Seattle Seahawks rookie Byron Murphy II was the victim of a brutal prank pulled by his teammates – and a restaurant in Washington.
The 22-year-old, a defensive tackle who was selected in the first round of the 2024 draft, had to pick up the bill when players headed to Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi in Bellevue.
It is an NFL tradition for rookies to take players from their position out for dinner at the end of the season and around a dozen Seahawks stars went out ahead of Game 17 against the Rams.
Murphy picked up the bill but the rookie was tricked into thinking he owed the restaurant a staggering $155,788.77.
The 22-year-old signed a four-year, $16million contract with Seattle but he was still a picture of shock when his hysterical teammates handed over the check.
It included $22,596 in gratuity and nearly $100,000 on cognac. Murphy, who played college football at Texas, was left open-mouthed when he saw the figures.
But it turned out that the restaurant had printed a fake check to fool the rookie. The real cost of the meal was $38,000. That still included nearly $20,000 on cognac.
Seahawks rookie Byron Murphy II was the victim of a brutal prank pulled by his teammates
The defensive tackle was handed a check for $155,788.77 but the meal actually cost $38,015
Around a dozen Seahawks stars went out ahead of Game 17 against the LA Rams
The prank was captured by his teammates at the end of the meal. In the video, Seahawks players could be heard laughing and hollering at the bill, while Murphy was left in disbelief.
‘Swipe that card!’ one player shouted. ‘Oh s***!’ another shouted. Murphy eventually settled the real bill but fans were still left in shock at the amount spent by the players.
‘I just got stressed out transferring $30 for lunch over from savings,’ one joked.
‘I have a problem spending over 20 dollars at McDonald’s,’ another said. ‘$38,000 is crazy…It’s all coming back out.’
A third said, ‘The NFL guys wouldn’t like me. Cause they getting Little Caesar Pizza,’ while a fourth added: ‘This is the dumbest tradition ever. And you wonder why these guys go broke.’
