Once over shock of trade, Jimmy Graham likes being a Seahawk

Jimmy Graham definitely didn’t expect to be traded.

But as the shock of the deal that sent him from New Orleans to Seattle wears off, he’s kind of digging the idea of playing for a team that’s been in the last two Super Bowls, winning one.

Via our own Curtis Crabtree (also of KJR in Seattle), Graham said Saints coach Sean Payton first told him he was traded, but didn’t say where.

“When he told me Seattle, it definitely put a grin on my face,” Graham said. “I’ve had some battles clearly against their defense the last couple of years. We’ve struggled against them as a team as a whole. It’s probably the one game as a player you always look forward to because they’re always so good and it’s usually a prime-time game.

“So for me it was a moment of shock, but once that shock cleared, I realized that I was going to the best team in football.”

Of course, he’s also going to a team against which he had some notable run-ins, with Bruce Irvin and Michael Bennett in particular.

“I’m excited, you know?” Graham said of the incident. “Whenever we’re all getting ready for a playoff game, you know how serious those games are and you try to motivate your guys. There’s a lot of emotion that goes into those games, and when I play, it’s all about winning and it’s all about doing whatever it takes to fire guys up and to get that emotion running. For me, that’s just a part of the game. We play a contact sport and it’s aggressive, and you have to be aggressive in everything you do.

“So for me, I’m excited to sit down with the guys—some of the guys have reached out to me, called me on the phone—but I’m excited to really get to know these guys and become one of their brothers and work towards winning a championship.”

They’re in a better position now with Graham lining up at tight end for them rather than against them, so the getting along may be easier than some would think.


(profootbtalltalk.com)