Lofa Tatupu to raise the 12th Man Flag in Week 8 vs Bills

Lofa Tatupu to raise the 12th Man Flag in Week 8 vs Bills

The Seattle Seahawks have the best pregame tradition in football with local celebrities, former team legends, and icons of the region raising the 12th Man Flag in the south end zone. Recently, the Seahawks have been feeling nostalgic for their beloved teams of the 2000’s. In Week 5, Walter Jones had the honors. Four days later, Marcus Trufant got to raise the flag.

Well, in Week 8, we will see another legend from those teams: linebacker Lofa Tatupu.

Before there was Bobby Wagner, the answer to “who is your favorite Seahawks linebacker of all time?” would have easily been Lofa Tatupu. Originally a second round selection in the 2005 NFL draft, Tatupu quickly emerged as one of the best defenders on the team. As a rookie in 2005, Tatupu led the Seahawks with 104 tackles as he helped the team earn their first Super Bowl appearance.

Tatupu played all six years in Seattle. During his time he recorded 552 total tackles, 10 interceptions (two of which he returned for touchdowns), eight and a half sacks, three Pro Bowls and an All-Pro nod in 2007.

Tatupu’s last season in the Emerald City came in 2010 when he played in every game. Tatupu helped Seattle make history once more as the Seahawks became the first team with a losing record to win their division, and eventually, a playoff game. Seattle upset the reigning Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints 41-36 in the iconic Beast Quake game.

For more live updates, analysis and highlights during the game, be sure to follow @TheSeahawksWire and @KoleMusgrove23 on Twitter.

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Matt Hasselbeck gives Pete Carroll props for coaching quarterbacks well

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll is one of the (extremely) rare exceptions to the rule.

Most defensive coaches in the business aren’t known for getting great QB play, whether it’s not finding the right starter or not putting him in a position to succeed. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll is one of the (extremely) rare exceptions to the rule.

Even as far back as USC, Carroll has gotten quality QB play out of his starters at different levels and with several different characters, including Mark Sanchez, Carson Palmer, Russell Wilson and now the latest success in Geno Smith. It’s also telling that those same quarterbacks haven’t done nearly as well in other places when Carroll hasn’t been their head coach.

One guy who would know is Matt Hasselbeck, who was on Lofa Tatupu’s podcast yesterday The subject came up and he gave Carroll the credit he deserved. Watch.

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Seahawks legend Lofa Tatupu mocks Elon Musk’s new name for Twitter

You can include legendary Seahawks linebacker Lofa Tatupu in that crowd, as well.

The best thing about this job is that it’s essentially being paid to talk about football. The worst thing is that a great deal of that conversation takes place on Twitter, a festering portal to hell which is getting worse every single day.

The latest bizarre stunt by the site’s rich and creepy owner Elon Musk is to rename the brand after the letter X.Ā While the morons who took HBO out of the Max brand name are probably glad there’s somebody else to take the heat, everyone else seems to be confused by Musk’s decision – and most of the site is currently dunking on him for it.

You can include legendary Seahawks linebacker Lofa Tatupu in that crowd, as well. He did it with some elegant simplicity:

Tatupu played six years in the NFL (2005-2010). He made three Pro Bowls and one All-Pro team. These days he runs his own Seahawks podcast.

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Lofa Tatupu, Cliff Avril discuss Seahawks’ defensive improvement

Watch.

For the third year in a row, the Seahawks defense stumbled out of the gate. However, they’ve once again managed to turn things around and the unit has dramatically improved over the last three games. Heading into Week 8, Seattle ranks No. 19 in the league in defensive DVOA, up from No. 31 after the shootout win over an even-worse Detroit defense.

So, how have they done it? Two former Seahawks defenders talked about it recently when Cliff Avril was a guest on Lofa Tatupu’s podcast. Watch.

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Seahawks legend Lofa Tatupu thinks this uniform concept looks awesome

Fans and even some former players are eager to see those bold colors back in action.

About a dozen NFL teams will be sporting throwback jerseys and alternate helmets during the 2022 season. The Seattle Seahawks won’t be one of them, but the team has been hinting at a return to the classic 80s in the near future.

Fans and even some former players are eager to see those bold colors back in action. For one, Seattle’s legendary linebacker Lofa Tatupu thinks this throwback-inspired Seahawks uniform concept looks awesome on DK Metcalf.

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Seahawks players past and present share tributes to Chris Carson

The Seahawks lost a special player yesterday when running back Chris Carson was forced to retire due to a neck injury.

The Seahawks lost a special player yesterday when running back Chris Carson was forced to retire due to a neck injury. A seventh-round draft pick from 2017, Carson was one of the most physical runners in franchise history and embodied the toughness that Pete Carroll has tried to instill in his teams’ DNA over the years.

Since the unfortunate news was reported a number of Carson’s former teammates have been sharing tributes on Twitter. Here’s a few.

QB Russell Wilson

FS Quandre Diggs

RB Rashaad Penny

WR Tyler Lockett

QB Geno Smith

LB K.J. Wright

LB Lofa Tatupu

RB Josh Johnson

 

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Seahawks legend Lofa Tatupu calls Clint Hurtt a ‘phenomenal coach’

Tatupu shared high praise for Hurtt’s work as defensive line coach over the past few years.

The Seattle Seahawks ranked in the bottom half of the league in just about every meaningful defensive category except points allowed in 2021. The organization is hoping to turn the unit around with some coaching changes. Ed Norton Jr. is gone and former Broncos defensive coordinator Ed Donatell expected to join the team’s staff, while defensive line coach Clint Hurtt is reportedly being promoted to defensive coordinator.

There’s at least one franchise legend who thinks those are good moves. Former Seahawks linebacker Lofa Tatupu sat down with 710 ESPN Seattle to discuss what Hurtt and Donatell bring to the defense. Tatupu shared high praises for Hurtt’s work as defensive line coach the past few years, expressing his belief that he will transition well to being a defensive coordinator in 2022.

ā€œI love Clint. Heā€™s a phenomenal coach and heā€™s done a great job with that D-line and I think heā€™ll be an excellent D-coordinator, too.”

As for Donatell,Ā  Tatupu says his past with coach Pete Carroll plus his experience fielding a sturdy defense in Denver should serve the team well.

ā€‹ā€‹ā€‹ā€‹ā€œI know Donatellā€™s going to be here and he led a strong defense over in Denver, and having worked with Pete before, I think they have a rapport where they can go back and forth and thereā€™s some trust there and he can tell him the truth. . . I think that can be huge and beneficial to the defense and the team.ā€

Ideally these moves will bring an end to Norton’s ā€œbend but donā€™t breakā€ style of defense that cedes underneath yardage and contributes to the unit staying on the field for too long – one of many reasons why Seattle ranked No. 32 in time of possession. Letā€™s hope the new staff can consistently put the defense in a better position to succeed in 2022.

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How to join Seattle Seahawks virtual 3-day NFL draft party

Everything you need to know to join the Seattle Seahawks’ virtual draft party all three days of the 2020 NFL Draft.

The 2020 NFL Draft will be completely virtual this year but that isn’t stopping the Seattle Seahawks from hosting their annual draft party.

The Seahawks will be offering an interactive virtual party prior to the broadcasts on April 23, 24 and 25.

The one-hour party shows will be hosted by KIRO 97.3 FMā€™s Gee Scott and 710 ESPN Seattleā€™s Stacy Rost. Seahawks Legends and celebrity 12s are expected to attend, including Matt Hasselbeck, Joel McHale, Mina Kimes, Lofa Tatupu and Lawyer Milloy.

Seattle fans can join the fun through the following links on Seahawks.com,Ā Facebook,Ā TwitterĀ andĀ YouTube and use the hashtag #SeahawksDraft for a chance to be featured during the virtual party.

Here’s a look at the complete schedule for the 2020 virtual draft party coverage:

Thursday, April 23
Virtual Draft Party from 4:00-5:00 p.m. PT.
Round 1 begins at 5:00 p.m. PT.

Friday, April 24
Virtual Draft Party from 3:00-4:00 p.m. PT
Rounds 2-3 begin at 4:00 p.m. PT

Saturday, April 25
Virtual Draft Party 8:00-9:00 a.m. PT
Rounds 4-7 begin at 9:00 a.m. PT

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