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.
Year 3, Better Me
By: Byron Murphy II
After Week 1, last season, when we lost against the 49ers, I remember talking to Leo (Williams) and I told him "We going to Super Bowl." I don't know what made me say it, it was only the first week of the season, but just seeing how we lost that game and seeing our team, how we were together that whole game, I knew we were going all the way.
Last season showed me that anything is possible as long as you put the work in. It showed me that winning is hard, but it also showed me what it takes to win. First, it takes a team to win. It takes getting them (to be) selfless. Everybody has got to be bought into what we're doing with the culture, on the field, just everything as a whole. And a lot of people can't do that. A lot of people's pride be in the way, but here it's different. Everybody's selfless. Everybody's got the same goal, and that's just the way. Nobody cares about the personal accolades, what they do, but it's like we're putting the team first doing that. And I feel like Mike (Macdonald) did a great job of just preaching that and instilling that in us to where, now I feel like going into this year, I feel like it's going to be even scarier. I feel like now we have the culture. We really have the chemistry now and we're just getting better every day.
That's why I know in my third season, you'll see an even more improved version of myself.
It'll really just be all around the board. I feel like there's always room for improvement no matter what. I know I can stop the run all day long, but I can still improve in some type of shape or form. And also too, pass rushing as well. It's the same thing. It's always something that you can get better at. No matter how good you think you are at that specific thing, it's always somewhere in your game where you can push yourself to do better in different areas.
The way that Mike coaches, the way (Justin) Hinds invests in me and the way my vets like Leo and J-Reed (Jarran Reed) took me under their wing, gives me so much confidence.
I follow J-Reed's game routine. So, now before the game, I go to the chiropractor, I get stretched out. I do extra stretching. I get in the tub. So now I'm feeling great, better than I ever felt before. It's not that I wasn't feeling good before. I was feeling good, but not like that until I started following his routine. And as far as film study, they help me break down certain formations of teams, what they are trying to do or certain areas they want to pursue. And also, justreally understanding and studying O-linemen, how they want to set me, what's their favorite protection, what they want to do, what they like to do and just figuring out what moves can I work on this guard, this center, or the other guard this week? So those guys really instilled that in me since I've been here. And just to have those two guys in the room, it's a blessing for real. They've been doing it for so long, so when they give me little nuggets, I look at the game totally different. I'll ask them, "What made you even think of that?" or "How do you see this?" They break it down to me. It makes sense. So, my game is even easier. I can be out there playing freely and I don't have to think about anything.
Having them on my team is pretty much a cheat code.
My first year, obviously I wanted to win the Defensive Rookie of the Year, but it didn't go as planned. I ended up getting hurt and also missed four or five games. And that was my first time ever getting hurt. Even though I didn't have the sacks that year, I feel like I still had a good season. I feel like I played pretty good for the most part. But I feel like too, I wasn't really as focused as I should have been. I really didn't have a routine my first year, so I wouldn't really take care of my body. I was in and out of the facility. I wasn't really trying to put in extra time to do recovery things or watch extra film. Just pretty much not being the best version of myself, what I know I could be. So, it really kind of bit me in the butt a little bit. Going into that second year, I started really watching film, taking care of my body and really built myself a routine, and everything really just started going in the direction I wanted it to go. It started playing out pretty smooth. In Year 2, I wasn't even surprised by the way I was playing because I put in the work in the offseason. Worked on my pads with AD (Aden Durde) and Hinds every day. And once the season started, it really just translated right over.
Once I had a routine down and felt like I was playing well, my wife had our daughter. The one thing they don't say about having a kid is how much and how fast it changes your mindset. But oh man, it changed a ton. A lot. Being a dad now, it's like I'm not just playing for myself or living for myself anymore. It's like I'm doing it for her. You've got an extra mouth to feed now. And once you have that child, that child depends on you. No matter how you're feeling, it's depending on you to make things happen. As far as food in her mouth, clothes on her back, roof over her head. So now my mentality is when I step on the field, I got to feed my family and I can't let you take that away from me. So, it's either my family, my kids, versus your family, your kids. I'm going to do everything with my power to dominate out there on that field in order to feed? mine. It's to the point where every time I step on that field, I just think about my daughter. The stuff that she went through. She was a preemie. I really go out there and I really just owe it all to her. I just think about her and it really keeps me going. Every time I step on the field, she's why I play so hard. I'm playing the game for me, but it's more for her though.
Having Danee' made me way more hungry in this game. Obviously, we can only play this game for so long of a time, but everybody doesn't get to play it for a long time. Everybody has different paths, so you never know when it's the end. So, while I'm here, while I'm still going, if God keeps allowing me to go, I'm going to keep on going. I'm going to put my best foot forward and I'm doing everything I can. I just want to try to stay as healthy as possible and stay around for as long as I can in order to provide for my daughter and set her life up well so she doesn't have to worry about nothing.
So now, in Year 3, my goal is just showing that I belong in this league.
I got a lot on my agenda that I've got to accomplish this year. And in order to do that, I just got to take it one day at a time, be the best version of myself every day and just approach the game the right way. Don't cheat nothing. Not my recovery, not practice. Just take it one day at a time. And I feel like everything is really just going to come to me. I just have to do me.
I know what I'm doing and I know you'll see the change. There's a player I'm trying to become and I'm evolving, getting better each and every day.
