Ex-Green Beret Nate Boyer among Seahawks’ 12 undrafted free agent

RENTON – The Seahawks’ list of undrafted free agents includes one player with a particularly interesting story. Nate Boyer, a 34-year-old long snapper, was an Army Green Beret before joining the football team at the University of Texas in his late 20s.

This USA Today story has more details on Boyer, including that he served in both Iraq and Afghanistan and how he had never played organized football in his life before walking on at Texas.

“He’s just a phenomenal person and he’s a competitor and he’s tough and he represents a lot of really, really cool things that quite frankly I think would be really good for a lot of us to be around,” Seahawks general manager John Schneider said.

Clint Gresham is Seattle’s long snapper and he isn’t going anywhere after signing an extension earlier this offseason. But bringing in Boyer as an undrafted free agent has appeal to the Seahawks even if he’s a longshot to stick with the team.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to have a guy come to the program with his background and all that,” coach Pete Carroll said. “We cherish competitors, we cherish tough guys, we cherish guys that can overcome odds, and he’s done all that. And he’s done a good job, too. He’s even snapped a football. We’ll see what happens. Gresh better get ready.”

The Seahawks either signed or agreed to terms with 12 undrafted free agents after the conclusion of the draft Saturday. The others: T Jesse Davis (Idaho), WR Austin Hill (Arizona), SS Keenan Lambert (Norfolk State), SS Ronald Martin (LSU), LB Quayshawn Nealy (Ga. Tech), RB Thomas Rawls (Central Michigan), CB Trovon Reed (Auburn), LB Alex Singleton (Montana State), DE Tory Slater (West Georgia), RB Rod Smith (Ohio State), FS Triston Wade (Texas-San Antonio).

As noted in his Norfolk State bio, Lambert is the half brother of Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor. They have the same mother.