Gee Scott: Why Germain Ifedi’s brother won’t text him back, and a Q&A with the Seahawks rookie RG

Wait, what? Run that by me again. What do you mean your brother won’t text back?

“Yeah, man, my brother Martin got picked up by the Atlanta Falcons practice squad two weeks ago, and he was told this week that we shouldn’t be communicating”, Germain Ifedi says.

Martin Ifedi is two years older than Germain, the Seahawks’ rookie right guard, and he plays on the other side of the ball at defensive end.

“It’s pretty funny,” Germain says, “but I also respect him for being loyal to his team.”

It’s around 7 p.m. when Germain has me over to his home. I walk up the stairs and on the TV he has “Family Matters” playing. I say, “GI (some folks call him that), what you know about ‘Family Matters’?” He says, “Man, this is what I do when I get home from work. I watch ‘Family Matters’ or ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.'”

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I notice on the couch next to him is an iPad. I ask him about that.

“I watch 30 minutes of film and then 30 minutes of TV, then back to 30 minutes of film. I take my film really serious. I don’t overload on it, but I have a pretty good routine down. When I get home from work, this is where I stay until it’s time to leave for work in the morning.”

When I ask him what time he sets his alarm to leave in the morning, he tells me doesn’t set an alarm: “I don’t need it. I wake up like clockwork an hour before I have to leave.”

I wanted to ask about the Aunt Jemima syrup that was on the coffee table, but I figured I’d ask another time. I was there to talk about football.

The offensive line played well against the Lions. Why?

“There was a good feeling the second half of Arizona, and I actually felt it against San Fran. Seems like we really put it together against Detroit. I mean, there have been flashes of it this season. Just seemed like when we would have that good game against the Patriots, then we turn around and let one slip away. I remember Buffalo. Man, I wasn’t really good. Then turn around against New England and Philadelphia, good games, then we both know how Tampa Bay went. Looking back on the season, I regret early on not just letting things go and just playing. Always worried about being perfect with pad level and technique, that it would affect the way I played. Stop being worried and just be prepared. I think that goes for any young player in the game. The key is preparation. That’s why I have so much respect for guys like Sherm (Richard Sherman), Wags (Bobby Wagner) and other guys on this team that are able to be so prepared and still make plays at a high level. Those guys do it week after week. I’m like, yeah, that’s where I need to take my game. Man, you find out real quick how tough it is to play at a high level week to week. Especially this late into the season.”

The offensive line tends to be the topic of conversation all the time. How do you deal with that?

“They tell you to ignore the noise. Man, I have Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and others. I’m too connected. I hear it. You have to be a pro about it. Most of the time it comes from a place of passion. Hey, fans here have a lot of passion about their team. That’s what makes it so great here.”

Do you think some of the negative things said about the line helps you guys?

“I just know that those other guys on the line and in that meeting room with me are my brothers. I’ll do anything for them. We are a unit. It’s not one of us, it’s all of us. Good or bad, we’re gonna go out there and give it all we got either way.”

What’s Mark Glowinski like?

“He’s Steady Eddie. You know what you’re gonna get every time with him. It’s just year No. 2 for him, but I try to learn from him all the time. I especially try to be in the gym when he’s in the gym. That dude is a workhorse.”

Why do you and George Fant hang out so much?

“I think early on we could go to each other because we are some of the rookies in that O-line room. He’s like the older brother and I’m the younger brother. We bump heads all the time, but we always tell the truth to each other.”

The run game, is it the running back or the O-line?

“I kinda think it’s on us. I mean, guys get paid to tackle. I take pride in keeping those guys off of them. That’s just how I think. I want to help pave a way for whoever is back there.”

Is playing in front of the 12s as good as you thought it would be?

“Better! When you on the road, at least for me, that electricity doesn’t radiate through my body right away. At CenturyLink Field? I was warming up getting to play against Detroit and I could feel it. I’m like, yeah, it’s going down tonight!”

Has your family been here to watch you play?

“Yessir! They were here last week. It was great having them here. Nothing like family. As a matter of fact, they cleaned me out on all my Seahawks gear. They got me for everything. I don’t have anything left. That’s OK, I’m glad they have it.”

What’s your biggest lesson that you’ve learned so far this season?

“Listen to Coach (Tom) Cable, watch the veterans on this team, and just go out there and play. Guys like (Justin) Britt have been on the big stage before. He and others know what it’s like this late in the season. Plus, I just want to appreciate every moment. So many guys don’t even make it to the playoffs. It’s a blessing to be here, and I’m glad to be a part of it with my brothers.”

I figured it was time for me to get out. I could see he was turning on his iPad. I asked him if he was getting ready to watch film, and he said he was. As he’s walking me down the stairs, I wanted to ask a couple more questions. “So you think you and your brother will talk next week?” He says with a big grin, “Oh yeah! We gonna talk.”

I had one more question that I debated on asking. I mean, I really had to get to the bottom of that Aunt Jemima syrup bottle on the coffee table.

“Hey GI, do you like pancakes?”

He says, “Yeah, why?”

Oh nothing, just curious. See ya later, Big Dawg.

Appreciate you for reading. Love ya for that. Until next time.

– Gee Scott