Athlete's Own is a series that gives Seahawks a voice and platform to show fans who they are beyond the field. Hear from players, in their own words, about their life experiences.
Hello Rookie Year
By: Jadarian Price
It's been a wild couple of months, and thinking back to draft night, it feels like it's been so long since that day because of everything that has happened. After I was drafted, it started as a bunch of things – the rookie premiere, the first pitch being thrown at the Mariners game (which was my first time throwing out a pitch at an MLB game; I've heard many reviews that it's one of the best first pitches from a football player in a while), to Round 1 of the rookie talent show. So, there have been so many things outside of football happening. But between all of that, I've been learning my teammates' names and learning their personalities and expressing how I am as a person too. And then obviously you have the playbook and all the things I've been learning on the field.
From the day I was drafted, there were already a lot of expectations placed on me. I take the expectations in stride, because I just know that I'm always going to have the highest expectations for myself.
I've had people asking me, "Are you ready to take the load and be a starting running back?" It's like, I am, but I'm also ready to work to get to that. I want to have earned that position. I know deep down I have to make that happen. That's not just going to be handed to me because of the position I'm in. There still has to be work put in because there's trust that I have to earn from the coaches. And that's really motivated me.
I knew that being a first-round draft choice was going to come with a lot of expectations, spotlight and attention though. And when I think about all of that and maybe the pressure that comes with that, I think about something coach Marcus Freeman told me at Notre Dame. He told me a quote once: "Don't take criticism from people who you wouldn't ask for advice," and that to me is a pretty good quote. The same people that bring you up and cheer for you are the same people that bring you down when you're at your lowest. So, I just learned to stay in the middle, keep the main thing the main thing, and just keep working and having the highest expectations of myself.
One thing people might not know about me is that I'm a fan of comics and Marvel movies and TV shows, the geek stuff as some people would say, but I enjoy things that are outside of our reality, that we can also take lessons from in a very different and interesting way.
One of my favorite lessons is from Iron Man's story because I learned it'll take time to truly find your purpose. Iron Man was a very arrogant billionaire child who, and spoiler alert for all those who haven't seen it, but after years and years of thinking he's the boss of the Avengers, he ends up sacrificing himself for the world.
Now, I don't think I'm going to sacrifice myself for the world, but I do know what my purpose for Seattle is.
I want to be a productive back my rookie year. I think that's something I can accomplish, and I will accomplish it with my hard work and the help of my teammates. But I also want to make a huge impact in the passing game, whether it's protecting the quarterback or catching touchdowns. I think that's one part of my game that I can really show the fans that I'm capable of that maybe they don't see as much.
I may not talk a lot or be one of the most outspoken guys on the team. You might even think of me as more of a quiet, calm, and collected kind of person, and if you ask any coach I've ever had, they'll say the same exact thing. But personally, I'd like to think of myself as a humble, motivated, and altruistic person.
I'm someone who thrives off other people's success. That makes me feel better. It gives me energy. In the game of football, that's what it's about.
One thing coach Macdonald talks about is his new school methods and old school principles. The new school methods, the science of things, the way we do things, the way we take care of our bodies, and the way we structure our schedules to get our bodies ready for the season. But old school principles, the way we take care of the team, the locker room, the way we take care of the facility, the way we treat people with respect. When those two come together, we're at the top. We're the elite program.
So, I just want to uphold that standard from him, and that's what excites me for what I'll be able to do in Year 1.
