Good morning, 12s. Here's a look at what's happening today – Wednesday, Aug. 19 – for your Seattle Seahawks.
Greg Olsen joins 710 ESPN Seattle's "Danny and Gallant"
Seahawks tight end Greg Olsen had a decision to make after last season. He had previously auditioned to be the analyst on ESPN's Monday Night Football, and many believed he was headed for the broadcast booth. Instead, Olsen signed a one-year contract with the Seahawks to play a 14th NFL season.
On Tuesday, Olsen joined 710 ESPN Seattle's "Danny and Gallant" to discuss why he chose to play another year, what makes a winning organization and more. You can listen to the full interview here starting at the 16-minute mark.
Below are some of the highlights from the interview.
On why he wanted to keep playing football at age 35:
"I just feel like I still have game left, I thought I still had things to prove – both to myself and I thought I had some work to do to cement myself with my legacy as a player. I didn't like the way my last two years (before last year), 2017 and 2018, went, with being hurt and getting dinged up and not feeling like I was able to be myself. That was kind of a bitter pill to swallow to think that my career would end like that. But when the opportunity came to play out here, it was just a really unique opportunity and a really unique circumstance to come out with a winning franchise and a proven head coach and proven quarterback."
Before playing 14 games last season, Olsen played a combined 16 games in 2017 and 2018. It makes sense that an opportunity to end his career on his terms in Seattle was intriguing.
On the traits and habits that winning organizations have:
"I think you don't take things for granted. You don't think you're going to just show up, because you've won in the past, thinking that all of a sudden that means that it's going to happen again. The hardest thing about winning is to continue to win, and I think human instinct says 'OK, I've done this before. I got it, let's just keep doing what we're doing.' I think the good organizations that you see at this level and the college level, they have a never ending sense of (saying) 'what can we do to improve.' In my time out here so far, you can tell why they've always won out here. The attention to detail from how they run their team meetings to the things they go over and situations they cover, you can tell why that success has been relatively consistent."
Olsen is a player who knows how to win. He's made the playoffs five times in his career, including playing in Super Bowl 50 for the Carolina Panthers. In nine career playoff games, he has 41 catches for 631 yards and three touchdowns.
On how impressive the Seahawks' tight ends are:
"We have a really fun and really talented tight end group. Obviously, Will (Dissly) has had success during his time here. Jacob Hollister last year, he came in when guys went down and had a really great season, made some critical plays, some game-winning plays. He's a good, tough, athletic, versatile guy. Luke Willson is a guy who has been in the league a long time. I've known Luke for a few years and he's got a great energy to him and great personality, but he can play. So, it's a good group."
With Olsen, Dissly, Hollister and Willson, the Seahawks have four capable tight ends who are ready to contribute, and rookies Colby Parkinson, Stephen Sullivan and Tyler Mabry will also compete for roster spots as well as playing time. Dissly was having a breakout season last year before tearing his Achilles in October. After Dissly's injury, Hollister came in and had the best season of his career. The group is certainly one of the most impressive in the league.
Social Post Of The Day
Today's post comes from the always enthusiastic and energetic head coach Pete Carroll with a direct message for you – the 12s.
More From Around The Web
Seahawks.com reporter John Boyle has observations from the sixth practice of training camp.
Also at Seahawks.com, there’s video of Seahawks defensive passing game coordinator Andre Curtis mic’d up at training camp.
Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times analyzed Will Dissly’s comments about his injury recovery, mental health and more.
The News Tribune's Gregg Bell discussed the Danny Etling signing and why it doesn’t necessarily mean the end for Anthony Gordon.
Joe Fann of NBC Sports Northwest revealed his biggest takeaway from the first week of training camp.
