12th Man Rising
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Cliff Avril released by Seahawks, a loss that hits very hard

By Todd Vandenberg

SEATTLE, WA - DECEMBER 20: Defensive end Cliff Avril #56 of the Seattle Seahawks looks from the bench near the end of the game against the Cleveland Browns at CenturyLink Field on December 20, 2015 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA - DECEMBER 20: Defensive end Cliff Avril #56 of the Seattle Seahawks looks from the bench near the end of the game against the Cleveland Browns at CenturyLink Field on December 20, 2015 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) /
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Cliff Avril was a force for the Seahawks; a force of destruction on the field, and of creation off it. He will be sorely missed for both his roles.

Yesterday the Seahawks made an announcement that has been expected for months, that thye were releasing defensive end Cliff Avril. The expectation didn’t do much to soften the blow. Seattle played 12 games without Avril last season, so we’ve all had a taste of life without Avril on the line.

The Seahawks adapted pretty well to Avril’s loss in 2017. Sacks dropped from 42 to 39, and passing touchdowns allowed dropped from third best in 2016 to seventh in 2017. But the red zone defense actually improved, from 20th in 2016 to 7th last season. Overall, the Seahawks adjusted better than could have been expected.

Not having Cliff Avril on the team in a larger sense, though, that’s going to be a major adjustment. It isn’t simply a matter of plugging in Dion Jordan, or whoever winds up opposite Frank Clark. It’s more than replacing 34.5 sacks, more than stepping in for a Pro Bowl talent. Cliff Avril was a key player in the Super Bowl group, even though he only got two starts that year, his first in Seattle. With the departures of Michael Bennett and Richard Sherman, this is one more change to the Seahawks identity.

SEATTLE, WA – DECEMBER 14: Seattle Seahawks Defensive End Cliff Avril attends the the FAM 1st FAMILY FOUNDATION Charity Event at The Edgewater Hotel on December 14, 2014 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Mat Hayward/Getty Images for 1st Family Foundation)
SEATTLE, WA – DECEMBER 14: Seattle Seahawks Defensive End Cliff Avril attends the the FAM 1st FAMILY FOUNDATION Charity Event at The Edgewater Hotel on December 14, 2014 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Mat Hayward/Getty Images for 1st Family Foundation) /
Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks /

Seattle Seahawks

Avril does more than play football

Cliff Avril is much more than a football player. He established the Cliff Avril Family Foundation, which educates kids about the importance of nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. When others relax in the offseason, he builds homes and schools in Haiti. The Seahawks still have a lot of players that give back to their community, like Doug Baldwin and Russell Wilson, but it still hurts to lose a hero like Cliff Avril.

Avril wrote a beautiful, funny, touching thank you letter to the 12s in The Players Tribune.  Hard to get through it without tearing up, so don’t say I didn’t warn you. One of the highlights:

"I’ll always remember the sound in our stadium on game day. The times I missed being on the field the most this past season were when I was on the sidelines at The Link and you guys were going so crazy that I could feel the ground shaking beneath my feet. I could feel your passion. And in those moments, the only thing in the world I wished I could do was go out on that field and represent you.There are no fans like you anywhere else in professional sports.Anywhere."

Cliff Avril’s football career may be over, although he’s made it clear that he’ll do his best to make it back onto the field. No matter where his life takes him now, as he wrote in his letter to the 12s, he’ll always be a Seahawk. We wish him the very best.

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