Julian Love is pursued by a double desire, to honor his Cuban roots and the Seattle Seahawks, and he wants to make it a reality with a victory at Super Bowl LX on the New England Patriots on Sunday, February 8.
The defensive depth arrived in Seattle for the 2023 season and immediately became one of the favorite players of ‘The 12s’ (Player Number 12), as the Seahawks fans are known, one of the most loyal in the NFL.
Love arrived in the league selected in the fourth round of the 2019 Draft by the New York Giants, a team with which he starred for four seasons until he was hired by Seattle. His impact on the deep defense was immediate.
In consecutive seasons he exceeded 100 tackles; 123 in 2023, in which he was even selected to the Pro Bowl, and 109 in 2024, which strengthened him as one of the leaders of the defense, which has been essential for the Seahawks to be installed in the duel in which they will seek their second Super Bowl.
His Cuban past in a sandwich
Julian Love was born 27 years ago in Westchester, Illinois, but as soon as he arrived in Seattle his connection with Cuba came through a gut call.
Ivonne, his mother, kept Julian’s Caribbean heritage burning in Julian’s heart, a flame that was fanned upon his arrival to the “Emerald City,” as Seattle is known for its lush vegetation, where he found the Paseo restaurant, founded by his great-uncle Lorenzo Lorenzo.
Paseo is known for the long lines that extend to the sidewalk, which is common, and maintains the prestige of word of mouth praising its Caribbean food and roast pork sandwiches.
Julian Love discovered it and in his introductory press conference with the Seahawks he blurted out: “They should give me sponsorship in a sandwich,” an appropriate identification for a defender who usually sandwiches opponents on the field of play with his relentless way of tackling.
A Super Bowl rematch over a decade in the making. #SBLX pic.twitter.com/xrE8WtIGx5
—NFL (@NFL) January 26, 2026
A wall with a coconut heart
Julian Love’s numbers in the secondary defense are elite throughout his 7-year career: 557 tackles, 46 passes defended, 13 interceptions, 2.5 sacks, 6 forced fumbles and 4 recoveries.
They are records that show the hardness of the shell of a coconut, although inside, its heart is pure softness. Julian cares about children and young people, in Chicago and Seattle, who are in unfavorable situations and that is why he supports them with scholarships, clothing, winter items and food, under an initiative called ‘Love’s Huddle’.
For these actions, this season he is nominated for the Walter Payton Award for NFL Man of the Year, which recognizes a player in the league each year for his excellence and work on and off the field.
«Walter Payton was like a hero to me. Anything with his name on it is very special. It’s crazy. My parents are going to cry. “They will be excited about this nomination,” said Love upon learning that he is seeking to be recognized with the Hall of Fame member’s award.
Julian is on the threshold of his childhood dream. Winning the Lombardi trophy, although the voice of his parents resonates in that advice about what really matters.
«My goal was to win Super Bowls. Luckily, when I was young my parents told me: ‘Try to leave a mark on every boy, every person you meet.’ As I’ve gotten older, that’s more present. What will my legacy be? “This is a crucial moment,” said the coconut-hearted defender.
(With a report from Arturo Salgado Gudiño, from EFE)
