RENTON, Wash. — The Seahawks' defense is coming off one of its worst seasons in the Pete Carroll era.
The 'Hawks needed to make wholesale changes in the offseason, and one of their first moves was bringing back their former perennial defensive captain, Bobby Wagner.
The all-everything linebacker played 10 seasons in Seattle, before spending the 2022 season playing for the Los Angeles Rams. Now he's back playing for the head coach who once snubbed him when he was in high school.
Carroll was head coach at the University of Southern California at the time, and when he visited Wagner's Colony High School in the Los Angeles area, Wagner remembers the coach walking right past him, failing to even acknowledge him.
"In that moment as a teenager, USC was like one of the biggest schools ever at that time," said Wagner. "They were winning like crazy, and I saw them recruit everybody but me. Once I got in the league and got a chance to play for coach Carroll, I definitely remind him every chance I get."
Wagner is not only heralded for his strong play on the field, but also for everything that comes with being the captain of the defense.
"My whole focus is to give back," said Wagner. "I've been blessed to be around great leaders like Sherm, Kam, KJ and Mike Bennett and Cliff and all those guys. Everybody had a different style of leadership. I have my own style.
"We play this game for a long time. We have so much knowledge, so it's about how many people we can touch and how much knowledge we can give before we leave the game. It's something I see as important as guys transition into their next life."
Wagner keeps himself in tremendous shape. Just ask teammate DK Metcalf, who is known for standing out among a league of remarkable athletes.
Metcalf credits Wagner as someone who is just as committed in the weight room. Wagner was appreciative of the praise, especially from someone he considers to have the body of an action figure.
It's no surprise Wagner would make that reference, since he's well-known to be a fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Wagner is also a fan of the newest generation of Spider-Man.
"I like Ninja Turtles first, but I do like Spider-Man," said Wagner. "I like Miles Morales. That's my favorite right now. I like the graphics and I like the storyline. And he rocks J's and I love Jordans."