Motivated Robert Nkemdiche Aiming to Make Most of Third Act With Seahawks
RENTON, WA - When the Seahawks take the field for practice at the VMAC, whether for "voluntary" OTAs or preparing to play in the Super Bowl, they specialize in conducting organized chaos. As loud music blares from the speakers around the facility, coaches turn up the energy yelling constant words of encouragement and players do their best to match the untamed intensity.
In many ways, coach Pete Carroll, his staff, and his players work in conjunction orchestrating their own circus, with the only thing missing is a big top enclosing the festivities. Over the years, many other teams have followed suit trying to replicate the environment at their own practices.
As Seattle has progressed through their offseason program starting with OTAs and transitioning into this week's mandatory minicamp, one player in particular hasn't been hard to miss - or hear - amid the usual practice pandemonium. Joining a defensive line group full of clowns, Robert Nkemdiche has been the undisputed ringleader.
The 6-foot-4, 300-pound Nkemdiche, who signed with Seattle days before the draft in April, chirps during and between every single rep in every single drill. He cheers on teammates with a flurry of high fives for good measure, shouts to the top of his lungs every time he pops a pad on the blocking sled or accelerates through a tackling dummy, and playfully barks back at coach Clint Hurtt and his assistants along the way.
Oozing with enthusiasm and clearly having a blast as a Seahawk, Nkemdiche been attacking each drill as if his hair is on fire and for good reason. After not playing during the 2020 season and being away from football entirely, he has a renewed appreciation for the sport and knows he has to put his best foot forward to revive a once-promising NFL career.
"I've always been enthusiastic," Nkemdiche told reporters after Wednesday's minicamp session. "I guess for me, I have a newfound respect for the game because I kind of got to be away from it, so I'm probably overly excited - a lot more excited than these guys who have been out here. But yeah, I mean, it's just I never want the opportunity to be taken away from me again."
Back in 2013, Nkemdiche emerged from Grayson High School in Logansville, Georgia as the No. 1 recruit in the nation. He signed with Ole Miss and during three seasons with the program, despite posting just 6.0 combined sacks, he earned Second-Team All-American honors twice while holding his own in the rugged SEC and was widely viewed as one of the top prospects heading into the 2016 NFL Draft.
Unfortunately, Nkemdiche carried numerous red flags with him as he prepared to take his talents to the next level. Some scouts questioned his desire to play the game, while others simply questioned his work ethic. Then, a suspension for the Rebels' Orange Bowl contest in 2015 stemming from marijuana possession fueled further concerns about his maturity, causing his draft stock to fall.
Still, intrigued by his rare blend of size and athleticism, the Cardinals selected Nkemdiche with the 29th overall pick. The decision backfired, as he struggled to live up to his draft billing due to the aforementioned character concerns as well as injuries. Three disappointing years and a torn ACL later, the organization cut ties with him and after a brief stop appearing in two games with the Dolphins, he was released again midway through the 2019 season.
"It wasn't fun," Nkemdiche said of sitting out last season. "It wasn't a good time, but being back here, this is exciting for me and this is what I love to do, so I'm just happy to have the opportunity to be back here and to be able to play football again. That's what I love doing, so I'm just happy about that."
Needing additional time to recover from his ACL injury, Nkemdiche re-dedicated himself to his craft. Other teams expressed interest in signing him following a one-year hiatus, but he indicated that he felt most comfortable with the Seahawks and after blowing the team away with a sensational workout in April, he signed a one-year deal for $990,000.
For Nkemdiche, the deal provided the fresh start he had long been coveting, joking that his arrival in Seattle and long-anticipated return to the gridiron made him "feel like a newborn."
While practices in mid-June don't matter much in the scheme of things, Carroll and the rest of Seattle's coaching staff have been impressed by what they've seen thus far from Nkemdiche, who reported for the offseason program in top physical shape and has fit in seamlessly.
“He’s got a really good spirit about him,” Carroll said on Tuesday. “He’s upbeat, active, he’s explosive and has really good quickness. He’s over 300 pounds and he moves really well. He’s going to be a real competitive part of this group.”
When it comes to pushing for a spot on the 53-man roster, Nkemdiche has several advantages working in his favor. First and foremost, he offers previous experience playing defensive tackle and defensive end, and this versatility could make him an invaluable asset along the defensive line.
There's also never been a question about Nkemdiche's physical traits, as he ran a 4.87-second 40-yard dash and posted a 35-inch vertical at 294 pounds coming out of Ole Miss. Despite not playing much in the past two years, he's still only 26 years old, just one year older than Seahawks 2019 first-round pick L.J. Collier. In that sense, he still has ample time to turn things around and fulfill some of his immense potential.
Maybe most importantly, Seattle doesn't necessarily have great depth at defensive tackle after releasing former starter Jarran Reed. With the exception of starter Poona Ford and veteran nose tackles Al Woods and Bryan Mone, the depth chart lacks experienced players. If Nkemdiche can showcase interior pass rushing abilities in training camp, just as he has been on the practice field, he won't be easy to ignore and will have a strong chance to make the team.
But for Nkemdiche to surface as a successful reclamation project for the Seahawks, Carroll believes maintaining the edge he has exhibited through the offseason program and remaining hungry will be the biggest key.
"I'm hoping for his sake - because he'd been out of football for a bit - I'm hoping for his sake that everything just keeps moving along because he is applying himself, his mentality is like he has a second chance on his football life, and he knows that, which is really important," Carroll said. "He's trying to seize every opportunity and he's been a real - not a surprise as much as just, we're really happy to have him as part of this thing. We think he's going to be a factor."
Following a year out of the league, Nkemdiche understands he could be down to his last strike if things don't pan out with the Seahawks. But he has no doubt he will capitalize on the golden opportunity presented to him by Carroll and general manager John Schneider.
"It's the only chance I'll need," Nkemdiche confidently stated.
Given his circumstances, there's no guarantee Nkemdiche will make the team out of camp in September. Typically when a player gets cut twice in a short time period and then misses a whole season, they wash out of the league and have a challenging time getting back in.
But if there's a player who offers the skills and upside to pull it off and become a contributor for a contending team, a motivated Nkemdiche may be the perfect candidate. Known for their willingness to embrace individuality, the Seahawks may be the perfect landing spot for him to breakthrough in his third act, and if all goes as planned, he may be able to finally pull the curtain back and put on a show that matches his indisputable talents.
