Former NFL player Marcus Trufant stopped by Falcons practice Thursday to check on his little brother, Pro Bowl cornerback Desmond Trufant.
The elder Trufant, a father of five who played 10 seasons in the league for Seattle, had orders from his mother to take a picture with his brother.
The picture was taken, and Marcus Trufant left Husky Stadium to get back to his soccer and cheerleader-practice duties.
Trufant, who’s from nearby Tacoma, and the Falcons (4-1) are set to play the Seahawks (3-1) at 4:25 p.m. Sunday at rowdy CenturyLink Field.
The elder Trufant beamed with pride when discussing his younger brother, who used to accompany him to Seahawks practices when he was in high school.
“He’s come a long way,” Marcus Trufant said. “So, you know, he’s a very focused young man, and he’s been doing this for a long time. Just to see the way he approaches it because I see him approaching it as if he’s the underdog. Being from Tacoma and not being from a big city to where he is now, I think that drives him.”
The younger Trufant was paying attention at the pro practices.
“I think it gave him a little bit of the calm,” Marcus Trufant said. “He wasn’t shocked by the bright lights or big situations or just the stage. He never let the stage get too big. I think that’s the biggest part of just being around the game.”
Desmond Trufant looked up to his brother and the old Seahawks.
“It’s all love,” Trufant said. “He had his time. It was great to watch him, but I think he’s on my side of the fence now.”
Marcus Trufant played at Washington State. Desmond Trufant played closer to home at Washington.
It addition to Marcus, Isaiah Trufant also played in the NFL with the Jets. While the oldest brother was a high draft pick, Isaiah had to battle his way to the league through the Arena Football League and other lesser leagues.
“Being around the Seahawks and being around my brother (Isaiah) let him see the two different sides of the fence,” Marcus Trufant said. “He got to see both sides of the grind. I think it really helped him.”
Desmond Trufant was thankful that the team’s schedule was not extremely packed.
He had time to visit his parents and his brothers and play with his nieces and nephews earlier in the week. He’s taking some teammates, including cornerback Robert Alford, to Tacoma later in the week.
“He’s always been like that,” Marcus Trufant said. “He’s a homebody.”
The Falcons elected to stay in Seattle after playing Denver.
“It worked out that UW had a bye,” Desmond Trufant said. “It’s pretty cool to be out here with my teammates in my hometown.”
The laid-back Trufant enjoyed the down time with his family.
“It’s always good to see everybody,” Trufant said.
Other than perhaps going to a few of his favorite restaurants, Trufant didn’t have any other big plans.
“For me, it was just about seeing my family,” he said. “I’m all about family. I just wanted to see my parents, brothers, nieces and nephews. I just wanted to see everybody and hang out with everybody because it’s been a while.”
The Falcons have been supportive of Trufant.
“Every once in a while you get those unique opportunities, with him being from all the way out in Tacoma, some of his friends and family don’t get to see him play on a regular basis, but I do know this, he’s been around pro ball a long time,” Falcons coach Dan Quinn said. “He knows how to focus.”
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