mind.
I tipped a couple footballs from Brett Farve. I didn't
(02:12):
he too too hard for me to catch it. I'm
a linebacker for a reason. Turbo, Yeah, he was a
He was a gun slinger for sure. Well, listen, man,
you had a very decorated career both in college and
in the NFL. You know, let's start at the collegiate level, right,
you play for Pete Carroll, who's currently you know, the
Seahawks coach. Now you've guys been able to we're able
(02:33):
to do some great things at USC. So just talk
about the process of choosing USC as the school you
wanted to go to. Uh, and then the successes you
guys were able to have. Well, I grew up in
Massachusetts and so I wasn't highly recruited US. It's not
exactly a hotbed for recruits, uh, you know, for top
one hundred. So going out of a high school, I
(02:54):
got recruited by three colleges Yukon, Rutgers, and Temple, and
they wanted me to play quarterback. So I didn't see
a lot of five eleven some my own quarterbacks in
the NFL. So it was kind of my first business
decision that I took a scholarship, a play linebacker for
the Humane Black Bears, and then upon having a successful
freshman campaign, I decided to transfer and I was supposed
(03:18):
to go to Oregon. They have this full scholarship lined up,
but unbeknownst to me, my dad had sent the tape
to USC and we stopped by for a visit before
taking off to Oregon. And I'll never forget the day.
I'm in Heritage Hall. There's all the Heisman's, there's all
the all the national championship banners, and Pete Carroll walks
up and he says, if I give you this scholarship,
(03:39):
we come here over Oregon. And I said absolutely, and
he shook my hand, he said, congratulations, you're a Trojan. Wow. Wow.
That must have been an amazing feeling at the moment,
and at the time. You talk about all of the
national championships you were witnessing there over the course of
your visit, you we're able to win two of them
(04:00):
two thousand and three, two thousand and four, Uh, you know,
super Bowl champion, but never one in at the collegiate level.
I mean, big deal. Just talk about you know, those
two championships, what they meant to you? When uh, just
the you know, just the overall feel of it. Yeah, no,
it was incredible, man, what we were able to do.
Uh with my my time down there with Pete in
(04:20):
twenty six games that I was blessed to play and
start there. We were twenty five and one. We lost
one game and triple overtime and uh, you know we
could have done it was no, that was the year
after me. Okay, that was the national championship after me,
but this was to cal h and a guy by
the name of Aaron Rodgers. You know, can people know him?
But um, yeah, so that was our only blemish. But
(04:41):
it was just it was amazing. I mean, you know,
with your time here and how amazing that offense and
defense were the team. It was it's all about the team.
And so we did something special down there. And what
really meant a lot to me is every day right
outside the linebackers locker room was the national championship from
nineteen seventy four and my dad was on that team. Wow,
(05:02):
And so I got to pass his picture every day
and it just a little added incentive and motivation, you know,
to make him in the school proud. And so now
there's a plaque seventy four sitting there and next to
it is the two thousand and four with my picture
on it. It sounds like your dad had a plan
when he snuck that tape over there to USC while
you were visiting Oregony City. Wanted to follow in his footsteps.
(05:25):
Talk about your dad and and just his impact on
your life and how much you know he was an
inspiration to you. Oh man, my hero. Um. You know,
he was a fourteen year NFL veteran UM and also
my coach, so I got to learn a lot of football.
But those are some some bumpy times. You can imagine
a coach, you know, with the expectations of being a
(05:46):
former player, but then also your dad and so we
got into it a couple of times, but it was
some of the greatest times I ever had playing for him.
And then just you know, always talking ball with me
and telling me what the offense is really trying to
get Downe on each formation recognition. So I really I
attribute a lot of my success to not only having
that experience, but then also being down there with Pete
(06:07):
and all those coaches. They you know, they really teach
you the game and they're they're phenomenal teachers of the
game standing at USC just for a moment, you know,
any any kind of behind the scenes teammate, uh, you
know story that kind of sticks out to you doing
your your time there, winning championships and balling out. Um,
it was just incredible. Man, I love all. I still
(06:29):
talk to all my guys you know from SC and so,
I mean, I think very similar to you when you
win your championship here right, it's there's a bond created
after all which you go through and sacrifice that it
only gets strengthened the brotherhood when when you win the championship,
the ultimate sacrifice we all we all make. You know.
I saw you over the weekend and uh, you talked
about having the opportunity to run out of the tunnel
(06:52):
at USC again first time in twenty twenty years, two
decades from decades man, So you know, just talk about
how that what that feeling was like to be able
to do that. And they got the win against I
think it was Oregon States this week Fresno was okay,
and yeah, so just talk about that feeling, what it
was like to be able to do that, you know, again,
(07:14):
it was incredible. Um, I left as a junior after
my junior year, so I didn't get the senior night
that most guys get, the farewell, you know, their final game,
and they know it's their final game in whatever stadium
ours the coliseum and it's such a historical place. Um,
so many great games been played there. But to run
down the tunnel just to have my kids there, because
my kids are too young. They didn't even know my
(07:36):
dad played football, and so thank you and so for
them getting to see their grandfather who they never met,
and and my picture on the walls, and just how
decorated and the tradition you know that USC has and holds,
and I think we're really on the cusp of doing
something great down there with Lincoln Riley and those guys.
So but the atmosphere was electric running down there, man,
(07:59):
I could see a look. It was like leading your
boys out there again one last time. And I hope
that all of my you know, fellow Trojans and everybody
gets to do it at their their their university, because
there's nothing like it. Man. It was. It was unbelievable. Yeah.
Well just uh, you know, my pon may not matter,
but I do have USC making the top four this year,
you know what I mean, getting into that playoff and
(08:21):
have an opportunity to compete for the national title once again.
You know, my favorite USC game was against was that
game against Texas, although in an l I thought it
was one of them, you know, I mean, arguably the
greatest college game in the history of college football. See,
being a running back, I thought you were gonna go
Fresno Reggie Bush. You know that historic game where he
(08:43):
had almost five hundred yards of offense by himself. Yeah, no,
he was. He was bawling when he stopped on the
sideline and kind of Yeah, I don't truly talk about
but no, that one was. That one was a classic, man,
just because of all the back and forth. But you
you mentioned that you left us a junior, so curious
you know what went into the decision for you to
leave early USC and then you get drafted to Seattle.
(09:07):
They trade up to get you, so like like this
this demand right here, Okay, we need to get him.
So talk about that feeling as well. They took a
lot of heat for that pick. You know, they said,
I never forget sitting there on draft. They like they
take They trade up two Fords and swapped a second
to take an undersized linebacker from USC and I, you know,
(09:27):
that kind of helped with the chip on my shoulder,
you know, which I've always had, not getting recruited everything,
overcoming all that adversity. But you know, yeah, it was
an unlikely jump, you know, transfer an end to leaving early.
It's you know, everybody's like, are you crazy? And I
just felt like, you know, it was time to move on. Man.
I didn't think another hundred tackles or another couple interceptions,
and Zachs was gonna propel me into that first round
(09:49):
where you know, all the pretty boys are, man, the
first rounders. You there's a difference between a first and
a second rounder. And so I wasn't going to run
the four four or forty that they wanted. And I
was like, you know what, my body of work should
speak for itself. And it did. And uh, it just
takes one to fall in love with you, and the
Hawks did. And I'm grateful because man, I'd never been,
(10:10):
you know, up to Washington or Seattle, and you know,
when you get here, it's just breath taking and how
much this is a football you know city. You know,
it's a lot of people don't understand until they go
experience it and go sit with the twelves at the game.
You think USC wins that national title. If you're on
the team that next season against against Texas, oh, man,
I don't know. I mean, you know, Vin Vince Young
(10:30):
was doing his thing. Man, it's the quarterback spy man. Yeah,
but you know people leave all the time. Tommy Harris,
he left Oklahoma, he was a phenomenal, like two time
consensus All American. And I still say, even though it
was lopside at fifty five nineteen, if he's at that
Oklahoma game the year before, I don't know how it
goes down because that that was a vaunt. That was
(10:51):
a tough front seventh they had and he was the anchor.
So um, it's fun to play in the hypotheticals. But
I don't know. I can't I plead the fifth. Well,
you come off the national title four, you get drafted
in OH five, you make the All Rookie team as
a rookie with the Seattle Seahawks. You're part of the
(11:12):
Super Bowl team as well, so you're probably thinking, you
know you're on this, You're on this high ride right now,
back to back national title, then you're in the Super Bowl. Man,
talk about that experience. I mean it was a whirlwind, man.
I mean just the longest, you know, playing as long
as you can each each season, and you know, getting
ready for a sixteen game season plus preseason plus playoffs.
(11:35):
It was incredible. And luckily I just had so much
help around me, including third rounder fellow linebacker Leroy Hill,
absolute beast, so I didn't have to go it alone,
so to speak. And and I just it was one
of the most fun years of football I've ever had
because the team, everybody just loved playing football and playing
for each other. And I think that's that's how you
(11:57):
get to the Super Bowl, just such as you and
your boys did. And um, yeah, super Bowl participant, you
can't say super Bowl champion, that's all right, man. Um.
You know, the draft experiences is a little different for everybody.
And we talked about Seattle trading up and how that
made you feel. You know, obviously there's a good side
to that because you know a team wants you, and
(12:17):
then you know there's a chip on the shoulder because
people are like, what, you know, why, why why are
you doing that? And did you did you think you
were going to go somewhere else. Did you know what?
What was that? Like? You know, it was wild? So
you go. Usually you go to the combine and you know,
you kind of talk to teams and even after that,
there's all these trips that you're allowed to take, right,
(12:39):
I didn't have one single trip, And so I'm sitting
there after the combine like, did I mess up? Like
are these draft pundits right? I'm not going to get drafted?
And uh not. So I guess they were just playing
their cards close to the vest and they didn't want to,
you know, tip their hands, so to speak. So um,
I did have one call with the Buccaneers and the Bengals,
(13:01):
who also had second round picks and had a need
at linebacker. So I thought, really it was going to
be one of those two. Barrett Rude went first pick
of the second round in front of me, and then
the Bengals when we're talking to them, they said, if
he's there at forty eight, we'll take him, but we're
not going to trade up for him. And so that's
when I think Seattle got winded and they moved in.
And then since he ended up with one of my
(13:22):
favorite linebackers, Odell Thurman from Georgia. Man, he was a beast. Yeah, awesome, awesome.
So you played for Mike Holmgren right when you come in.
He had a little short stint with coach More yet
one year, and then your boy comes in Coach Carroll.
You know, so just talk about playing for each coach
(13:43):
and then obviously having the opportunity to play for your
college coach as well once he was able to roll
in from Yeah, I see, you know, Jim didn't really
get he had one year. He didn't. I don't think
he really got a fair shake to really see what
he was capable of doing. Um and uh but with
with Homegren my first five years and then uh Pete
(14:04):
my last year, and then I had him three in college.
So very different contrasting styles. Uh, you know, I mean
even just look at him. Mike six six, you know Pete,
I don't know five. I'll give him five nine, five
tens um, but uh, you know, it's just you know,
Pete's very energetic. Hey, let's go. You know, and I
don't want to say raw rah. I think that you
(14:25):
know that discredits you know, really how how much he
helps you know, mold and and and get these guys
to play at a higher level. Um, but he is
there's something about that energy that resonates and it really
you feed off of. And then with with Mike was
very disciplinarian. And Mike, you know, I know he hated penalties,
UM and you always knew where you still with him,
(14:47):
and you know, you didn't want to stand on the
sideline with him if he messed up, because he would
let you have it. But it was I think three
or four years that I played with Mike, we were
number one or in the top three and penalties U
not getting penalties, so that he always said, it's hard
enough when you're doing everything right to beat another team
in the National Football League, do not beat yourself. And
(15:08):
so that was that was really one of the things
that I think we really did well was a discipline
when we were playing with him. One of the great
quarterbacks of all time here in Seattle, Matt Hasselbeck, teammate
that you played with. Your dad was teammates with Matt
Hasselbeck's father back in the back in the day with
the Patriots. So you know, what was your relationship like
(15:30):
with Matt And uh, you know, did you ever you know,
give him some at your high school quarterback. So did
you ever try to give him some tips offense a
little how to throw that thing around? I mean, I
think I could still throw it farther to him, you know,
Yeah I said that, Matthew. But um, yeah, so I
knew the hasbecks very well growing up. Matt's a couple
of years old than me, so I competed against his
(15:51):
youngest brother, Nathaniel, who's a phenomenal athlete, and then Tim
was of course between them, and he went to Boston
College and played with several teams in the NFL. But yeah, man,
it was it was special, you know, that bond because
we knew each other growing up. But then when we
come to a whole different city and you've got two
kids from the Tritown area, which is Rantham Plainville in Norfolk,
(16:11):
and he grew up in Norfolk and I grew up
in Plainville. For to have two Trytown kids representing, you know,
um as captains on offense and defense of a team
was a pretty unbelievable experience. You played with, uh you
know some of the I guess new era kind of guys.
Well maybe not so not so new, but you know,
(16:33):
the guy the kJ Rights of the World, was a
rookie during your last year. The following year, Bobby Wagner
comes in, you know, uh, and there's some other young
players who trickled in as well. And you've stayed here
in Seattle, you know, and you are the loudest guy
in the suites when the Seahawks are playing, the biggest fan,
probably the biggest critic too. You know, you know you're
(16:56):
gonna heard me, So just talk about your relationship, you know,
as new guys. As your career kind of ended, and
obviously you know that transition can be up and down
for everybody, but just you know how you were supportive
of the new guys who continued to roll into this program. Yeah,
I mean, John and Pete have done a phenomenal job
bringing you guys such as yourself that we're just ready
(17:18):
to take it over and take it to a whole
new level. And you know, of course I got to
play with with Cam and Earl. They were rookies my
last year or two, and like the legion of Boom,
you know, Scherm and all of them came just the
year after and eleven, and so just I could see
it when we were you know, when the draft classes
were rolling in, it was a different caliber of athlete
(17:39):
and it was kind of reminding me of the times
when I was at SC. I was like, wow, man,
you got all these top five, these these amazing football players,
and when it comes together, it's beautiful. And so I
just tried to do my best to just you know,
relay any information I could about you know, what helped me,
you know, become better. And mine was a very cerebral game.
I wasn't gifted with the athletic prowesses some of these guys,
(18:02):
but um, you know so, and then I got to coach.
I really think that was the biggest thing in fifteen
and sixteen. Got the coach and really got to impart
some wisdom to to kJ and Bobby And not that
they really needed any they're already rolling, but you know,
Ken Norton did a phenomenal job with them, and so
I just tried to support them in any way I could.
And um, it's it's been. It's been amazing. Yeah, it
(18:23):
sounds like you try to get guys turned up to
kJ said at his press conference that he's chilling in
the sweet sip of tequila with Loafa man, you know
you're trying to get everybody do stuff. Uh hey man,
energies contagious baby, But yeah, that's probably I got. I
got some shout outs. I'm lucky enough to get some
shout outs, even at a Hall of Fame speech or two.
(18:43):
But Kj's saying that he's gonna run around the sweet
Strip at the Kiel with me. It was probably the
coolest shoutow't ever got. That's what's up, man. So what
is your fondest memory of being the Seattle Sea Huk?
I mean? Draft days special to everybody because it's the day,
you know, kind of like little girls dream of their
wedding days, little boys dream of getting drafted. Yeah, and
that's the truth. And so that was awesome being around
(19:04):
all my family and having them see not just years
of my hard work but also their support come to fruition.
And then on top of it, um winning the championship here,
the first NFC championship. It was you know, it hadn't
been done. It was done in front of everybody in
the city of Seattle, and unfortunately came up a little
short in the in the Super Bowl. But yeah, that
(19:24):
NFC championship, I'll never forget and uh, I'm just glad
that you guys brought it home. You know, a couple
of years later we wouldn't We couldn't have done it
without the support of Big Loaf to two poo man. Um,
last question that I have for you, Um, you know,
because you talked about your style as a as a
as a linebacker, not being the most athletic, but Jimmy,
(19:44):
he has some legendary games, right, Uh, multiple three interception games,
you know. Uh, you know, huge sack numbers and things
like that. So just talk about I guess, just your
preparation and you know what may aide you such a
dominant linebacker in this league. It was definitely everybody around
(20:05):
me is what made me better. But um, playing playing
the team sport man. Loved it, Love going out there
with my brothers. But in terms of preparation, I give
a lot of credit to the guys that I had,
Nick Holt, see Rocky Seto, Ken Norton. They really, like
I say, it was an NFL organization that Pete was
running down there in terms of you know, knowing what
to do, you know, uh, time on the clock, position
(20:28):
of the field, everything, formation recognition, tendencies, I had all
that and all that prep work for two or three years.
That's why I when I transition the NFL was pretty seamless.
It looked like I had been there before, and I
felt like I had been there before, and so um,
you know, that was my edge. And then I was
just trying to relay the information as quick as I can,
because there's only what a couple of seconds before that
(20:49):
plays called that ball snap, and so on any shift
or motion, I already would go to the next play. Okay,
they're ninety percent run out of that, they're you know,
seventy five percent. And then that gives you the indicator
as to when you can take a shot, because knowing
when to take a shot is just as important as
taking the shot. And I think some guys can't differentiate that.
All right, one more, one more. I know I said
I had one more question, but you know, I'm talking
(21:10):
to a linebacker, and so it makes me think as
a running back of the other days. See, I'm still
old enough to experience the Oklahoma days, right, but young
enough to experience the transition right out of the two
of days when you know when when the rules changed.
And so I'm just I'm just curious. You know, is
there a running back that was the toughest to tackle
(21:33):
or that that that you know, your your bell was
rung like this was the guy that was just it
was just it was gonna be a long day with him.
It's the NFL, so you know everybody, I mean, you
didn't have to look much farther than then FC Wes
when I was there, Ed James Hall of Fame. I
believe my boy, Sean Alexander, there's a Hall of Fame.
Finally go on the rank of Honor, Stephen Jackson. I
mean they was stacked. Frank Gore Hall of Fame like that.
(21:56):
That was, you know, kind of the starting four. But
when it comes to the best I ever faced, Now,
I always say this hands down, Fred Taylor oh Man
telling you, I don't know if you got to, you know,
really witness and play. I did. My god, he could
do whatever he wanted. Turbot. It's like he can outrun you.
I mean he could juque, he could run you over.
So it's um, you know, and I'm sure I probably
(22:19):
have a little PTSD because it was my first start,
and you know, I'm just trying to get guys lined
up and then I was like, oh my god, this
guy's fast too, because on the film he was just
trucking everybody, and so it was a rare combination of size, speed,
and athleticism and um, you know, if you look at
those numbers, man, he belongs in the Hall of Fame.
Freddy Taylor, love it, Love it well, Uh, Loaf, I
(22:42):
appreciate you coming on the show today. Man, Um, you
know I got a quick one for you, but uh,
we're gonna have to wrap this one up man, so hey,
we'll catch you next time. I want to say thank
you to everybody who tuned into this episode. You can't
wait for another one next wait Seahawks Stories, Baby, keep
(23:02):
it locked.
You're listening to Seahawks stories, dicking you behind the scenes
with your favorite current and former Seahawks play fake prop fact,
go the froward. D got a man, it's Metcap. He's
out the touchdown Seahawks powered by Seahawks dot Com. Turbin
in the backfield. When Wilson, who goes out of the
shotgun look out here comes to Platts Rustle steps up.
(00:22):
Now he's got a scramble. Now he comes to Turbin
midfield forty five forty damn here, signing like thirty twenty five,
puts his head down on a run by Turbin. He's
all the way down to the Chargers twenty one yard line.
A thirty two yard pickup. Now here's your host. Super
Bowl forty eight champion Robert Turbin second and four from
his home thirty four mcmanthrows intercepted again, it's the twopoo.
(00:44):
He's inside the twenty for fifteen but then the five
touchdown Seahawks. Two interceptions, two touchdowns for the Seahawks, a
thirty four yard return. Well put the twopoo. Welcome to
the NFL. Baby, what's up? What's up? Baby boy? Shop boy?
Robert turban a k A turbot in the building once
again for another beautiful episode of Seahawks Stories. I got
(01:09):
the one and only you heard it, Pick six man
himself loaf to Tupu, joining the building with me. How
you doing, man, blast Man? Thank you for having me
talk about that pick six right there. Linebackers don't get
too many of those, man. I was blessed to have
two of them, and I remember him very well. But
that one was Philly. They ran the stick concept, you know,
(01:32):
the tight end five yards out, and I just, uh,
you know, I pulled the trigger. Shoot the gunners, they
like to say. And you got to make the most
of the the opportunities. And I'm just lucky it was only
thirty four yards because I did not want to get caught.
You who you remember? Who the quarterback was? Hib? Okay?
And what about your other pick six? Um, Jimmy Clawson
(01:52):
Carolina twenty six yards left flats? Okay? All right, all right?
You know I only asked because you never know, like,
you know, you know, he get an interception off somebody
who's like, you know, maybe you grew up watching or
idolized growing up, any any of those come to mind.
I tipped a couple footballs from Brett Farve. I didn't
(02:12):
he too too hard for me to catch it. I'm
a linebacker for a reason. Turbo, Yeah, he was a
He was a gun slinger for sure. Well, listen, man,
you had a very decorated career both in college and
in the NFL. You know, let's start at the collegiate level, right,
you play for Pete Carroll, who's currently you know, the
Seahawks coach. Now you've guys been able to we're able
(02:33):
to do some great things at USC. So just talk
about the process of choosing USC as the school you
wanted to go to. Uh, and then the successes you
guys were able to have. Well, I grew up in
Massachusetts and so I wasn't highly recruited US. It's not
exactly a hotbed for recruits, uh, you know, for top
one hundred. So going out of a high school, I
(02:54):
got recruited by three colleges Yukon, Rutgers, and Temple, and
they wanted me to play quarterback. So I didn't see
a lot of five eleven some my own quarterbacks in
the NFL. So it was kind of my first business
decision that I took a scholarship, a play linebacker for
the Humane Black Bears, and then upon having a successful
freshman campaign, I decided to transfer and I was supposed
(03:18):
to go to Oregon. They have this full scholarship lined up,
but unbeknownst to me, my dad had sent the tape
to USC and we stopped by for a visit before
taking off to Oregon. And I'll never forget the day.
I'm in Heritage Hall. There's all the Heisman's, there's all
the all the national championship banners, and Pete Carroll walks
up and he says, if I give you this scholarship,
(03:39):
we come here over Oregon. And I said absolutely, and
he shook my hand, he said, congratulations, you're a Trojan. Wow. Wow.
That must have been an amazing feeling at the moment,
and at the time. You talk about all of the
national championships you were witnessing there over the course of
your visit, you we're able to win two of them
(04:00):
two thousand and three, two thousand and four, Uh, you know,
super Bowl champion, but never one in at the collegiate level.
I mean, big deal. Just talk about you know, those
two championships, what they meant to you? When uh, just
the you know, just the overall feel of it. Yeah, no,
it was incredible, man, what we were able to do.
Uh with my my time down there with Pete in
(04:20):
twenty six games that I was blessed to play and
start there. We were twenty five and one. We lost
one game and triple overtime and uh, you know we
could have done it was no, that was the year
after me. Okay, that was the national championship after me,
but this was to cal h and a guy by
the name of Aaron Rodgers. You know, can people know him?
But um, yeah, so that was our only blemish. But
(04:41):
it was just it was amazing. I mean, you know,
with your time here and how amazing that offense and
defense were the team. It was it's all about the team.
And so we did something special down there. And what
really meant a lot to me is every day right
outside the linebackers locker room was the national championship from
nineteen seventy four and my dad was on that team. Wow,
(05:02):
And so I got to pass his picture every day
and it just a little added incentive and motivation, you know,
to make him in the school proud. And so now
there's a plaque seventy four sitting there and next to
it is the two thousand and four with my picture
on it. It sounds like your dad had a plan
when he snuck that tape over there to USC while
you were visiting Oregony City. Wanted to follow in his footsteps.
(05:25):
Talk about your dad and and just his impact on
your life and how much you know he was an
inspiration to you. Oh man, my hero. Um. You know,
he was a fourteen year NFL veteran UM and also
my coach, so I got to learn a lot of football.
But those are some some bumpy times. You can imagine
a coach, you know, with the expectations of being a
(05:46):
former player, but then also your dad and so we
got into it a couple of times, but it was
some of the greatest times I ever had playing for him.
And then just you know, always talking ball with me
and telling me what the offense is really trying to
get Downe on each formation recognition. So I really I
attribute a lot of my success to not only having
that experience, but then also being down there with Pete
(06:07):
and all those coaches. They you know, they really teach
you the game and they're they're phenomenal teachers of the
game standing at USC just for a moment, you know,
any any kind of behind the scenes teammate, uh, you
know story that kind of sticks out to you doing
your your time there, winning championships and balling out. Um,
it was just incredible. Man, I love all. I still
(06:29):
talk to all my guys you know from SC and so,
I mean, I think very similar to you when you
win your championship here right, it's there's a bond created
after all which you go through and sacrifice that it
only gets strengthened the brotherhood when when you win the championship,
the ultimate sacrifice we all we all make. You know.
I saw you over the weekend and uh, you talked
about having the opportunity to run out of the tunnel
(06:52):
at USC again first time in twenty twenty years, two
decades from decades man, So you know, just talk about
how that what that feeling was like to be able
to do that. And they got the win against I
think it was Oregon States this week Fresno was okay,
and yeah, so just talk about that feeling, what it
was like to be able to do that, you know, again,
(07:14):
it was incredible. Um, I left as a junior after
my junior year, so I didn't get the senior night
that most guys get, the farewell, you know, their final game,
and they know it's their final game in whatever stadium
ours the coliseum and it's such a historical place. Um,
so many great games been played there. But to run
down the tunnel just to have my kids there, because
my kids are too young. They didn't even know my
(07:36):
dad played football, and so thank you and so for
them getting to see their grandfather who they never met,
and and my picture on the walls, and just how
decorated and the tradition you know that USC has and holds,
and I think we're really on the cusp of doing
something great down there with Lincoln Riley and those guys.
So but the atmosphere was electric running down there, man,
(07:59):
I could see a look. It was like leading your
boys out there again one last time. And I hope
that all of my you know, fellow Trojans and everybody
gets to do it at their their their university, because
there's nothing like it. Man. It was. It was unbelievable. Yeah.
Well just uh, you know, my pon may not matter,
but I do have USC making the top four this year,
you know what I mean, getting into that playoff and
(08:21):
have an opportunity to compete for the national title once again.
You know, my favorite USC game was against was that
game against Texas, although in an l I thought it
was one of them, you know, I mean, arguably the
greatest college game in the history of college football. See,
being a running back, I thought you were gonna go
Fresno Reggie Bush. You know that historic game where he
(08:43):
had almost five hundred yards of offense by himself. Yeah, no,
he was. He was bawling when he stopped on the
sideline and kind of Yeah, I don't truly talk about
but no, that one was. That one was a classic, man,
just because of all the back and forth. But you
you mentioned that you left us a junior, so curious
you know what went into the decision for you to
leave early USC and then you get drafted to Seattle.
(09:07):
They trade up to get you, so like like this
this demand right here, Okay, we need to get him.
So talk about that feeling as well. They took a
lot of heat for that pick. You know, they said,
I never forget sitting there on draft. They like they
take They trade up two Fords and swapped a second
to take an undersized linebacker from USC and I, you know,
(09:27):
that kind of helped with the chip on my shoulder,
you know, which I've always had, not getting recruited everything,
overcoming all that adversity. But you know, yeah, it was
an unlikely jump, you know, transfer an end to leaving early.
It's you know, everybody's like, are you crazy? And I
just felt like, you know, it was time to move on. Man.
I didn't think another hundred tackles or another couple interceptions,
and Zachs was gonna propel me into that first round
(09:49):
where you know, all the pretty boys are, man, the
first rounders. You there's a difference between a first and
a second rounder. And so I wasn't going to run
the four four or forty that they wanted. And I
was like, you know what, my body of work should
speak for itself. And it did. And uh, it just
takes one to fall in love with you, and the
Hawks did. And I'm grateful because man, I'd never been,
(10:10):
you know, up to Washington or Seattle, and you know,
when you get here, it's just breath taking and how
much this is a football you know city. You know,
it's a lot of people don't understand until they go
experience it and go sit with the twelves at the game.
You think USC wins that national title. If you're on
the team that next season against against Texas, oh, man,
I don't know. I mean, you know, Vin Vince Young
(10:30):
was doing his thing. Man, it's the quarterback spy man. Yeah,
but you know people leave all the time. Tommy Harris,
he left Oklahoma, he was a phenomenal, like two time
consensus All American. And I still say, even though it
was lopside at fifty five nineteen, if he's at that
Oklahoma game the year before, I don't know how it
goes down because that that was a vaunt. That was
(10:51):
a tough front seventh they had and he was the anchor.
So um, it's fun to play in the hypotheticals. But
I don't know. I can't I plead the fifth. Well,
you come off the national title four, you get drafted
in OH five, you make the All Rookie team as
a rookie with the Seattle Seahawks. You're part of the
(11:12):
Super Bowl team as well, so you're probably thinking, you
know you're on this, You're on this high ride right now,
back to back national title, then you're in the Super Bowl. Man,
talk about that experience. I mean it was a whirlwind, man.
I mean just the longest, you know, playing as long
as you can each each season, and you know, getting
ready for a sixteen game season plus preseason plus playoffs.
(11:35):
It was incredible. And luckily I just had so much
help around me, including third rounder fellow linebacker Leroy Hill,
absolute beast, so I didn't have to go it alone,
so to speak. And and I just it was one
of the most fun years of football I've ever had
because the team, everybody just loved playing football and playing
for each other. And I think that's that's how you
(11:57):
get to the Super Bowl, just such as you and
your boys did. And um, yeah, super Bowl participant, you
can't say super Bowl champion, that's all right, man. Um.
You know, the draft experiences is a little different for everybody.
And we talked about Seattle trading up and how that
made you feel. You know, obviously there's a good side
to that because you know a team wants you, and
(12:17):
then you know there's a chip on the shoulder because
people are like, what, you know, why, why why are
you doing that? And did you did you think you
were going to go somewhere else. Did you know what?
What was that? Like? You know, it was wild? So
you go. Usually you go to the combine and you know,
you kind of talk to teams and even after that,
there's all these trips that you're allowed to take, right,
(12:39):
I didn't have one single trip, And so I'm sitting
there after the combine like, did I mess up? Like
are these draft pundits right? I'm not going to get drafted?
And uh not. So I guess they were just playing
their cards close to the vest and they didn't want to,
you know, tip their hands, so to speak. So um,
I did have one call with the Buccaneers and the Bengals,
(13:01):
who also had second round picks and had a need
at linebacker. So I thought, really it was going to
be one of those two. Barrett Rude went first pick
of the second round in front of me, and then
the Bengals when we're talking to them, they said, if
he's there at forty eight, we'll take him, but we're
not going to trade up for him. And so that's
when I think Seattle got winded and they moved in.
And then since he ended up with one of my
(13:22):
favorite linebackers, Odell Thurman from Georgia. Man, he was a beast. Yeah, awesome, awesome.
So you played for Mike Holmgren right when you come in.
He had a little short stint with coach More yet
one year, and then your boy comes in Coach Carroll.
You know, so just talk about playing for each coach
(13:43):
and then obviously having the opportunity to play for your
college coach as well once he was able to roll
in from Yeah, I see, you know, Jim didn't really
get he had one year. He didn't. I don't think
he really got a fair shake to really see what
he was capable of doing. Um and uh but with
with Homegren my first five years and then uh Pete
(14:04):
my last year, and then I had him three in college.
So very different contrasting styles. Uh, you know, I mean
even just look at him. Mike six six, you know Pete,
I don't know five. I'll give him five nine, five
tens um, but uh, you know, it's just you know,
Pete's very energetic. Hey, let's go. You know, and I
don't want to say raw rah. I think that you
(14:25):
know that discredits you know, really how how much he
helps you know, mold and and and get these guys
to play at a higher level. Um, but he is
there's something about that energy that resonates and it really
you feed off of. And then with with Mike was
very disciplinarian. And Mike, you know, I know he hated penalties,
UM and you always knew where you still with him,
(14:47):
and you know, you didn't want to stand on the
sideline with him if he messed up, because he would
let you have it. But it was I think three
or four years that I played with Mike, we were
number one or in the top three and penalties U
not getting penalties, so that he always said, it's hard
enough when you're doing everything right to beat another team
in the National Football League, do not beat yourself. And
(15:08):
so that was that was really one of the things
that I think we really did well was a discipline
when we were playing with him. One of the great
quarterbacks of all time here in Seattle, Matt Hasselbeck, teammate
that you played with. Your dad was teammates with Matt
Hasselbeck's father back in the back in the day with
the Patriots. So you know, what was your relationship like
(15:30):
with Matt And uh, you know, did you ever you know,
give him some at your high school quarterback. So did
you ever try to give him some tips offense a
little how to throw that thing around? I mean, I
think I could still throw it farther to him, you know,
Yeah I said that, Matthew. But um, yeah, so I
knew the hasbecks very well growing up. Matt's a couple
of years old than me, so I competed against his
(15:51):
youngest brother, Nathaniel, who's a phenomenal athlete, and then Tim
was of course between them, and he went to Boston
College and played with several teams in the NFL. But yeah, man,
it was it was special, you know, that bond because
we knew each other growing up. But then when we
come to a whole different city and you've got two
kids from the Tritown area, which is Rantham Plainville in Norfolk,
(16:11):
and he grew up in Norfolk and I grew up
in Plainville. For to have two Trytown kids representing, you know,
um as captains on offense and defense of a team
was a pretty unbelievable experience. You played with, uh you
know some of the I guess new era kind of guys.
Well maybe not so not so new, but you know,
(16:33):
the guy the kJ Rights of the World, was a
rookie during your last year. The following year, Bobby Wagner
comes in, you know, uh, and there's some other young
players who trickled in as well. And you've stayed here
in Seattle, you know, and you are the loudest guy
in the suites when the Seahawks are playing, the biggest fan,
probably the biggest critic too. You know, you know you're
(16:56):
gonna heard me, So just talk about your relationship, you know,
as new guys. As your career kind of ended, and
obviously you know that transition can be up and down
for everybody, but just you know how you were supportive
of the new guys who continued to roll into this program. Yeah,
I mean, John and Pete have done a phenomenal job
bringing you guys such as yourself that we're just ready
(17:18):
to take it over and take it to a whole
new level. And you know, of course I got to
play with with Cam and Earl. They were rookies my
last year or two, and like the legion of Boom,
you know, Scherm and all of them came just the
year after and eleven, and so just I could see
it when we were you know, when the draft classes
were rolling in, it was a different caliber of athlete
(17:39):
and it was kind of reminding me of the times
when I was at SC. I was like, wow, man,
you got all these top five, these these amazing football players,
and when it comes together, it's beautiful. And so I
just tried to do my best to just you know,
relay any information I could about you know, what helped me,
you know, become better. And mine was a very cerebral game.
I wasn't gifted with the athletic prowesses some of these guys,
(18:02):
but um, you know so, and then I got to coach.
I really think that was the biggest thing in fifteen
and sixteen. Got the coach and really got to impart
some wisdom to to kJ and Bobby And not that
they really needed any they're already rolling, but you know,
Ken Norton did a phenomenal job with them, and so
I just tried to support them in any way I could.
And um, it's it's been. It's been amazing. Yeah, it
(18:23):
sounds like you try to get guys turned up to
kJ said at his press conference that he's chilling in
the sweet sip of tequila with Loafa man, you know
you're trying to get everybody do stuff. Uh hey man,
energies contagious baby, But yeah, that's probably I got. I
got some shout outs. I'm lucky enough to get some
shout outs, even at a Hall of Fame speech or two.
(18:43):
But Kj's saying that he's gonna run around the sweet
Strip at the Kiel with me. It was probably the
coolest shoutow't ever got. That's what's up, man. So what
is your fondest memory of being the Seattle Sea Huk?
I mean? Draft days special to everybody because it's the day,
you know, kind of like little girls dream of their
wedding days, little boys dream of getting drafted. Yeah, and
that's the truth. And so that was awesome being around
(19:04):
all my family and having them see not just years
of my hard work but also their support come to fruition.
And then on top of it, um winning the championship here,
the first NFC championship. It was you know, it hadn't
been done. It was done in front of everybody in
the city of Seattle, and unfortunately came up a little
short in the in the Super Bowl. But yeah, that
(19:24):
NFC championship, I'll never forget and uh, I'm just glad
that you guys brought it home. You know, a couple
of years later we wouldn't We couldn't have done it
without the support of Big Loaf to two poo man. Um,
last question that I have for you, Um, you know,
because you talked about your style as a as a
as a linebacker, not being the most athletic, but Jimmy,
(19:44):
he has some legendary games, right, Uh, multiple three interception games,
you know. Uh, you know, huge sack numbers and things
like that. So just talk about I guess, just your
preparation and you know what may aide you such a
dominant linebacker in this league. It was definitely everybody around
(20:05):
me is what made me better. But um, playing playing
the team sport man. Loved it, Love going out there
with my brothers. But in terms of preparation, I give
a lot of credit to the guys that I had,
Nick Holt, see Rocky Seto, Ken Norton. They really, like
I say, it was an NFL organization that Pete was
running down there in terms of you know, knowing what
to do, you know, uh, time on the clock, position
(20:28):
of the field, everything, formation recognition, tendencies, I had all
that and all that prep work for two or three years.
That's why I when I transition the NFL was pretty seamless.
It looked like I had been there before, and I
felt like I had been there before, and so um,
you know, that was my edge. And then I was
just trying to relay the information as quick as I can,
because there's only what a couple of seconds before that
(20:49):
plays called that ball snap, and so on any shift
or motion, I already would go to the next play. Okay,
they're ninety percent run out of that, they're you know,
seventy five percent. And then that gives you the indicator
as to when you can take a shot, because knowing
when to take a shot is just as important as
taking the shot. And I think some guys can't differentiate that.
All right, one more, one more. I know I said
I had one more question, but you know, I'm talking
(21:10):
to a linebacker, and so it makes me think as
a running back of the other days. See, I'm still
old enough to experience the Oklahoma days, right, but young
enough to experience the transition right out of the two
of days when you know when when the rules changed.
And so I'm just I'm just curious. You know, is
there a running back that was the toughest to tackle
(21:33):
or that that that you know, your your bell was
rung like this was the guy that was just it
was just it was gonna be a long day with him.
It's the NFL, so you know everybody, I mean, you
didn't have to look much farther than then FC Wes
when I was there, Ed James Hall of Fame. I
believe my boy, Sean Alexander, there's a Hall of Fame.
Finally go on the rank of Honor, Stephen Jackson. I
mean they was stacked. Frank Gore Hall of Fame like that.
(21:56):
That was, you know, kind of the starting four. But
when it comes to the best I ever faced, Now,
I always say this hands down, Fred Taylor oh Man
telling you, I don't know if you got to, you know,
really witness and play. I did. My god, he could
do whatever he wanted. Turbot. It's like he can outrun you.
I mean he could juque, he could run you over.
So it's um, you know, and I'm sure I probably
(22:19):
have a little PTSD because it was my first start,
and you know, I'm just trying to get guys lined
up and then I was like, oh my god, this
guy's fast too, because on the film he was just
trucking everybody, and so it was a rare combination of size, speed,
and athleticism and um, you know, if you look at
those numbers, man, he belongs in the Hall of Fame.
Freddy Taylor, love it, Love it well, Uh, Loaf, I
(22:42):
appreciate you coming on the show today. Man, Um, you
know I got a quick one for you, but uh,
we're gonna have to wrap this one up man, so hey,
we'll catch you next time. I want to say thank
you to everybody who tuned into this episode. You can't
wait for another one next wait Seahawks Stories, Baby, keep
(23:02):
it locked.
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