RENTON, Wash. (AP) - When it was clear Marcus Trufant’s time with the Seattle Seahawks was over following the 2012 season, he was given a message by general manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll on his way out.
If it became apparent that Trufant was ready to retire from the NFL, they wanted him to do it as a member of the Seahawks.
Trufant got that opportunity Thursday, officially retiring from football after signing a one-day contract with Seattle.
“It (the offer) says a lot about them, it says a lot about their character, it says a lot about the organization itself because they didn’t have to do it,” Trufant said. “They chose to do it and I’m very grateful for that. They just extended the hand and that just shows what kind of people they are, and I appreciate it.”
Trufant spent his entire NFL career with the Seahawks, with the exception of the 2013 training camp when he was with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Trufant was released at the end of August and remained out of football during the 2013 season.
Being a dad shuttling around his daughters and starting in on new business ventures during his season out of football solidified Trufant’s believe that he was finally done with the game.
“It was just time, man. Just to be home with my family, all of my girls are getting bigger so it’s just good to be home,” Trufant said. “I had a nice run, and I have no complaints.”
Trufant retires as one of the few to become a star without ever really leaving home. He was a prep star at Wilson High School in nearby Tacoma, Wash., then a college standout at Washington State and finally a first-round pick of the Seahawks in 2003. Instead of having to fly across country for his introductory news conference after being drafted, Trufant took a phone call from then-coach Mike Holmgren, jumped in the car and drove 45 minutes up the freeway.
That was the start of his association with the Seahawks. Trufant started 125 of 136 games played during his time in Seattle. He finished with 21 career interceptions and was voted to the Pro Bowl in 2007.
He spoke about his career for 20 minutes Thursday, reading from notes typed out on his phone the night before.
The Seahawks auditorium was packed with friends and family. Trufant was joined on stage by his parents, his wife and his brothers, Desmond and Isaiah, both cornerbacks in the NFL. Isaiah now plays for Cleveland, while Desmond is entering his second season with Atlanta.
Carroll was there as well, along with former teammates Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor, soon-to-be Hall of Famer Walter Jones and Isaiah Thomas of the Sacramento Kings.
The fact all three Trufants were in NFL camps last August at the same time, playing the same position, brings a special sense of pride for the family.
“He laid the path out for me,” Desmond Trufant said. “I seen exactly what I had to do, what not to do, how to carry yourself on the field, off the field. Just completely set the right path for me. He made it a lot easier for me to get where I am now.”
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