Seattle Times photo by Mark Harrison
When Sean Constantine saw Steve Sarkisian standing in the tunnel at CenturyLink Field, the linebacker from Bellevue decided it was the right time to give Washington’s head coach some good news.
Constantine approached the coach after the Huskies’ annual Spring Game Saturday and said, “Hey coach Sark, I commit.”
Sarkisian showed his enthusiasm by punching the 6-foot-2, 228-pound junior in the chest. Next thing Constantine knew, “there were all these coaches jumping on me.”
“He was super happy,” Constantine said. “That’s what I love about him. He’s an open, family guy. I love his attitude.”
Constantine is the fourth player to commit to the Huskies’ 2013 recruiting class. He joins two other in-state athletes in Tumwater lineman Jaimie Bryant and Lakes receiver Sammie Long. Cornerback Derek Babiash of Poway, Calif. also committed to Washington Saturday.
“I’ve seen some great schools, gone through the process and I’m just thankful for the opportunity,” Constantine said. “I just felt like the Huskies were the right fit.”
When asked about the kind of player the Huskies were getting, Bellevue coach Butch Goncharoff started by saying Constantine was the first Bellevue freshman to play under the coach who has led his program to nine of the last 11 Class 3A state titles.
“To me, that says something,” Goncharoff said. “Everybody wants to play on Friday nights and I think Sean loves to play Monday through Thursday, too. He just loves football.”