Seahawks RB Thomas Rawls wants to be 'Superman' for hometown of Flint

Running back Thomas Rawls of the Seattle Seahawks runs with the ball during the first half of a game against the San Francisco 49ers at CenturyLink Field on November 22, 2015 in Seattle, Washington. The Seahawks won the game 29-13. less Running back Thomas Rawls of the Seattle Seahawks runs with the ball during the first half of a game against the San Francisco 49ers at CenturyLink Field on November 22, 2015 in Seattle, Washington. The ... more Photo: Stephen Brashear, Getty Images Photo: Stephen Brashear, Getty Images Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close Seahawks RB Thomas Rawls wants to be 'Superman' for hometown of Flint 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

The day after the Seattle Seahawks' 2015 season officially ended with their 31-24 loss to the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte, rookie running back Thomas Rawls wheeled through the team's locker room in the Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton, his left ankle in a cast.

After signing autographs for teammates, he beamed through most of his nearly 10-minute interaction with reporters, talking about a rookie season when he led the Seahawks and finished second among NFL rookies with 830 rushing yards in 13 games play, including just seven starts.

About the only time the 22-year-old wasn't smiling was when he talked about offseason plans to visit his hometown of Flint, Michigan, which is in the middle of a water crisis.

"I ask the world to just pray for Flint, Michigan, where I'm from," Rawls said on Monday. "I can't wait to go back home and help out with that. I may even try to dig a well and try to connect it to another city or something. I want to be Superman to my city. I love my city."

The tap water in Flint became contaminated after the city switched from the Detroit water system to the polluted Flint River, which caused lead from old pipes to leach into the water supply, according to The Associated Press.

A delayed response led some activists to allege that the state government, led by Gov. Rick Snyder, didn't react quickly enough for the primarily African-American community of 99,000. Many critics have called for Snyder to resign for his handling of the situation. On Sunday, President Barack Obama signed an emergency declaration that clears the way for federal funding to help mitigate the disaster.

Rawls, who broke his ankle in the Seahawks' Week 14 win over the Baltimore Ravens and missed the rest of the season, said the contamination has affected his family and friends, and he vowed to do whatever he could to help.

"That's where I grew up at, so to know that the water is bad and to know that there's not a lot being done back in Flint, Michigan, is kind of upsetting," he said. "One thing that I can control is to do what I can do, as far as on my end. And that's going back home, donating, having something around for the city as far as people having free water, stuff like that."

"It's kind of hard when you can't even shower in your own shower," Rawls continued. "You can't drink your own water. It's kind of upsetting to know that I've got nieces' and nephews' skin breaking out. ... It's already hard in the city, just because. But to add that on your plate, it's kind of tough. But one thing I can tell you about the people in Flint is that they're tough and they are built for it."

Rawls said he plans to be back in Flint within the next several weeks, that he's thankful for the place where he grew up and for the ability to be in a position to help.

"I will have something to give to the city because I'm able to now," he said, the smile returning to his face. "It's amazing."

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