SEATTLE — One of the greatest Seahawks of all time, Earl Thomas, is back in Seattle this week, getting honored by the fans.
He's a seven-time Pro-Bowler, a Super Bowl champion and he never had a season without an interception.
Thomas was arguably the best free safety in the National Football League (NFL) in his prime and a five-time All-Pro selection in his nine seasons in Seattle. His lone year with the Baltimore Ravens ended in his seventh and final Pro Bowl. He was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 2010s, alongside fellow Seahawks stars Bobby Wagner, Richard Sherman, and Marshawn Lynch.
As Thomas flew into Seattle, he reflected on what the city means to him.
"As soon as I got from the airport, I was in the car, talking to my dad and his friend," Thomas said. "I was just telling them all my experiences, what this highway means to me, what this building means to me. We saw the VMAC again. So as soon as I saw the VMAC, I just pictured coach Carroll and all these guys in their offices, but we know that's not, it's not there. Everything is, it feels the same. The air is crystal clear. Once I start smelling it, it's fresh."
With the 14th overall selection in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Seahawks picked the standout safety from Texas. He became an instant starter and was a staple in the Seattle secondary for the next eight-plus seasons.
"It happened so fast," Thomas said, reflecting on draft day. "It's like when somebody asks you a bunch of questions and you're trying to hurry up with it. That's how that day was."
Thomas became an instant starter and helped form the "Legion of Boom."
Between 2011 and 2015, he earned five straight Pro Bowl nods and three consecutive First Team All-Pro selections. Through his nine seasons in Seattle, he earned at least second-team All-Pro honors in five of them.
"We made a staple in the NFL," Thomas said. "We're gonna be always talked about. Nobody's ever gonna forget us. I think that's what we all set out to do when we first started as a group. I know I wanted my individual accolades, and it was going that way until Sher wanted to push me, Cam wanted to push me, Brandon Browner wanted to push me. Byron Maxwell wanted to push me. And we just formed this thing that everybody that watches football loves."
During Seattle's Super Bowl run in 2013, Thomas put together an MVP season. He did not win the award, but he did help the Seahawks bring home their first and only Super Bowl.
"It was very special," Thomas said. "You're just young. You just want one. I just got paid, so I was, I was very happy, you know. I've never seen so many people out there in the parade."
Unfortunately for Thomas, his playing career with Seattle ended on a sour note.
In 2018, he was carted off the field in Arizona with a broken leg, Thomas said.
An emotional Thomas showed his frustrations and gave Carroll "the finger."
"Coach Carroll just told me that we was thinking about getting me a new contract," Thomas said. "This would have been my third one, but I ended up getting hurt the next game. So I was just pissed that I missed camp. They didn't try to give me a deal, knowing I'm the best player of defense. They didn't try to give me a deal. They made me wait it out. Then I get injured. It sucked, so I was just like, you knew I was pissed. I hate being an introvert. It just makes a bad light around everybody around me because I'm pissed off."
But time does heal wounds.
"I actually heard coach Carroll do some interviews which made me happy just to hear him talk good about me, because we didn't speak much after that because we're so busy trying to leave the team," Thomas said. "I'm in Baltimore, saw him at Pro Bowl, just said, 'Hey.' But he just kept it cordial and that was that."
Thomas has the resume of a future Hall of Famer, and while a trip to Canton would be nice, Thomas is happy to be back in Seattle with the 12's. His journey has had plenty of ups and downs, but his time away from football helped him find peace and an appreciation for life and the time he spent playing for the Seahawks.
"I'm very happy with life," Thomas said. "I'm very, very, very happy with life, and just get my little small wins that make me happy, just re-establishing all those relationships on a daily. As people go through things, happy or sad, every day. So I just try to add my little good spirit to it. Whatever goes on, I just try to communicate and then it works. And then I can see, you know, how coach Carroll starting his new career. I got to talk to Dan Quinn today, so you just get to see how the league is moving without you."
Thomas is living in Orange, Texas. He loves coaching and watching his three kids. He said he would love to coach in the NFL one day.
He believes he'd be a great defensive coach.