The Seattle Seahawks are chock-full of leaders; that's no debate. The culture within the organization is critically acclaimed, and the leadership structure, from the coaching staff to the locker room and its players, is widely respected. What also attests to this? A bunch of players who are grounded in who they are.
In past interviews and written profiles, players like Sam Darnold and Cooper Kupp, to name two, have never shied away from opening up about their lives outside of football. There is always a human side to athletes, and when they shed light on that side of themselves that's not always football-related, it's a breath of fresh air.
The latest example is Seahawks All-Pro wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who, if we're being really honest, Seahawks fans are still just getting to know after his breakout season last year, despite being in the league for four years.
Seattle Seahawks' WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba opens up about how success won't change his identity
Some may watch the NFL simply for the game, but others take an invested interest in players' lives and stories; Smith-Njigba just gave those fans a deeper look at who he truly is.
After a 1,793-yard and 10-touchdown breakout season, which not only earned him the Offensive Player of the Year award but a Super Bowl championship as well, Smith-Njigba is one of the hottest players in the NFL as the new season kicked off this week.
Smith-Njigba was the best wide receiver in the league last year, and he has every chance to repeat this year as he inches closer and closer to elite status, if he's not there already. On the field, while not the fastest wideout in the league, Smith-Njigba is explosive, a sure-fire deep threat, and an elite route runner.
All of that is on the field, though, as a football star. What about Smith-Njigba as a human being? Who is he? Recently, the unanimous All-Pro opened up on the AP’s “Football Unfiltered” podcast to answer that question and explain why his success will not get the best of him.
“I try to not let it impact me as in who I am, and my goals, and who I want to be, and my values, and stuff like that,” Smith-Njigba said. “Really, the only things that really change is, of course, is the media. Obviously, signed a contract this spring, but I wouldn’t say that would change my lifestyle. I would not want it to change my lifestyle just because I get a little bit of money or I went to a Super Bowl, so now my morals are all over the place, now I need this, this, and this.
“Really, just sticking to who I am, honestly, has always been the plan and something that I wanted for myself and for teammates and others. And I think with the stability of Christ in my life, I think that’s what he brings.”
In NFL times past, we've seen big contracts and massive success go to too many heads, getting the better of too many players. It's a dark side of being paid millions of dollars as a professional athlete, where your face and accomplishments are praised by everyone. This sort of athlete doesn't appear to be the sort you can pin on Smith-Njigba, given who he is at the core.
The shared faith Smith-Njigba speaks of is common among many of his teammates, including Ernest Jones IV, Derick Hall, Drake Thomas, Kupp, Darnold, and even their head coach, Mike Macdonald, among other Seahawks, all of whom have been very public about it before. Smith-Njigba is the latest, and it goes to show that who he is as an athlete hasn't sabotaged his true identity.
For the Seahawks, organizationally speaking, hearing that success won't rule over their star wideout has to be good news. Then again, Smith-Njigba has never shown a diva side, so the sometimes overbearing weight of success may never have been a problem.
Still, the Seahawks can be at peace knowing that not only is Smith-Njigba going to be elite for them for years to come, but they also won't have to worry about him becoming bigger than the team.
Smith-Njigba also told the Associated Press that last year was last year, and this is a new year. It's not about what he did, but what he will do, and that's to attack this season head-on. The Seahawks will face new challenges this year that differ from last year, like Darnold's current injury situation.
When a team's best players know the goal, see the goal, and are ready to go for the goal no matter what challenges come down the pipeline, you know the collective headspace is right where it needs to be. Smith-Njigba is a significant piece of that Seahawks collective headspace, which puts the Seahawks in a very good spot.
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