Week 11: Olu Oluwatimi, Seattle Seahawks

Seattle Seahawks center Olu Oluwatimi, who played at DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, has been named the DC Touchdown Club Pro Football Player of the Week after he turned in a stellar performance in his second career start and helped the Seahawks to a 20-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers.

Thrust into the starting lineup after teammate Connor Williams retired in the middle of last week, Oluwatimi graded out perfect on 27 pass blocks according to ESPN. He had one slightly off-target shotgun snap but otherwise shined. Seattle Coach Mike Macdonald awarded a ceremonial game ball to the entire offensive line.

“He went into Wednesday not knowing he’s starting -- that says a lot about him and his preparation,” Macdonald said after the game. “He deserves a lot of credit.”

Oluwatimi, who played at the University of Virginia, was taken in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Seahawks. He played in 16 games and made on start as a rookie last year. He had been a backup this season until the Seahawks announced Williams’ retirement this past Friday.

"Oh, man. I thought the [offensive linemen] were the unsung heroes throughout the game," quarterback Geno Smith said after the game. "Like Olu, how much he's battled, right? He battled all throughout camp, didn't get the start and was asked to step in. A lot of guys would've taken the wrong approach, but throughout the entire process, he's had the right approach. I think that led to him stepping right in and playing a tremendous game. I thought he led the guys throughout the entire game. His communication was great. Then he played a great game if you watched the tape. I thought he did some tremendous things out there."