SEATTLE, Wa. (KOIN)– There are plenty of Oregon alums in the NFL, but the one that resides the closest to the Portland is Ugo Amadi in Seattle.
The lone Duck on the Seahawks is heading into his fourth year in the league.
“The game speed has slowed down, that’s the biggest thing, and as far as mentally, I’m able to adjust to things now,” said Ugo of his growth in the NFL.
Amadi is on the final year of his rookie deal with the Seahawks this season. It’s not easy for a backup to stick with the same team for the duration of their first contract, but Ugo has managed it.
“It’s a blessing to be with the same team for four years. It’s a big thing to be grateful for. Continue to be who you are and let everything else play itself out,” said Ugo.
There’s a lot unknown for Ugo after this season, but one thing he has in his back pocket is that fact that he can play multiple positions on defense and helps out on special teams.
He hopes that helps him have staying power around the NFL.
“I think that helped me out a lot because it’s very rare to have guys who can do more than one thing,” said Ugo. “Not just in my profession, in any other profession. You’d rather have someone who knows how to do more than one thing.”
Amadi credits Oregon for instilling that outlook.
“I just had great coaches at the time who saw a lot more in me than I saw in myself, and they capitalized on my talents,” said Amadi of his time in Eugene.
Surprisingly, there are no Georgia alums on the Seahawks, so Ugo hasn’t heard much about his alma mater’s big game this training camp, but he knows that there will be chatter about the Ducks later in the season. “You know I’m going to get the Husky talk. That’s the annual at Thanksgiving,” said Geno with a chuckle