Tuesday was an off day for the Seahawks, but one player was hard at work for a cause close to his heart.
With Christmas less than two weeks away, defensive end Dion Jordan spent the evening with dozens of disadvantaged children and their families at the Edgewater Hotel for a holiday dinner and meet-and-greet.
The 27-year-old donned a blue and green Seahawks Santa hat as he read, “The Night Before Christmas,” for a wide-eyed audience, and made his way from table-to-table signing autographs, taking pictures, and handing out gift cards.
But for Jordan, the evening took on special meaning.
In an interview with the Queen Anne & Magnolia News, he recalled some of the tougher moments of his own childhood, spending some holidays in shelters, and others away from his siblings and mother.
“I’ve been in this position before,” he said. “I’ve lived this life.”
His best memories, he said, came when his family was together. His hope Tuesday was to give the families on hand a reprieve, if only for an evening.
“If I can just come and read a book, and just hang out for an hour to give them that break, I’m 100-percent in, because I understand,” he said.
Signed by the Seahawks in April after missing the past two seasons in Miami to suspension and injury, Jordan said he knows personally, “how quick it can be taken away from you.”
“The game of football — or your life in general — everything can change real quick,” he said.
Now, the one-time No. 3 overall pick out of Oregon wants to make the most of the chance he now has, and not just on the field. It’s a responsibility that comes with the status.
“It’s more important to give, and to be around people who need your help — whether it’s words of wisdom, or financially, or just spending time,” he said. “I feel like it’s huge.”
And Jordan is happy to be in that position.
“It’s nothing but a blessing,” he said. “I thank God every day that I have that opportunity.”
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