CWU All-American signs with Seahawks as undrafted free agent

CWU defensive standout Tanner Volk is hoping to take his football career to the highest level after receiving an invitation to join the Seattle Seahawks rookie mini-camp as an undrafted free agent.

Seattle drafted 11 players during last weekend’s NFL Draft, and while the Seahawks didn’t use any of their picks on Volk, they quickly snatched him up in the hours that followed. During his Pro Day earlier this year, Volk stacked up well compared to other defensive backs at the NFL’s Scouting Combine, helping him garner attention from a number of NFL teams.

The 6-foot-1, 189-pound Portland native earned multiple national awards as a junior in 2023, and he maintained an elite level in 2024, earning second-team All-American honors.

During his record-setting junior season, Volk became the first Wildcat to win the Cliff Harris Award for the nation's best defensive player in NCAA Division II. He led the nation with 13 interceptions and 182 interception return yards, helping the Wildcats advance to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II Playoffs — the team’s best finish since 2009.

Volk also led the nation in total tackles with 124 during the 2023 season, and he was the only defensive player named as a Harlon Hill Award finalist for the best D-II player in the country, finishing fourth. He was just the 14th defensive player to ever be named a finalist for that award and earned first-team All-American honor.

His senior season also produced a number of highlights, including a third consecutive nomination for the Cliff Harris Award and a second-team All-American selection. He hauled in six interceptions and racked up 64 total tackles, giving him more than 300 total tackles during his college career.

Volk is a two-time J.V. Sikes Defensive Player of the Year winner in the Lonestar Conference, and a two-time Harlon Hill Award nominee. He also received First Team Defense honors on the Don Hansen All-American team last season after helping the Wildcats earn their second consecutive Division II playoff appearance.

One of the most well-known undrafted free agents in NFL history is quarterback Kurt Warner, who led the St. Louis Rams to a Super Bowl title in 1999.