New Seahawks safety shares familial connection to popular Seattle restaurant
SEATTLE — Man Seahawks fans were excited when the team signed former New York Giants safety Julian Love in the offseason.
After all, they saw him make eight tackles against the Hawks at Lumen Field in October.
Certainly, Love was pumped to join a defensive secondary that includes Pro Bowlers like Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams, along with promising young players like Tariq Woolen and rookie Devon Witherspoon.
But there's another reason Love loved the idea of coming to Seattle.
“Yeah, random fact," he said. "I have some family that immigrated (to Seattle) from Cuba, opened up a restaurant. It was pretty popular. Still around. And so very, very random. Have family in many places, some out here in Seattle.
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"He was the founding father of a restaurant called Paseo. I know. I know. So Lorenzo Lorenzo, that's my grandmother's brother. And so then my cousins or whatever opened up a restaurant called Un Bien. There's a couple of them now. That's kind of the founding father (of) Paseo. That's the new jam now. I need a sandwich endorsement or something."
You learn something new every day.
Yes, Paseo, the famous sandwich joint made famous over the last 30 years or so. And now Un Bien.
Love says he hasn't been there yet. He has been locked in on his Seahawks work, staying on the eastside near where the Hawks are headquartered in Renton.
Still, it's a connection that's unique to hear. Of all the NFL and football journeys possible, Love found his way to a city his family has some serious history with. While he won't divulge the family sandwich recipe, he has enjoyed his time in Seattle since signing earlier this year.
“Oh, man, I got lucky," Love said. "It has been nice weather out here in the couple months, that's what everyone has been saying. And everyone talks very shortly about the winter. So we'll see how that is when I get to it. It's been great.
"I have some family out here. The people have been great. I've been golfing a little bit out here, some nice courses. It's beautiful.”
Love mentioned Snoqualmie, Bellevue and Newcastle as courses he has checked out so far.
Love recorded 67 tackles with two interceptions and a sack in 2022 for an upstart Giants team that made the playoffs. Over the course of his four-year career, he has five interceptions and 17 pass deflections. He has started at every secondary position along the way but primarily shines at safety.