The evaluation Nagy and the rest of the front office had on Shaquem Griffin so far appears to have been an accurate one. The expectation was that Griffin would make big contributions on special teams this year while providing depth at linebacker, but he showed enough in camp to move into the No. 2 spot at weakside linebacker, and in four preseason games he led the team in tackles with 24, including nine in Seattle's first preseason game and seven last week against Oakland.

Yet it hasn't all been smooth sailing for the rookie linebacker. As talented as he is, Shaquem Griffin has experienced the usual rookie highs and lows so far this summer, but what has impressed coaches is the way he has bounced back from the occasional struggles, all while handling all of the attention that comes with his inspirational story.

"It has gone up and down a little bit," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. "First week, he had nine tackles. Second week he was lost, he was all over the place. You could see the newness just kind of affect him and I don't know what it was that got to him. He's been diligent the preparation and the process all the way throughout. But not until he came back Week 3—everybody was working with him, trying to get his feet on the ground, make sure he was just relaxing through the process as opposed to being overtight—he was trying too hard, he wanted it too much. It was so obvious that it made sense and he really just turned the corner. That happened Week 3, and Week 4 he played really good both of those weeks. So he really had one down week.

"I do think with all that has followed him, we have to stay with him and we've got to monitor him. It's almost too much for anybody in some regards. Having his brother right there next to him throughout all of this couldn't be more valuable. They ground off of each other, they fit off of each other so well, and they own up to each other really well. Shaquill will just tell him flat out what he needs to tell him, they don't mince any words at all. I think with that, he has as much support as he's going to need, I think he'll be able to handle it. But, everything's brand new, first-time stuff, first time officially starting the week, so we'll take each one, one step at a time and take them all through it."

Shaquem jokes that the twin bond between them is strong enough that during preseason games, he knew the lectures his brother was going to give even before he reached the sideline after a defensive series.

"What y'all don't know is he's getting in my ear about things I'm doing wrong, so I have to correct it," Shaquem said after the game. "There was one play where I came up and made a hit and I was going backwards, and he was like, 'I know that woke you up.' And I was like, 'Yeah, it did,' because I came up clapping and stuff, so he knows exactly how I'm thinking before I get to the sideline. He'll come get in my face and tell me about what I'm thinking before I can tell him. He knows I'll go and redeem myself. It's kind of crazy when he knows what I'm thinking on the field before I even come off."

Despite being the same age, Shaquill has in some ways taken on a big-brother role having been in the NFL for a year. His biggest advice to his brother has been to just keep things simple and stay calm on the field.

"The main thing I've been helping him with is just being calm with everything," Shaquill said. "I don't want him to be overwhelmed, don't want him to overthink, just want him to play football and play fast, and everything will come along. Just trying to help him understand the things I went through my first year. If you've got to play early, I just want him to play calm. Just play fast, have fun—you've got other people who have your back, and we're all going to have fun with you. I just want him to enjoy it and not over think it."

But as much as Shaquill can teach Shaquem about life in the NFL, late on a Thursday night in a nearly empty CenturyLink Field, it is Shaquem passing on the most important life lessons while his proud twin brother watches from a few feet away. As 30 kids swarmed Shaquem for hugs and pictures and autographs, they represented thousands more like them who, in the form of a rookie linebacker wearing No. 49 for the Seattle Seahawks, are benefiting from a real-life example of the lessons their parents have tried to instill in them—that anything is possible, that even the most challenging obstacles can be overcome, that dreams, no matter how unbelievable, can come true.