The Seahawks secured running back Marshawn Lynch through the 2017 season last month. Now, the team has brought back the player that spent a majority of 2014 serving as "Beast Mode's" lead blocker.
Fullback Will Tukuafu, who quickly became a fan favorite last year for his flowing locks, intimidating presence, and holiday tradition helping the Seattle homeless, signed a new deal with the Seahawks on Wednesday that will see him play out the 2015 season in the Pacific Northwest.
Originally acquired as a free agent last October after fullback Derrick Coleman suffered a broken foot in pregame warmups against the St. Louis Rams, the 6-foot-2, 280-pound Tukuafu helped power the Seahawks to a franchise record 2,762 yards on the ground.
"He's a big man," Seattle head coach Pete Carroll said the day Tukuafu was signed. "It's why, really, we wanted to do it. It was an opportunity to get a physical addition to what we do on offense and I'm hoping that he'll fit in."
Not only did Tukuafu fit in with Seattle's run-first offense, but he also showed off his versatility by finding his way into special teams coverage and the Seahawks' defensive line rotation - where he played in college at the University of Oregon.
"It's such a rare accomplishment for anybody," Carroll said in December of the multi-talented Tukuafu. "It doesn't happen. We can't remember guys who can do stuff like this. And Will is really good at it. He does a nice job."
The Seahawks were Tukuafu's first NFL stop as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2010, but his initial stay in Seattle was short. The San Francisco 49ers picked him up later that year following his release from the Seahawks and Tukuafu would spend the next three seasons in the Bay Area. He was released by the Niners with an injury settlement last September and one month later the Seahawks came calling.
Seattle also announced the signing of defensive lineman Jesse Williams on Wednesday. Williams was waived prior to the start of free agency and has spent his only two NFL seasons on injured reserve (knee). A native of Brisbane, Australia, Williams originally joined the club as a fifth-round draft pick out of the University of Alabama, where he won two national championship rings.
