Doug Baldwin met with the media following his team's second practice of training camp at Virginia Mason Athletic Center. But before he did, the Seahawks wide receiver shed his No. 89 jersey in favor of a black cut-off t-shirt featuring No. 45. The new digits referenced the "team number" of a special forces unit stationed at nearby Joint Base Lewis-McChord that Baldwin and his Seahawks teammates recently spent time with.
"Yeah, so I took a few guys to JBLM to hang out with some combat divers and we spent a whole day down there and they kicked our butts in some training," Baldwin said when asked about the significance of the number on his chest. "At the end of the day they gave us these shirts and it was a very humbling experience that we got to enjoy. A few of the guys who wear the shirts, we are just representing what it means to be a combat diver and showing our appreciation for everything that they showed us and taught us."
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In the photo above, Baldwin is joined at JBLM by fellow receiver Jermaine Kearse, linebacker Brock Coyle, left tackle Garry Gilliam, tight end Luke Willson, and linebacker K.J. Wright.
A day later, Seattle players returned the favor, giving the military members a look into their lives at VMAC by hosting the unit for a day of on-field work in the team's indoor practice facility.
"It was our turn to show these guys a day in our lives," Baldwin captioned in an Instagram post. "Amazing time and beyond appreciative of what they do for our country!"
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