SEATTLE -- The name "Tacoma" scribbled on a white towel sits inside Desmond Trufant's locker at the Atlanta Falcons' facility.

There’s nothing extraordinary-looking about the memento, but it carries great significance to the Pro Bowl cornerback. It's a reminder of his Washington state roots, and it’s a symbol of overcoming a perception -- a perception that the small-town athletes couldn’t keep pace with the big-city prospects located 30 miles north in Seattle.

"So much talent has come out of Tacoma," Trufant said. "Right now, in the (NFL), there’s myself and Xavier Cooper (Browns). In basketball, we’ve got Isaiah Thomas and Avery Bradley (both with Boston Celtics). We’re from Tacoma and we’re playing at the highest level.

"When you meet people from Tacoma, we kind of got that chip on our shoulder because we’re kind of overlooked. That’s just kind of how we feel because we’re like a small-town city. When you think of Washington, you think of Seattle. When we step into our platform, we’re like, 'Yeah, we’re here, too.'"

Falcons Pro Bowl cornerback Desmond Trufant, right, and his brother, former Seahawks Pro Bowler Marcus Trufant, have played with a chip on their shoulder. Photo courtesy of Doug Hendrickson

Trufant represents Tacoma well all the time, but Sunday’s showcase carries a little added significance. He’ll play essentially at home for the first time since his University of Washington college days when the Falcons face the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field. Trufant has about 50 family members and friends set to attend the game.

A scheduling tweak -- which resulted in the Falcons going straight from Denver to Seattle after Atlanta's Week 5 win Sunday -- allowed Trufant to go home to Tacoma a couple of times earlier this week. He misses his restaurant rotation of Melon Seed Deli, Joy Teriyaki and Fish House Café.

So what makes Tacoma, with a population of about 200,000, so unique?

"I think it’s because there’s so much here that you wouldn’t even know it," Trufant said. "It's kind of like a town where everybody knows everybody."

Everyone certainly knows the Trufant family, with older brothers Marcus and Isaiah also making it to the NFL out of Tacoma.

``I definitely look at the Trufants as a success story,'' said Thomas, who was named an NBA All-Star for the first time last season. ``Three brothers that all made it to the NFL and had three totally different paths to get there. When I was young, I looked up to Marcus and Isaiah. Desmond was a couple years younger than me, but we had some of the same friends. To see them all succeed in different ways is a blessing. And for them to be from the same city as me makes it that much better.''

Marcus Trufant was a Pro Bowl cornerback for the Seahawks and currently hosts an ESPN Radio show, The Barbershop. He always knew his little brother would be a cut above the rest.

"His game evolved in college," Marcus said of Desmond. "That’s where I saw the biggest transition. I didn’t get to a lot of his high school games because I was playing at the time. But I saw in college him start to make plays and step up on the big scene. He always showed up when the lights were on."

Marcus, who attended Washington State and then played 10 seasons with the Seahawks, carried the same type of underdog mentality coming out of Tacoma.

"A lot of people, they kind of look down on Tacoma," Marcus said. "They talk about the 'Tacoma aroma.' They call it 'Tacky Town.' They’ve got all these jokes. It’s usually in good fun, but it can kind of give you a chip on your shoulder.

"I certainly had one on my shoulder. Coming out of college with the Senior Bowl, they’d ask me where I was from, and I’d say 'Tacoma' -- and they would be like, 'Where? I never heard of that? Are you from Washington, D.C.? Are you from Seattle?' I think me, Des and my older brother, Isaiah, all got that chip."

Desmond Trufant certainly plays with an extreme amount of confidence, although he doesn’t talk a big game as some other elite cornerbacks do, such as Richard Sherman and Josh Norman. Every now and then, you’ll see Trufant walk around with a strut as if to say: Yeah, come at me if you dare.

He gets it from his father, Lloyd.

"We call him 'Chill' because that's how cool he is," Desmond said of his father. "He grew up in New Orleans and he was in the Army, but he always said he was one of the best athletes around. He played baseball and ran track. He's just so cool."

Desmond Trufant plays with the same type of calm on a weekly basis. That’s why the 2013 first-round draft pick is certain to be rewarded with a lucrative contract sooner than later. He is under contract through 2017 after the Falcons exercised the $8.206 million fifth-year option.

Marcus Trufant, who once signed a six-year, $50.2 million deal that included $20 million guaranteed, talked about the advice he gave his younger brother on how to handle the contract situation.

"Of course, my advice is you let the business take care of the business," Marcus said. "As long as you take care of your business on the field, it's all going to come together. I know it's all about timing, and you want to get it as soon as you can, but all you can do is take care of the business on the field and let the rest happen."

A new deal will just mark the next phase in Desmond Trufant’s ascent. He already beat the odds, in his mind.

The "Tacoma" towel in his locker simply reinforces it.