After three weeks starting as an injury replacement, George Fant has earned the full-time starting job for the Seattle Seahawks at left tackle.
Offensive line coach Tom Cable indicated after practice on Wednesday that Fant would remain at left tackle with Bradley Sowell now competing with Garry Gilliam for the starting job at right tackle.
“George continued to grow,” Cable said. “We’re trying to do - it’s obvious, I think - but get the best five guys on the field. That means mentality, doing it right, the right mentality and going for it every down.”
Sowell injured his right knee in Seattle’s 6-6 tie with the Arizona Cardinals. The injury forced Fant into the lineup earlier than the Seahawks would have liked. An undrafted rookie out of Western Kentucky, Fant wasn’t even a football player for the majority of his college career. He played four years for the men’s basketball team before being convinced to give football a try as a fifth-year senior. He barely even played last year for the Hilltoppers with limited snaps at tight end and on the defensive line.
The Seahawks signed him after watching his pro day workout on tape based primarily on his athleticism and he made solid strides throughout the preseason.
Despite his inexperience, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said that Fant didn’t have a single assignment error in Sunday night’s win over the New England Patriots. It was his third straight start since Sowell was sidelined.
“We’re really excited that he’s doing as well as we can expect right now for his understanding and his experience,” Carroll said. “We know that he’s really applying himself and achieving at a high level and he can get measures better as we move down the road here.”
