Seahawks rookies learning what it means to be a professional
Seahawks No. 1 draft selection Germain Ifedi enjoys a laugh during his talk with students from North Elementary School on Friday. Ifedi was in Moses Lake as part of the Seahawks 12 Tour.
Seattle Seahawks rookie offensive lineman Rees Odhiambo throws passes to North Elementary School students
MOSES LAKE — The introduction to the NFL is coming in stages for Seattle Seahawks first-round selection Germain Ifedi and third-round pick Rees Odhiambo, but they are ready to take on the challenges of being a professional on one of the most dominant franchises in the league.
Part of the educational process came on Friday when the Seahawks 12 Tour rolled into Moses Lake to spread a little 12th Man love at North Elementary School. Ifedi, a 6-foot-6, 324-pound guard out of Texas A&M, and Odhiambo, a 6-4, 314-pound guard from Boise State, were met with a mini version of the noise they can expect at CenturyLink Field.
“Being professional is about coming out here and getting to know the fans,” said Odhiambo, who is a native of Kenya with starter-quality skills. “Coming from Boise, I’ve heard a lot about (the 12th Man). I can’t wait to see what that’s like.”
Since the NFL did away with the its rookie symposium a few years ago, the Seahawks organization conducted three days of rookie transition education last week following the conclusion of mini-camps. The purpose of the symposium, vice president of player development Mo Kelly said, is to make rookies aware of what is expected. The three-day process included a panel with former players Marcus Trufant, Bryce Fisher and Hall of Fame offensive tackle Walter Jones on the pitfalls and how to avoid trouble off the field, as well as how to be a professional on the field.
Ifedi called the information priceless, since he actually blocked for Johnny Manziel at A&M and later watched a career spiral out of control like the rest of the world.
“Being a pro is about taking care of business. They’re not going to bring you in and hold your hand. They expect you to be a man,” Ifedi said. “They drafted me in the first round and they expect me to play at a high level, and I want to prove them right. As for stuff like this, that’s part of it too. I’ve been at community summer programs myself. So to come in here is like going back to my roots. It’s fun seeing these kids and how excited they are to be around NFL players. That’s something I would have ecstatic to see as a kid.”
At the symposium, Seahawk rookies were able to talk to the veterans about summer workout programs over the next six weeks and how to watch their diets. Taking care of yourself is the other side of being professional, Odhiambo said.
“I think the workouts will be about the same,” said Odhiambo, who was not able to start more than nine games in any college season due to injuries. “In college, all you have is school and football, so it’s your job to know what you’re doing and taking care of your body. The best thing I can do on and off the field is to make sure I portray my team to the best of my ability. Make sure I conduct myself with a little bit of class.”
Both Odhiambo and Ifedi said the same family values they grew up with work today as a multi-millionaire. It’s always been about doing the right thing.
“I was taught growing up by my parents. At this point, it’s about making sure you do your job right and try to be a good person,” Odhiambo said. “It’s a part of your life and it’s what you make of it. Nobody should have to tell you what’s right or wrong.”
Ifedi grew up in Houston watching Texans players like Duane Brown and Adrian Foster handle themselves. On the basketball side, he admired guys like Rockets players James Hardy and Dwight Howard.
“They were always out in the community with kids,” he said. “To see guys that play at a high level, revered players, being a part of something good showed me a lot. So something like this (coming to Moses Lake) is the least I can do.”
The two Seahawk rookies met with North Elementary students, signed a few autographs, took some pictures, even threw some passes to ecstatic kids that might not ever get this close to an NFL player ever again.
“You hardly ever see any Seahawk players up close like this, so when they come (to Moses Lake) it’s a big deal and you want to celebrate it,” said Chief Moses Middle School eighth-grader Hunter White, who was a volunteer. “The Seahawks are good role models, because they never do things that are stupid, like getting arrested. Richard Sherman went to Stanford, so that tells me he did well in school. He has a degree and something else to fall back on when he’s done playing.”