SEATTLE — This story was originally posted to MyNorthwest.com
Seahawks fans know the highlights, the stats, and the Sunday storylines. What they may not know are the off-field passions that shape some of Seattle’s most prominent players — from anime collecting to deep-sea fishing and even bird watching.
Walker’s world: Anime and aperture
Kenneth Walker III, better known as K-9, grew up in Tennessee and played college football at Wake Forest before breaking out at Michigan State. Away from the field, Walker is deeply immersed in anime culture, building a collection and following the genre as a longtime enthusiast.
He is also an avid photographer. During his rookie season, Walker set out to hire a photographer and instead discovered a creative counterpart who revealed Walker’s own talent behind the camera.
“We ended up getting together, and then he pretty much helped me learn photography,” Walker explained on his YouTube channel, where he features a video about his passion alongside football. “I bought a camera and everything, and he taught me everything, like the aperture and all that other stuff.”
Spoon’s competitive edge — on and off the field
Cornerback Devon Witherspoon, nicknamed Spoon, has developed a reputation as one of the league’s most relentless trash talkers. If football were not his profession, gaming would be.
Witherspoon gravitates toward competitive titles like Call of Duty and Mortal Kombat. His confidence and edge were forged early, including daily battles in practice against, now, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf.
In an interview last year, former NFL head coach Jon Gruden asked Spoon, “They tell me you’re one of the top trash talkers in the league, but when you go up against Metcalf, and he’s a big dude, are you more selective in the trash talk that you use?”
Not backing down and eager to share his swagger, Spoon responded, “We always talk trash to each other.”
‘Big Cat’ goes from D-line to deep blue
Defensive lineman Leonard “Big Cat” Williams earned his nickname during his college days at USC, when announcers likened his play to a predatory cat pouncing on quarterbacks.
When he’s not on the field, Williams is often underwater. Fishing, especially spearfishing, has become a global pursuit, documented through a social media channel that follows his trips around the world. Williams has dived as deep as 80 feet and can hold his breath for more than four minutes.
“I pretty much grew up fishing my whole life. My dad was from Texas, so he grew up doing a lot of bass fishing and stuff like that,” Williams explained in an interview on social media.
On land, his competitive instincts carry over into the strategy card game Magic: The Gathering.
“I got into Magic maybe two or three years ago,” he said. “I just dove in head first. I just like fell in love with the strategy element, and I’m just constantly tweaking my deck.”
Dickson and his ancient obsession
Michael Dickson, the highest-paid punter in the NFL, grew up in Australia and nearly pursued a professional career in Australian Rules Football before choosing college football at the University of Texas.
Beyond special teams excellence, Dickson has a fascination with ancient history, spending time studying civilizations and historical conflicts far removed from the modern NFL.
“Definitely, Egypt kind of fascinates me. I still don’t know how they built the pyramids … it just blows me away,” he said during an interview with ESPN. “I’ll watch as many videos as there are on YouTube. I’m pretty sure I’ve watched them all now.”
Darnold’s legendary bloodline
Quarterback Sam Darnold, a California native, reached the Super Bowl as the first quarterback from USC to do so, joining a lineage that includes Carson Palmer, Rodney Peete, Matt Leinart, Mark Sanchez and Caleb Williams. His path to Seattle included stops around the league before landing in the Pacific Northwest.
Darnold also comes from a family with entertainment roots. His grandfather, Dick Hammer, was a professional actor and model who appeared on the 1970s television series “Emergency,” a college and Olympic athlete, and was an original Marlboro Man.
“He was the Marlboro Man, one of the four. He was a legend at USC. He played basketball. He was an Olympic volleyball player as well,” Darnold told ESPN. “I just try to live up to his name. He was a stud.”
Off the field, Darnold himself has developed a quieter hobby, taking up birding as a way to disconnect from football.
“I have a bird app, so if a bird makes a noise and I turn the app on, it’ll tell me what bird is chirping,” Darnold explained in an interview during his time with the Vikings.
JSN’s Seattle connection
Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba has emerged as one of the top wide receivers in the NFL. He also holds the record for most Seahawks jerseys sold this season.
He wears a Sierra Leone flag decal on the back of his helmet as a tribute to his heritage. A Texas native and Ohio State product, Smith-Njigba formed a close bond in college with Gee Scott Jr., the son of KIRO host Gee Scott. The two were roommates at Ohio State, continuing a connection that links Seattle media and the NFL.
“I remember the first day we all showed up at the same time, and my son and Jaxon Smith-Njigba were roommates at the time, and then that evening, we all went out to go eat, and starting quarterback for the Houston Texans, CJ Stroud, went up with us that day as well,” Gee told KIRO Newsradio.
Scott Jr. began the season with the New England Patriots and finished it with the Washington Commanders, making three former roommates professionals at the highest level.
“Six years ago, we were checking him into a dorm room, and now today, he is the best receiver in the world,” Gee said.
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