The day after the Seattle Seahawks' 2015 season officially ended with their 31-24 loss to the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte, rookie running back Thomas Rawls wheeled through the team's locker room in the Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton, his left ankle in a cast.
After signing autographs for teammates, he beamed through most of his nearly 10-minute interaction with reporters, talking about a rookie season when he led the Seahawks and finished second among NFL rookies with 830 rushing yards in 13 games play, including just seven starts.
About the only time the 22-year-old wasn't smiling was when he talked about offseason plans to visit his hometown of Flint, Michigan, which is in the middle of a water crisis.