By Thomas Grant Jr.
Nick Emmanwori is enjoying a rookie NFL season many veterans only dream about.
The Seattle Seahawks safety — and former Irmo High School and University of South Carolina standout — is one win away from claiming football’s ultimate prize: a Super Bowl championship. Emmanwori is also a finalist for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, an award that will be announced the night before Super Bowl LX against the New England Patriots — on his 22nd birthday.
Regardless of the final outcomes, Emmanwori has already earned widespread respect from NFL players and coaches. His versatility and elite athleticism have played a key role in Seattle posting the league’s best record and the NFL’s top-ranked defense.
“Listen, there’s some great competition out there,” seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady said in a FOX Sports video posted Feb. 1. “But the guy I’ve covered the last two weeks on Seattle’s defense — he does it all. He’s a Joker out there.
“They play him as basically a nickel defender and leave him out there all game. Nick Emmanwori — what an animal this guy is. He’s big, fast, physical. He made game-changing plays last Sunday in the championship game against the Rams — covering receivers, knocking balls away, making tackles in the run game and being aggressive in his run fits. This guy has a very bright future.”
Despite missing three early-season games with a high ankle sprain, Emmanwori finished the regular season with 81 tackles and 2.5 sacks in 14 games. The statistics, however, don’t fully capture his impact.
Emmanwori regularly defends tight ends and wide receivers, records tackles for loss, rushes the passer and contributes on special teams — sometimes all in the same game.
On Dec. 7 at Atlanta, Emmanwori became the first rookie in NFL history to record a tackle, sack, interception and blocked field goal in the same game. He finished with six tackles against the Falcons.
The performance marked the first of two “homecoming” games for Emmanwori. The second came three weeks later in Charlotte against the Carolina Panthers, where friends and family again watched him help the Seahawks earn a victory.
Prior to that game, Emmanwori reflected on his rookie season.
“I think it’s just me being able to do everything and the coaches putting me in the right positions,” he said. “Landing in the right spot really matters. On a different team, I might only be doing one thing or easing into a role. Here, they saw that I could do everything, and I felt confident playing different positions. It’s just worked well.”
Now, Emmanwori looks to join teammate Ernest Jones IV — a Super Bowl champion with the Los Angeles Rams in 2022 — among former Gamecocks to add the Vince Lombardi Trophy to their résumé.
Photos courtesy of Seattle Seahawks
