The Seattle Seahawks are coming off a strong showing in their preseason opener — and they’re not done adding talent.
Their latest move brings in a familiar face, as the team signed University of Washington linebacker Alphonzo Tuputala. To make room, the Seahawks had to waive cornerback Kam Alexander.
For Tuputala, this one hits close to home. He grew up in Federal Way, stayed in state for college, and spent six seasons holding it down for the Huskies.
He’s got an uphill climb ahead.
The Seahawks are already deep at linebacker, so he’ll have to turn heads quickly to stick around. Teams do take chances on hometown guys now and then — it’s a long shot, but sometimes it pays off.
At Washington, Tuputala finished his career with 234 tackles, eight sacks, and an interception.
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Those numbers won’t make headlines, but he built a reputation for toughness, leadership, and doing the dirty work. Coaches like that. Scouts also point to his football smarts and knack for reading plays before they develop — the kind of skills that could earn him a role on special teams.
Coming from a Huskies program fresh off a national championship appearance just two seasons ago, he brings valuable big-game experience to Seattle’s locker room.
Tuputala was a three-star recruit, slotted as the No. 33 linebacker in the country and No. 7 overall in the state of Washington, per 247Sports. Since then, he’s arguably done more than enough to prove he was underrated from the start.
Now, Tuputala has a chance to prove he belongs at the next level. And for a hometown player chasing his NFL dream, there might not be a better place — or a better moment — to try and turn long-shot odds into a roster spot.