When Coby Bryant thinks back on his 2024 season, he thinks about how much he kept his head down and kept working each day throughout the whole season, even if he didn't head into the season as a starter.

"I stayed down, stayed humble, stayed hungry," Bryant said. "And when my opportunity called, I took advantage of it."

Bryant started the season as a backup safety and special teams player. He made his first start against the Falcons in Week 7 and made sure to make the most of it, coming up with his first-career interception. Then a few games later in Week 12, Bryant made his second interception and returned it 69 yards for a touchdown.

And for that performance, Bryant was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week in Week 12, the first of his career.

After that game, head coach Mike Macdonald said," "I'm not surprised. Again, this guy just keeps playing at a high level. It's a slow form. He just sees how plays progress. He just seems like he's in the right spot all the time on these overthrows and patrolling the deep area of the field. In the run game and support and stuff like that, we'll see what we want to clean up, but this guy can affect the ball like we've been talking about. It's a unique trait for sure."

Bryant finished out the season as one of the Seahawks' two starting safeties along with Julian Love and finished the season out with 73 tackles, three interceptions, one of them returned for a touchdown and six passes defensed.

"Guy is a Jim Thorpe Award winner," Macdonald said. "Heck of a player. I think it was just a matter of finding the right role for him. Sometimes with those guys you try to maybe ask them to do too many things because he can do all these things, when maybe the best thing is to kind of pick one and chose. You know, it takes time to find the right thing. To his credit he's really embraced the challenge. When Rayshawn [Jenkins] went down, he was ready. So when preparation meets opportunities, that's when great things happen. You got to credit him for being ready to roll and then just his natural ball skills and playmaking ability. That's Coby. So we're excited about the year he's had and expect him to take the next level as we move forward."

Bryant's first season under Macdonald was successful after he was sidelined with injuries the previous season.

"I've had faith in him," Bryant said. "Great coach, a great culture he's built around here. It's just the beginning."

Bryant played outside corner at the University of Cincinnati, then during training camp during his rookie year was moved inside to nickel, and then last season was moved to safety, to learn a third position.

"He's such a versatile player," Macdonald said during the season. "We've talked about this before but when you can play multiple (positions) it's a bit of a double-edged sword because it's hard to find a true home. I think he still has nickel flexibility; I think he can still play corner but right now it seems like his best spot is still at safety. It just comes with the reps and just getting more of a comfort level and more clarity. Just banking a ton of reps. It's what we've talked about the whole time, he's been doing the same calls over and over again since April and so that breeds confidence and he's able to play fast."

Defensive coordinator Aden Durde agreed that "You see his range, his speed, you see his ability to track and go after the ball. He's always around the ball and then he has the ability to cover as well. So it was kind of merging all those things and then saying, 'Okay, can we develop him into this?' And you have to give credit to Karl (Scott) and Jeff Howard. They've done a great job."

Going from backup to starter, over the course of the season, coaches watched Bryant grow into his new role and become more certain in the way he was communicating with his teammates.

"I see a lot more confidence in communicating now that he really got a hold of the system," Macdonald said during the season. "He's a guy that affects the football. (I've) got a lot of confidence in Coby (Bryant), and he's working really hard."

Durde added, "Coby is a dog, the way he approaches the game. I think his third level coming out of the breaks and making those tackles has really improved. I've seen it on his tape. We have the ability to play, we call it redline to redline where he can come out of the post and make those plays near the sideline. I'm excited for him. He's doing a good job and he keeps improving. Communication is getting much better."

Bryant gives some credit to his teammates for being able to have the kind of season he had. Adding that his teammates playing the way they're supposed to helped him thrive at safety.

"Just all of us playing as one," Bryant said. "Them believing in me and vice versa. You have each other's back."

Macdonald said that Bryant will only keep improving from here.

"He's been working his tail off on it too, figuring out ways to take his game to the next level. We expect him to keep growing while he has his opportunity."

And Bryant agrees. His goal is, "Just to be the best safety in the NFL next year."