Former Seahawks cornerback Marcus Trufant was the next man up – 570 feet up, to be exact – Friday morning when he raised the 12 flag atop the Space Needle in place of the previously announced Ricardo Lockette.

"This is a great opportunity, man. I've seen a lot of people do it, from Walter Jones to Jim Zorn to a bunch of big-time people, so to be a part of that is really great, and I cherish the opportunity," Trufant said of hoisting the flag. "We do this for all the 12s. … Go Hawks!"

The Tacoma native and former WSU star, wearing his No. 23 Seahawks jersey, was joined on the Space Needle roof by his wife, Jessica. The couple and their five children live in Newcastle.

"To come full circle now, to play on the team for 10 years … I tell people all the time, it's like a story book," Trufant said. "You know, I was born here, I went to college here, and I got to play in the NFL here. And now I'm at the top of the city."

Don't remind him now, but Trufant is afraid of heights.

"I am, but I fight through adversity and I make it happen," he said. "I had the opportunity to skydive this off-season into Seahawks training camp, so after that I think I can handle this."

The 600-square-foot flag will remain up through the weekend to celebrate the Seahawks' Divisional Round matchup with the Carolina Panthers on Sunday in Charlotte, N.C. Kickoff is set for 10:05am PST.

Trufant predicts a Seahawks win. After retiring from the NFL as a Seahawk in 2014, he's enjoyed experiencing the game as a fan.

"As a player, you try to stay calm, you try to stay level-headed," he said. "But as a fan, you can get crazy, you can go nuts, you can have the ups and downs, and it just makes it fun.

"I played for 10 years, but I still get a little rush watching the game. I still get a little rush."