RENTON, Wash. -- Linebacker Bobby Wagner led the NFL with 167 tackles this season and was the only member of the Seattle Seahawks to be named an All-Pro.

I caught up with him this week for a Q&A in advance of Saturday's divisional round matchup against the Atlanta Falcons.

I was looking at your high school stats. Your junior year, you played tight end and had two catches for 62 yards. Your senior year, that went up to 37 catches, 595 yards and 11 touchdowns. What happened from one year to the next?

BW: Say it again. He [LB Kevin Pierre-Louis at the next locker over] didn't hear it.

Senior year, you had 37 catches, 11 touchdowns.

BW: That's a good ratio.

But what happened? How come junior year, you got no play?

BW: See, junior year, they weren't really utilizing me. The wouldn't give me the rock. No, we had a senior that ended up going to a D-I school that was ahead of me. But as soon as I got my opportunity, I took advantage of it.

So how often do you lobby for a catch here?

BW: To get a catch? I'm not lobbying. We've got Jimmy [Graham] over there, so I don't want to take anything from him.

You were a good basketball player, too. What NBA player would you compare your game to?

BW: Honestly, probably LeBron, MJ, Kobe, Russell Westbrook.

Those are all different types of players.

BW: If you put them all together, that's who I am [Pierre-Louis shakes his head].

Kevin, is that an accurate assessment?

BW: It's my Q&A. This is my Q&A. So if you put all those guys together, you'll get me.

Why do you wear No. 54?

BW: Because 9 is my favorite number. Me and my mother came up with that number when I was younger. So I knew I couldn't wear 9 in the league, so 5 plus 4 equals 9.

You've talked about how massages help you with recovery every week. How important have those been?

BW: They're really important. I get them [during the week] after the game and then before the game. I do yoga. And I swim and sit in the Epsom salt bath.

When you do yoga, you're going to an actual yoga studio, right?

BW: Yes.

So do people recognize you and bother you?

BW: Some people don't know me. Some people do. But they're really respectful. Everybody's in there to get a stretch or whatever. They're kind of scared to say 'what's up' so I'll say 'what's up.'

Your linebackers coach told me that you guys will pay for some of the younger guys to get massages. Is that a pay-it-forward type of deal?

BW: Sometimes we pay for the younger guys when they act right. But when they don't act right [stares at Pierre-Louis], we don't. It really depends on the person. If the person is cool, then we might help them out.

KPL: You should ask him, what does he require young guys to do when it comes to food?

BW: I have no shame in it. I feel like I'm a very simple man. I don't ask for much. All I ask for is for them to make me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. That's it. Just one. Not 70. Just one. It's not your normal peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I may have you cut the left side.

Crust off?

BW: Just the left side, not the right side, things of that nature. [Stares at Pierre-Louis] It's not like you ever did it.

KPL: How did I get brought into this? This is your time. Don't worry about me.

BW: This was your question.

Is that once a week? Or how often?

BW: It's just one time. Some people never did it.

Crunchy? Creamy? Is there a requirement?

BW: I don't really like the nuts inside.

KPL: Why are you looking at me?

BW: Because this was your question. You told him to ask this question.

OK, who is your most underrated teammate?

BW: K.J. [Wright]. He doesn't get the recognition that he deserves.

What does he do that the average fan might not pick up on?

BW: He's really smart, really instinctive. Makes tons of plays. That's the thing, though. Everybody notices it. When you turn on tape or watch on TV, you see 50 come across the screen a lot.

Last one -- what's the weirdest thing Pete Carroll has ever done in a team meeting?

BW: Threw himself at the whiteboard.

That was the playoffs last year, right? What was your reaction?

BW: Did he break something? Because he's like a thousand years old.

Source: Sheil Kapadia | espn.com | January 12, 2017