Thursday’s preseason opener saw the Seattle Seahawks put away the Denver Broncos, 22-14, thanks to some big plays made by members of the rookie class.

DK Metcalf nearly joined in on the fun, coming mere inches away from making two highlight-reel catches that would have taken the hype train to near stratospheric levels for the rookie.

Although he finished the game with only one reception for eight yards, Metcalf’s summer remains a constant barrage of attention, criticism, praise, and nearly everything in between.

Handling that kind of attention can be extremely difficult, but Metcalf’s ability to stay focused has impressed his quarterback, Russell Wilson.

“The key for him, the key for any highly-touted player is to remain humble and to keep working,” Wilson commented on Monday. “He’s got great humility, he’s got great poise, he’s confident, he’s competitive as you can imagine, and he’s got all the athletic ability in the world. So it’s our job to give him a chance and let him make plays.”

Wilson elaborated on Metcalf’s work ethic, talking about their workouts in California over the summer when they would begin working out together at 5:45 every morning.

“The guy is focused,” Wilson continued. “The suns barely coming up for three days in a row. I don’t think his work ethic or his mentality is ever going to be in question, I think he’s going to be ready to roll.”

A serious neck injury suffered early in his career at Ole Miss nearly ended Metcalf’s playing career prematurely, but he was able to recover and post solid, if unspectacular, numbers in his final season with the Rebels.

Metcalf was the talk of the NFL combine however, after the six-foot-three, 229 pounder ran a ridiculous 4.33 in the 40-yard dash.

His size and speed made him a drool-worthy NFL prospect, but concerns about his limited route-tree caused him to slip in the draft, where Seattle snagged him with the final pick in the second round.

“I think too he’s fired up because I think people doubted him,” Wilson continued. “He has a little bit of a story. Sometimes the people with stories are the ones that really come up and shine because they have something to overcome.”

Metcalf will look to improve on his performance in Seattle’s second preseason game on Sunday, Aug. 18 in Minnesota against the Vikings.