It started with something rather shocking and unfortunate.
A few weeks later, it evolved into something somewhat obnoxious and concerning.
And last weekend, it took a turn for the worst.
If Lofa Tatupu can screw up and find himself in handcuffs, it can happen to anyone in the NFL. His recent drunk driving-related arrest should serve as an example to this, despite the fact that GM Tim Ruskell is always so vigilant about finding players who set an example off the field as well as on it.
But what bothers me the most about this incident is what preceded it - Rocky Bernard accused of hitting a woman in the face at a Pioneer Square club, and then Bobby Engram demanding more from the contract he had already agreed upon.
But as they say, things come in threes. The end of this rough spot could already be here.
Ruskell always knows how to pick quality characters, but this past month has shown that everyone is susceptible to mistakes and ill-timed occurrences. Bernard's offense remains to be settled in court, from what I last heard; Engram's issue with his contract shouldn't be too overwhelmingly hard to solve, and as for Lofa, well...he handled it as professionally as he could've, and immediately issued an apology to his family, teammates and fans. He vowed that "this will never happen again" and was said to be "polite and cooperative" with police the entire time.
To me, this just says that we've seen a stand-up guy have a not-so-stand-up moment. It happens. It's happened to me, it's happened to other people I've known who I've considered role models or class acts. Mistakes are what we learn from, and subsequently able to surpass by the knowledge we gain.
Lofa has already shown us he's learned. I just hope the Seahawks have seen the end of their character troubles and can shift the focus towards putting together the best roster the franchise has ever seen this year. Because, in all honesty, that's the feeling I've had since the day after this year's draft.
It's always darkest before the dawn.
Keywords: lofa
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