When Tim Ruskell traded two 4th round picks to move up nine spots in the 2nd round of the 2005 draft and took an undersized, slightly slow linebacker out of USC, many Seattle fans bemoaned the selection. Lofa Tatupu didn't take long to shut them up though as he played lights out his rookie season, became an instant game changing player both on the field and through his leadership in the locker room and helped lead his new team to a Super Bowl berth in short order.
Tatupu only got better from there, and was selected to the Pro-Bowl his first three seasons. He was named an All-Pro in 2007 as well. He is the unquestioned leader of the defense and one of the most respected players on the Seahawks, by both his opponents and the fans. He remains a stalwart on the Seahawks' defense still but has battled through injuries for the past two seasons, tempering his numbers and efficiency. Regardless, he's still the quarterback of the defensive side and his leadership has been an inspiration to his teammates throughout his career.
For a guy that many critics believe we reached for in the 2nd round, he's been an overachieving fixture at the middle of the Hawks' defense for the last six seasons, and figures to be there for several more.
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