20 Most Interesting Seahawks #2: George Fant
By ColPatnode
George Fant was playing basketball 15 months ago. Now, he will be trusted to protect the blindside of your franchise quarterback. Fant is the #2 Most Interesting Seahawks player.
George Fant’s transformation from power forward to Seahawks left tackle is an incredible feat. After Pete Carroll and Tom Cable became disenchanted with veteran Bradley Sowell, Fant was thrown into the fire. He played well considering he was still learning the basics of offensive line play. However; he was far from an average left tackle, and without a healthy Russell Wilson to help cover his inexperience, Fant became an easy whipping boy.
After the season, Fant went to work and transformed his body. He added 27 lbs of good weight. He still maintains his athleticism, and the added bulk should help him re-anchor himself when he is initially beaten by a powerful bull rush.
While many believe Luke Joeckel was brought in to allow Fant to learn more about his craft, Pete Carroll has been adamant that Fant is the left tackle. He consistently talked about Joeckel as a “left side player” who could play both guard and tackle.
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Carroll and Cable have shown in the past that they are willing to go young with more upside over a mediocre veteran. It appears the Seahawks are going in that direction again. In the first preseason game, Fant got the start at left tackle while Joeckel manned the left guard position.
The development of Fant to be an adequate tackle in the NFL would be an incredible story. It would also give the Seahawks an incredible return of investment and a potential left tackle for the next 5+ years. More importantly, Fant being a passable tackle this year makes the Seahawks better in 2017.
Next: 20 Most Interesting Seahawks: #3--Eddie Lacy
For these reasons, and countless others, George Fant is the second most interesting Seahawk in 2017.