Amid the buzz of the week and the excitement of Super Bowl preparations, the Seahawks will find quiet moments away from questioning reporters and fanatical 12s to just enjoy being around each other.
Regardless of the outcome Sunday, the game will be the last one of the season and the days leading up to the matchup against the Patriots will be special for the Seahawks.
"To be with your brothers, to be with your teammates, because you know how it is. It's the Super Bowl. A lot of us are free agents and some of us won't be here [next year]," said defensive end O'Brien Schofield. "It might be the last time you really get to play with some of these guys. It's a lasting memory and this week you really want to capture every day and really enjoy the opportunity."
"Last year I was kind of in awe," said guard Alvin Bailey. "It was my rookie year and it was a great experience and I know what to expect now. This time I'm going to try and slow down and catch everything this time around. "
"I think it's just the fact that it's the end of the season you just appreciate things more, even if you're a little bit sore, you're going to appreciate that practice and that game." Linebacker Malcolm Smith said.
For Smith and many of his teammates, the week leading up the Super Bowl reminds them of playing in bowl games during their college careers. The days leading up to those games were simply about "football and hanging with the fellas." For many Seahawks, the camaraderie is the best part of this week.
"Just being together," running back Christine Michael said. "Just like we preach around here. We're brothers and there's no other feeling than to share that moment, share great moments with your brothers. Ready to go out there and do what we've been working so hard to do. There's no other feeling than being together and enjoying it."
"The whole fact of playing for one another," defensive lineman Demarcus Dobbs said. Dobbs spent the first three seasons of his career with division rival San Francisco. He's played in three NFC Championship games and Sunday marks his second Super Bowl appearance. He says the closeness of this team is unique. "The way we fight for each other and fight for our brothers. That's going to resonate with me for the rest of my life."
"Around here, we like to tell each other we play for each other and LOB means something different to us as a team," Bailey explained. "You know we say "Love Our Brothers" on and off the field and I think that's something every man on this team carries around and we take pride in."
For the Hawks, loving their brothers involves getting to know their families too. Something their schedule doesn't allow much of during the season.
"You're with these guys 180 or 190 out of the 365 days in a year," said cornerback Richard Sherman. "So you get to spend a special week with them and it's not just them, it's their families, their sons and daughters and a lot of times you don't get to meet them during these weeks. We're always at work from 8 o'clock in the morning to 7 o'clock at night or whatever it is and everybody goes home. You get the one day a year at training camp to meet everyone's families but that's about it, so you have a good time getting to know everyone a little bit more."
"Best part of the week for me is when our families get there," said Schofield. "To be able to share that with your family. I don't think that people understand how much time you spend away from your family. I've got two young boys and not to be there every day and the time that I miss, to be able to share this special moment with them is something special."
In addition, it's a chance for the Seahawks to step into the national spotlight, be recognized for their hard work and sacrifices, as well as, mingling with top performers in other fields.
"It's fun talking about our teammates to other people in different industries," quarterback B.J. Daniels said. "We're young men. We watch certain rappers or artists and when they want to know about us, that's cool."
Based on the Seahawks success under Pete Carroll that includes 8-game winning streak and a second straight Super Bowl appearance, those artists likely want to hear about what's made them successful, which is easy for the Hawks to explain. It comes down to two main philosophies.
"The main one is compete," said last year's Super Bowl MVP, Smith. "That's how you give yourself a chance to be successful at anything, so I believe in that one. "
"I don't think I had that mindset all the time earlier in my career," Schofield said. "I don't think I really understood what truly competing is until I got here. To be around all this talent, every team isn't stacked like this you know, so to understand competing that's what I learned here."
And with that competitive attitude comes the belief there are no excuses.
"No excuses for anything. Whether it's being on time or even last game when we're down however many points," Michael said. " There was no excuse for us not to come back and pull that win out. It's incredible. It's an incredible team. If you look around now, it's guys who show emotions and feelings for each other. It's a blessing to be around here."
When the Seahawks take the field on Sunday, on football's biggest stage, they'll take that mindset with them. Along with the joy of having spent a week with their football brothers and soaking up the opportunity they've been working for all season long.
