Signing with the Seahawks during free agency in March, safety Julian Love knew he would be signing up to be part of a crowded safety room. But that didn't scare him away, it encouraged him. He knew that he would be playing under Pete Carroll, a coach that believed he could succeed with the Seahawks.
"I'm coming off from being a captain, being the starting guy, playing almost 100 percent of the snaps last year, into a situation where I have two top quality, high character safeties. And I had to make a choice like, 'OK, do I want to be the man somewhere or do I want to be somewhere where I can win, I can grow, I can just learn from?'" Love said.
Part of that learning has come from playing with those top-quality safeties like Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams.
"Being around Quandre and Jamal has just been nothing but great for my game those guys are great leaders, they are positive with me, they are constructive with me. They set a higher standard for myself, which I'm grateful for," Love said.
And the decision to sign with the Seahawks back in March paid off for Love, as he earned his first Pro Bowl selection. Being able to get this kind of recognition in his first year with the Seahawks, to Love is confirmation that he's doing something right.
"It's unbelievable, it's crazy," Love said. "You can hear it, you can think it, but that's never on my mind. I was productive, I knew where I stacked up against everybody else. I just thought it was one of those things I don't usually get. It's affirming for sure."
Love wasn't the only one celebrating a first-time Pro Bowl selection. Rookie cornerback Devon Witherspoon was right along with him.
Wednesday afternoon, Love, Witherspoon and line backer Bobby Wagner, who was also selected to the Pro Bowl, were pulled into an office with Carroll.
"I thought we were in trouble," Witherspoon said. "I'm not going to lie. I thought we were about to get in trouble, he was going to say something, but I had no idea that was going to be what he was going to say."
The Pro Bowl selection came sort of as a surprise to Witherspoon.
"Yeah it surprised me, just because I was a rookie. I didn't think it was going to go like that, I think rookies have to prove themselves a little bit more before they get selected for something like that. But yeah, it surprised me. Me, I just try to go out there and continue to be myself."
And even though it's just Witherspoon's rookie season, he has been having the season many of his teammates knew he would have, including quarterback Geno Smith.
"He's so feisty," Smith said. "Just the type of energy that he brings, he's so competitive, great ball skills, great blitzer, very smart for his age. He understands spacing, understands concepts. When you go up against guys like that, it's always going to make you better, and hopefully we're making him better as well. I'm very happy for him, really proud of him, I know he's battled some things, but he's very deserving and I'm really happy for him."
Thinking back on training camp, Love knew that Witherspoon was going to be a special player.
"The confidence this kid had around the building, in the meeting room was second-to-none… He just had that confidence that not a lot of young players have,' Love said. "And he was balling this year.
"It will be the first of many for him."
The NFL announced that three Seahawks players were selected to the 2024 Pro Bowl including linebacker Bobby Wagner, safety Julian Love and rookie cornerback Devon Witherspoon. Take a look at some of the best photos of the Seahawks Pro Bowlers during the 2023 season.
Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner earns his ninth career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks safety Julian Love earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks safety Julian Love earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner earns his ninth career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner earns his ninth career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks safety Julian Love earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner earns his ninth career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks safety Julian Love earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner earns his ninth career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner earns his ninth career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner earns his ninth career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks safety Julian Love earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner earns his ninth career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner earns his ninth career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner earns his ninth career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks safety Julian Love earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner earns his ninth career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks safety Julian Love earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner earns his ninth career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks safety Julian Love earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner earns his ninth career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks safety Julian Love earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks safety Julian Love earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks safety Julian Love earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner earns his ninth career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks safety Julian Love earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks safety Julian Love earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks safety Julian Love earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner earns his ninth career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner earns his ninth career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks safety Julian Love earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner earns his ninth career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks safety Julian Love earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks safety Julian Love earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks safety Julian Love earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner earns his ninth career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks safety Julian Love earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks safety Julian Love earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks safety Julian Love earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner earns his ninth career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks safety Julian Love earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks safety Julian Love earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks safety Julian Love earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner earns his ninth career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner earns his ninth career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks safety Julian Love earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks safety Julian Love earns his first career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner earns his ninth career Pro Bowl appearance this season.
