Quinton Jefferson, his wife Nadia Jackson Jefferson, and their four children at the Seahawks training facility in Renton.
Courtesy of Quinton Jefferson
Quinton Jefferson is the nomad of the NFL. In his nine years as a professional football player, Jefferson has had the honor of playing for the Seattle Seahawks, Las Vegas Raiders, Cleveland Browns, Buffalo Bills, New York Jets and again for the Seahawks. And of all the places this Pittsburgh-born player has lived and played football, he says Seattle is the best. That’s why he and his wife, Nadia Jackson Jefferson, have chosen Queen Anne as the home base to raise their four children.
Jefferson grew up playing football and basketball at Woodland Hills High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. And he played college football at the University of Maryland. His successful college football career led him to enter the NFL draft in 2016. When he went pro, his high school became one of the schools with the most professional players. Other notable players from Woodland Hills High School include Jason Taylor and Rob Gronkowski.
That 2016 draft would prove to be a pivotal moment of the life and career of this 6’4” 291-pound defensive lineman. Jefferson said that waiting for the draft was one of the most stressful times in his life. And it was immediately followed by one of the most exciting times of his life. Then he took a moment to breathe and realized, “The work is just beginning, can’t really relax!”
As a coveted fifth-round draft pick, he and his young family moved to a townhome in Renton and quickly came to love not only the Seahawks, but the fresh air, surrounding nature, city life, and the great people of Seattle.
“The Pacific Northwest is beautiful,” he said, and a sharp contrast with the industrial feel and sulfur smell of Pittsburgh, “it’s so green here and the air is so fresh and so crisp.”
In addition to clean air, Jefferson found wonderful role models and a great team culture. “There’s no other experience like that,” he said.
Originally, he was intimidated to play with a superstar like Michael Bennett. But he soon found that not only did they share the same position, they shared the same values. Bennett became a mentor and taught Jefferson how to be a professional.
“Without him, I wouldn’t have been able to play for 9-10 years and still be a dad, a husband, and have time for my family,” Jefferson said.
Jefferson considers himself lucky to have been able to find a culture like the one Pete Carroll built here in Seattle.
Photo by Jake Magraw “He’s a coach that understands culture. He brings it to the essence with music and guests and fun,” Jefferson said.
He said that Pete Carroll is a great guy, with no ego, just respect... and energy.
This week, while Jefferson is considering what the future may hold for his football career, he’ll also keep his eyes on the Seahawks and Pete Carroll out in Las Vegas to see what they will do in the draft. He says they don’t call football a young man’s game for nothing. But if the culture, location, and finances are right, he’d be happy to play his tenth season in the NFL. But he says won’t be as stressed waiting for this draft, he has a lot of important things to keep him busy here in Seattle.
In addition to the rigor of his offseason workout regimen, he looks forward to watching and coaching his four kids play softball, basketball, and of course football. He also has other big ventures in the works.
“I’ve always been a creative person who just happens to be good at football,” he said. When he met a fellow creative spirit at the gym, they continued to stay in touch and develop their working relationship.
Nick Beeba grew up in Magnolia and met Jefferson during his first season for the Seahawks.
“We have a lot in common,” Beeba said. The two share a passion for telling the stories of people that often go unheard and decided to launch their own creative venture: Nomad Studios. Starting with their friends and teammates, they also work to elevate the stories of vintage shops, businesses, and local restaurants. “We believe in the power of storytelling to help people reach their dreams.”
“The path to follow your dreams is not always linear,” Beeba said. He considers Jefferson one of the most fashionable figures in the NFL but says first and foremost, “Q is an amazing human being and friend with a big heart. He’s a creative visionary who breathes life and support to all of his friends and family!” Beeba looks forward to helping Jefferson reveal more of his personal story. He said it’s a powerful story of the man who knows where he came from and chose to make our beautiful city his home. Their “nomad” name came from Jefferson’s work throughout the NFL and the country.
“This game keeps moving, it does not always love you back,” Jefferson said. And if he were to offer any advice to young players, he’d say, “Make sure you have a good foundation of people around you. It’s not if, but when, you hit adversity, your people keep you going strong.”
Our Queen Anne readers can watch for Jefferson in the neighborhood and hopefully playing with a team that we know and love in the fall. Until then, fans can hear the stories and check out the merchandise at www.memoirsofanomad.com.