Tatupu Seahawks’ most effective salesman

KIRKLAND, Wash. – Lofa Tatupu had him at jello.

Actually, it was probably the 24-ounce porterhouse or the New York-style cheesecake that’s served at Daniel’s Broiler in Bellevue. Sometime between dinner and dessert, the young linebacker with the comforting smile and easy conversational style won Deon Grant over with just a few words.

After only a few minutes with Tatupu, Grant was ready to sign with the Seattle Seahawks.

“He told me what he liked about my game, and told me some other things that I needed to hear,” Grant said of his free-agent visit to Seattle. “There were words that I can’t disclose, but the things he said were a tremendous factor in me coming here. For a second-year guy saying the things he said, that was awesome.”

Tatupu has that way about him. If you don’t believe Grant, just talk to defensive end Patrick Kerney, the Seahawks’ other high-priced free agent brought in from the outside last spring.

Kerney also had a pivotal conversation with Tatupu, although this one happened at 800 feet.

“We were actually flying in (owner) Paul Allen’s seaplane,” Kerney said, recalling the time he met Tatupu last March. “You have to admire the passion he has for the game.”

Tatupu was a key ingredient in bringing Grant, a safety, and Kerney to Seattle. While both players had plenty of financial incentive to join the Seahawks, their independent conversations with Tatupu talked just as loud as the money.

“That’s the heart of your defense,” Kerney said. “Meeting him and knowing about him was really big. He’s a guy who gets along with a lot of people.”

The two-time Pro Bowler doesn’t mind spreading the Seahawks gospel. President Tim Ruskell said the Seahawks don’t push Tatupu to talk to potential free agents – he does it on his own.

“He’s taken an active interest in the football team and who we’re bringing in,” Ruskell said.

While money is an obvious incentive for free agents – Grant and Kerney both signed six-year deals that could be worth, respectively, $30 million and $39.5 million – Ruskell said interaction with future teammates goes further than one might expect.

“It’s probably the No. 1 thing for a lot of guys,” Ruskell said. “No matter where you’re going to go on your visits, the money’s about the same – or close, anyway. So for a lot of guys, talking to players and getting a feel for a team’s chemistry and the locker room, that goes a long way.”

When it comes to selling the Seahawks to others, Tatupu is the perfect man for the job.

“His passion comes through when you talk to the guy for five minutes,” Ruskell said.