In huge performance, former South Carolina star accomplishes something no other NFL player has done

Former South Carolina Gamecock Nick Emmanwori had himself a day in the NFL. The Seattle Seahawks rookie has a strong case to be the league’s Defensive Rookie of the Year (despite missing three games with an ankle injury), and Sunday’s win over the Atlanta Falcons was his top performance to date.

Emmanwori registered six total tackles against the Falcons, including a sack and an additional tackle for loss. He also blocked a field goal early in the contest and snagged his first career interception.

It was the first time in NFL history that a player blocked a field goal, sacked the quarterback, registered another tackle for loss, and picked off a pass in the same game. Teammate Leonard Williams nearly matched that feat last season, but he blocked a PAT, instead of a field goal. No one else in league history has posted a sack, additional tackle for loss, interception, and blocked kick in the same game.

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Emmanwori was a second-round pick of the Seahawks this spring, and he has outperformed expectations.

Playing nickel primarily—but really moving around all over the defense—the former Gamecock has helped turn his new team into one of the top defensive units in the NFL. Following the Atlanta blowout, Seattle ranks sixth in the league in yards allowed (288.2) and second in points allowed (17.4). That is a stark contrast to last season, one in which the Seahawks were a bottom-third defense in football.

Emmanwori, per PFF, has a near-90% tackle success rate and has missed no more than one tackle in a game. He also has more than three times as many stops short of the line to gain on third and fourth down (16) as he does missed tackles all season (five). He’s been good in coverage, too, as he has surrendered just one touchdown all year.

Statistically, Emmanwori has totaled 53 tackles, five tackles for loss, nine passes defended, one interception, and 1.5 sacks.

Former South Carolina standout Ernest Jones has been great at linebacker for the Seahawks, too.

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During his South Carolina football career, Emmanwori outperformed expectations, too.

Despite a late jump to four-star status, the Irmo High School product spent most of his recruitment as a three-star. Still, he made an immediate impact as a freshman in 2022, earning Freshman All-American honors from multiple publications.

Two seasons later, Emmanwori was an All-American, according to most services. He even earned some SEC Defensive Player of the Year accolades. He was the Gamecocks’ leading tackler for two of his three years on campus and was one of the top ballhawks in the country as a junior, securing four interceptions and returning two for touchdowns (with a third called back by penalty).

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