PHOENIX - Dan Quinn, from the press box, surveys the field. Then the Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator chats quickly via headset with linebackers coach Ken Norton, Jr, who is on the sideline.
Bobby Wagner, the ‘silent assassin’ of the Seahawks defense
After just three seasons in the NFL, linebacker Bobby Wagner has become an indispensable part of Seattle’s success.
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Quinn makes the defensive call. Norton instantly relays it - but also quickly chops it up with middle linebacker Bobby Wagner via helmet radio transmission.
Wagner makes the defensive call to the rest of the Seahawks. And any final pre-snap adjustments are all on Wagner.
This is the play-calling system and these are the principals that the Seahawks defense will employ in Super Bowl 49. The gripping part of this is how much intellect, intuition and leadership in this process comes from Bobby Wagner.
Fans hardly know him.
He is an unlikely orchestrator, so quiet and introspective off the field. He is easily one of the most humble players in this Super Bowl.
But he has a gruff side, a dog side, a grit element, a knack for busting things loose and setting ablaze the Seahawks defense in tempo, speed and punch.
The guy missed five games this season and was still a Pro Bowl and All-Pro selection.
Think about that. In 11 games he did more than most middle linebackers did in a full season of 16. Seattle went 3-2 without him while his toe injury healed. Since he returned, Seattle has won eight straight games.
Norton, Jr. knows why.
“Well, you can see the impact he had once he came back,” Norton, Jr. said. “We were somewhere in the middle, not very dominant, not able to put teams away, and then once he shows up, the middle, the run defense is solid, the pass defense is solid and the middle linebacker and the tradition of it is kind of the heart and soul of the team. It kind of brings everyone together. He has been able to make all of our calls. He is really sharp as far as keeping everyone on the same page. You’re playing teams that like to have the hurry-up, the fast-tempo offense - it is important that the communication is there. He’s very good at it and then he is a dominant player himself. He’s really put us to another level.”
Wagner is from Utah State. He is 24. The Seahawks three seasons ago drafted him in the second round, the 47th player overall.
He began distinguishing himself early. Seattle coach Pete Carroll insists that “ nobody” can go sideline to sideline from the middle linebacker position faster than Wagner can.
He is hidden in a group that is often circus-like, surrounded by attention-sapping players including the mouth that roared in cornerback Richard Sherman and the mouth that keeps shut in running back Marshawn Lynch.
But his teammates know the deal. And so do all NFL players.
Wagner is a young, dominant force. A patient one, too.
“You have to be who you are and accept who you are,” Wagner said. “I know I’m a pretty smart guy. I know what my talent and my role is. I feel like people will get to know me over time. I’m not in a rush for that to happen. It’s not at that level yet. But I think it will happen in time. I know it will.”
Wagner is a incredibly matter-of-fact talker.
Someone asked him about "the problem" of covering Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski.
“I wouldn’t call him a problem,” Wagner said. “I feel like we have a lot of athletes who can do it. I’m looking forward to the matchup.”
Seattle's Defense
He was asked how he returned so strongly from injury.
“I definitely feel that when you are on the field, you want to make an impact,” Wagner said. “When I came back from injury, I wanted to make sure my presence was felt and make sure people did see a difference. I feel like my job is to make as many tackles as I possibly can.”
While making sure everyone around him is in the right place ready to do the same.
In only three seasons, Wagner has gained stature inside the NFL that usually requires much longer to attain. He said Carroll believed in him, “instilled that confidence in me,” that he could become such a difference-maker.
Wagner is 6’0, 241 pounds. He runs fast like a smaller player and hits hard like a bigger one.
"He is like a silent assassin," Seahawks receiver Doug Baldwin said. "He is one of the guys on the field that an offensive player does not want to run into. He is very cerebral. He plays all over the field."
This Super Bowl is a chance for Wagner to make a lasting national impact.
He is ready to unleash.
"It's always a fun matchup when you go against an offense like that ," Wagner said. "We always pride ourselves. Last year we went against the No.-1 offense (Broncos) and I feel like this (the Patriots) is the top of the business. To be the best in the business, you have to take down the top of the business."
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