Back home, Kirtman can throw block party

KIRKLAND — The Seahawks didn't exactly find their fifth-round draft pick in their backyard, although in every other instance that phrasing would work fine. David Kirtman comes from Mercer Island, and the Seahawks play football games just across the water.

This was different, though — unusual, surreal, downright cosmic. The Seahawks spent thousands of hours scouring the country for their picks, and they found their latest fullback in coach Mike Holmgren's backyard.

"It's a very unusual situation," Holmgren said, "with him being my neighbor and all."

So Holmgren went all Mr. Rogers on Sunday afternoon, picking up the telephone and calling Kirtman for a 'won't-you-be-a-Seahawk?' conversation.

There was but one remaining problem. Kirtman thought it was a joke.

He could hardly believe it half an hour later on a conference call. Kirtman tried his best to explain the situation without laughing, but he couldn't help himself, breaking into hysterics more than once.

It was tough not to. Holmgren and Kirtman have never met — Holmgren joked that he doesn't run around asking many neighbors to borrow sugar — but it's safe to say they share more in common than the typical player and coach.

The Kirtman family's grass ends about 25 yards from Holmgren's garage. In high school in San Francisco, Holmgren played football against Louis Kirtman, David's dad and a retired executive at Levi Strauss. Holmgren bought his house from Louis Kirtman's best friend. And Holmgren and David Kirtman both played football at USC.

What are the chances?

"It's a dream come true," David Kirtman said. "This is exactly what I wanted. I love Seattle, and I wanted to be a Seahawk so badly. I can't believe it."

Another former Trojan watched this Seahawks pick with interest from his living room, while recovering from having four wisdom teeth pulled last Friday. Lofa Tatupu liked what he saw — his former teammate, bulldozer for Reggie Bush and LenDale White, an underrated receiver with 46 receptions in his USC career.

Tatupu noted that Kirtman will have an easier time adjusting here. He won't have to worry about finding an area to live, won't have to worry about acclimating, won't have to worry about a mentor with ageless Mack Strong still in the fold.

"Although, I bet he will miss that sunny California weather," Tatupu said via cell phone. "I know I do.

"But he's coming home. It's a good situation for everybody. He's a great athlete. He's the fullback back there paving the way for the tailback, so he doesn't mind doing the dirty work. But he also caught plenty of passes downfield over cornerbacks and linebackers. The kid does it all. We got a steal there."

Holmgren spent plenty of time afterward joking about the pick, intimating that his high school beat Louis Kirtman's high school pretty bad in football, saying he usually stays away from picking neighbors because "I don't want the parents visiting me all the time."

But Holmgren also made a point of downplaying the neighborly connection. The Seahawks took a fullback they believe fits perfectly in their system, a fullback who averaged 4.5 yards per carry in college, opened holes for a Heisman Trophy winner and has softer hands than most 5-foot-11, 232-pound brutes.

"You don't find fullbacks like that coming out of college anymore," Holmgren said. "They're a dying breed. You get halfbacks in, like, fullback bodies. He's a fullback with great hands. That's the perfect guy for that position for us and how we do things."

Kirtman went to USC as a tailback after gaining 1,380 yards and scoring 18 touchdowns as a senior at Mercer Island High School, where he set 11 school records. He won two national championships at USC, where he earned a business degree and is close to completing graduate work.

Even though Kirtman was born in Northern California, he moved to Seattle early and remains Seattle to the core. He even worked at Starbucks.

"It's safe to say that I grew up a Seattle fan," Kirtman said. "Oh, my God. I feel so great. This is the best thing in the world right now. I'm so happy. I still can't believe it."

Greg Bishop: 206-464-3191 or gbishop@seattletimes.com