Seahawks Soar to Super Bowl Glory - and Savor Every Bit of the Brotherhood That Got Them There
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The confetti had fallen, the champagne was flowing, and Nick Emmanwori was still in full celebration mode - ski goggles on, Super Bowl 60 champions gear draped over his Seahawks uniform, and a victory cigar in hand. But even in the middle of the most jubilant locker room scene of his life, the rookie defensive dynamo couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sadness.
Yes, the Seahawks had just taken down the New England Patriots 29-13 in a commanding Super Bowl win - only the second NFL title in the franchise’s 50-year history. And yes, Emmanwori had just turned 22 the day before. But the emotional weight of the journey - the grind, the bond, the brotherhood - was hitting him just as hard as the reality of the win.
“It feels almost surreal,” Emmanwori said, standing in the heart of the celebration, music thumping and champagne mist still hanging in the air. “Like, yeah, we won the Super Bowl.
But I’m a little bittersweet. This team was SO special.
This is the type of team you think about years from now.”
That’s not just rookie talk. That’s a player who knows what he just experienced was rare - a locker room that wasn’t just about Xs and Os, but about trust, unity, and a shared mission that stretched far beyond the field.
A Brotherhood Built on “12 As One”
Head coach Mike Macdonald’s “12 As One” mantra wasn’t just a slogan plastered on walls. It became the heartbeat of the team - a rallying cry turned identity.
From offseason workouts to the final whistle in Santa Clara, this group bought in completely. That unity?
It showed up on Sundays. And it showed up in the Super Bowl when Seattle’s defense overwhelmed rookie QB Drake Maye and the Patriots.
The Seahawks didn’t just win - they imposed their will. Six sacks, relentless pressure, suffocating coverage. And at the center of it all was Emmanwori, the rookie who played like a veteran and anchored a defense that looked every bit like a championship unit.
But now, the daily grind that forged that bond is over. The team flew back to Seattle on Monday.
On Tuesday, they’ll clean out their lockers. On Wednesday, they’ll parade through downtown Seattle, basking in the love of the 12s.
And then? They scatter.
The offseason begins.
It’s a jarring shift - especially for a first-year player like Emmanwori, who’s just now realizing what it feels like to be part of something truly special.
“It’s been a helluva journey,” he said. “And it’s like, almost, sad that we don’t have practice next week.”
Veterans Feel It Too
That bittersweet feeling isn’t just for the rookies. Ernest Jones has been around.
This was his second Super Bowl win in five years, and he’s played on multiple teams. But none of them, he says, felt like this one.
“Honestly, it’s so surreal, man,” Jones said. “This week’s been super sad.
Because unfortunately, it has to end. Unfortunately, I don’t get a chance to be around these guys next week.
There’s no more games. And it’s not going to be the same group.”
He paused, smiled, and added the obvious: “But we won the Super Bowl, so it goes right.”
The Foundation Was Laid Early
This brotherhood didn’t start in Week 1. It started in the spring, when every single player showed up for voluntary workouts.
That’s unheard of in today’s NFL. But for this group, it was a tone-setter.
Defensive tackle Byron Murphy - who had two of the Seahawks’ six sacks in the Super Bowl - saw the writing on the wall early. He felt it in the locker room after a Week 1 loss to the 49ers, a 17-13 game Seattle believed it should’ve won.
“Man, this is a special group right here,” Murphy told teammate Leonard Williams back in September. “We are just a committed group. Everybody being on the same page, playing as one.”
That loss feels like a lifetime ago now, especially after what happened Sunday night in Santa Clara - in the same stadium, no less.
Hall Steps Up on the Biggest Stage
Derick Hall had just two sacks all season heading into the Super Bowl. He doubled that total in one night, joining Murphy in tormenting Maye and nearly playing himself into MVP contention late into the fourth quarter.
Hall looked around the locker room, surrounded by smoke, champagne, and teammates he now calls family.
“I mean, guys, we love each other,” Hall said. “We love ball.
We love what we do. We do things the right way.
We go out and hunt for one another.”
That line right there? That’s the essence of these 2025 Seahawks.
They hunted for each other. They played for each other.
And in doing so, they brought a second Lombardi Trophy back to the Pacific Northwest.
This wasn’t just a championship team. This was a brotherhood - forged in the offseason, tested through the season, and immortalized on Super Bowl Sunday.
And while the locker room will soon be empty, the bond? That’s not going anywhere.