Kyle Cronk, a 17-year-old from Puyallup’s Emerald Ridge High School, watched practice wearing a Tatupu jersey as part of the Make-A-Wish package he was granted. Cronk also plays middle linebacker, when his Hepatocellular Carcinoma (cancer of the liver) permits, and Tatupu is his favorite player.
“It’s a true honor and it humbles you just to know you can make his day by hanging out with him,” Tatupu said after practice, as Cronk was making the rounds of the locker room to meet other players.
“I’m very grateful for the opportunity to meet him and just make his day. It’s an awesome experience.”
When Cronk had finished meeting other players, he quickly returned to the locker next to the player he really came to meet. The cubicle had Cronk’s name on it and contained a jersey that also featured his name, among other team apparel.
Why Tatupu?
“He plays the same position as me and I like the way he handles himself, the way he plays the game and how he is as an overall person,” Cronk said.
Make-A-Wish recipients usually want to meet the quarterback. Or a wide receiver. Or a running back. Not Cronk, a linebacker at heart and a life-long Seahawks fan who says he has blue and neon-green blood flowing through his veins.
“I’ve always been a defensive guy and a leader of the defense,” he said. “You’ve got to be there for your guys. They depend on you, and I kind of like being that guy.”
Just like Tatupu, who definitely made Cronk’s day.
“This was more than I can even imagine,” he said. “It was great.”
Cronk also will attend Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers at Qwest Field. He will be on the sideline for pregame warm-ups and give the ball the referee just prior to kickoff, before watching the game with his family from the Alaska Airlines suite.
All because of his fondness for Tatupu, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. As Tatupu said, it was a humbling experience.
“This is just unbelievable,” Tatupu said. “I’m truly honored that he would want to meet me.”
Because coach Pete Carroll altered the Friday practice plan, Cronk was right in the middle of the practice-field action. Normally, the Make-A-Wish recipients watch practice from the sideline. But the players practiced without pads or helmets, in a walk-thru format, so Cronk was on the field – standing next to Tatupu at times, and getting an up-close view of his favorite player when he was involved in the action.
“He had a ball out there,” Carroll said. “He’s got a big smile on his face. It’s great.”
