The Lofa Tatupu release was a hard pill to swallow for many, including his Seattle Seahawks teammates. Tatupu was well-respected, seen as a leader on the field by both fans and the players he shared a locker room with. The first indication that Tatupu may be on his way out actually came from the team, with Michael Robinson and Malcolm Smith each leaving cryptic messages about football being a cold business on Twitter late Saturday night.
Once the news became official, some of the Seahawks took to Twitter to heap praise on Tatupu and say goodbye.
Robinson and Smith each said their goodbyes, in a way, on Saturday night, giving us the first inkling something was in the works.
Lost a soldier tonight. He will be Greatly missed. #thebusinessless than a minute ago via Twitterrific 
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Michael Robinson
RealMikeRob
Cold business.less than a minute ago via Echofon Favorite Retweet Reply
Malcolm Smith
MalcSmitty
Earl Thomas expressed respect, and praised the leadership qualities that made Tatupu a favorite during his tenure.
They are some people born to lead and lofa was one of them...we will miss u bra...less than a minute ago via Echofon Favorite Retweet Reply
Earl Thomas
Earl_Thomas
Finally, Aaron Curry said his goodbyes, giving Tatupu a few words of encouragement as he moves on to the next phase of his football career.
Miss you already, but success follows you around! #DearLofaless than a minute ago via Twitter for iPhone Favorite Retweet Reply
Aaron Curry
Aaron59Curry
It's been an offseason of change for the Seahawks and Tatupu is the latest casualty. Between the decision to not re-sign Matt Hasselbeck and Sunday's decision to release Tatupu, the Seahawks lost their offensive and defensive stalwarts -- the leaders on both sides of the ball. It's all part of the rebuilding process going on in Seattle, but it doesn't make it any easier for fans to swallow.
For more on the Seahawks, head over to Field Gulls.