‘That’s my biggest regret’: Seahawks’ DE Dion Jordan talks about the true cost of missed time

When Dion Jordan walked onto the field for the Seahawks last November, it was his first return to an NFL game in nearly three years. Being in Seattle presents him with an opportunity for a revamped career, but as he grows older, Jordan has become keenly aware of the cost of his early missteps.

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During an interview with Tom Wassell, Bob Stelton and Dave Wyman on 710 ESPN Seattle’s ‘The Huddle,’ Jordan was asked if he feels he’s scratched the surface of the player he can be.

“Not at all,” Jordan said. “That’s my biggest regret. What I went through off the field, those things, I regret the mistakes I made. But they were made, I can’t go back and fix those. The biggest thing I regret is that time I missed, man. The time to be around my teammates, to be coached, to get better. I lost that. And you don’t get those back. You get older. I come in the league and these (younger) guys are running fast, they’re just as big.”

Jordan’s story has been well documented: Selected by the Miami Dolphins third overall in the 2013 NFL Draft, the former Oregon standout strung together a tumultuous career over his first three seasons. He recorded three sacks and 39 tackles in his first two years, and made just one start. A violation of the league’s substance abuse policy resulted in his suspension for the 2015 season and he didn’t play a snap after returning in the 2016 season.

Jordan, now 28, says he feels as healthy as ever. But in a league that has an average career length of three to five years, his missed time has proven to be – quite literally – costly.

Still, Jordan has made an impact in limited time with the Seahawks. He had had four sacks, three hits, and five hurries through five games last season, playing less than 50 percent of defensive snaps in each of those appearances.

Jordan credits his mother when he talks about turning his career around, calling her his biggest supporter. He told Wassell, Stelton and Wyman that he tries to focus on small things he can be better at, both on and off the field.

“Whether it’s football or outside of football, as a young man you’ve got to continue to grow. That’s how I look at it,” Jordan said. “For me every day is my faith, staying dialed into that as (part of) my personal growth. My family; doing the things that are necessary to be a good brother, son. And Football.”

Jordan has a chance to make a statement this year while the Seahawks make a transition to a younger group – and Seattle’s pass rush, now without longtime veterans, could use the boost. The team is 0-2 to start the season, but will see their first home game this Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys.

“It’s huge for us,” Jordan said of the return to CenturyLink Field. “We’ve been on the road the last few weeks, and I feel like it’s good for us. We get to come home, sleep in our own beds… everything kind of gets back in a normal routine. I know we’re super excited, I know the fans are super excited. And it’s big, man. We just want to go in and play Seahawks style football. Finish. And just try to get this thing back on track.”

Jordan also talked about the difficulties faced by defenders when it comes to the NFL’s newest rules. Listen to Jordan’s entire interview with 710 ESPN Seattle here.