Now heading into his fourth NFL season with the Seattle Seahawks and soon to have a Super Bowl ring coming his way, Ty Okada would love to say he expected such successes all along after going undrafted out of Montana State.

But coming from humble beginnings growing up in Woodbury, Minnesota and starring for an under-the-radar FCS program located in Bozeman, Montana collegiately, while Okada isn’t hurting in the confidence department and believes in his talent, making such proclamations wouldn’t be relaying anything the real truth. Like most players who don’t hear their names called on draft weekend and sit on what seems like a chronic roster bubble, he battled through bouts of insecurity and uncertainty as he tried to stick around and survive in a league known for short careers that can end in a flash.

However, Okada’s resolve never wavered when the pressure of such doubts may have dragged down other players under similar circumstances, and the Seahawks continued to reward him with chances to prove his mettle. Backed by a strong support system around him in and out of the team facility, he kept on fighting, and with a couple of injuries opening the door last fall, he finally made a name for himself as a valuable member of coach Mike Macdonald’s “Dark Side” defense.