Earl Thomas, other Hawks rave about 'unreal' sendoff from fans



JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Never mind the frigid weather, the Seattle Seahawks had chills long before they stepped off their team plane Sunday evening.


Players were duly impressed by they sendoff they got hours earlier from their fans at home.

“It was unreal,” defensive end Cliff Avril said. “From our practice facility all the way down riding all the way down Highway 405, fans are on the overpass, and then when we got to the airport it was even crazier. Something that takes us maybe a minute to get through took us probably 15, 20 minutes to get through with all the fans being barricaded off and what not. It was nuts and we appreciate it.”

Twice this season, Seattle’s “12th Man” fans set Guinness Book records for being the loudest crowd at a sporting event. Evidently, that isn’t just inside CenturyLink Field.

“They never cease to surprise me because even if we lose, it could be 4 in the morning when we get back, and they’re still like little kids out there, going crazy shaking the bus like we just won,” safety Earl Thomas said. “That’s what I love about our fans. Whether we win, lose or draw, they’re always going to be on our side. We’re both very unique in how loud they are and how much we enjoy the game and how passionate we are about it, and it always shows.”