1983: In his first Pro Bowl, Kenny Easley has nine tackles as the Seahawks’ lone representative in a game won by the NFC 20-19 as Danny White throws a TD pass to John Jefferson with 35 seconds remaining.

1994: Eugene Robinson intercepts a pass and Chris Warren leads the AFC with 64 rushing yards, but the NFC wins the Pro Bowl 17-3. Cortez Kennedy also represents the Seahawks in the game and contributes two tackles.

1998: Pete Rodriguez agrees to become special teams coach on Dennis Erickson’s staff.

2000: Walter Jones, Cortez Kennedy (three tackles) and Chad Brown (two special teams tackles) represent the Seahawks in the Pro Bowl, but the NFC wins 51-31.

2008: It is announced that assistant head coach/defensive backs Jim Mora will become head coach after the season, which is the last of Mike Holmgren’s 10 seasons as head coach.

Scott Johnson at the Everett Herald takes a walk down memory lane in the wake of Cortez Kennedy being voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday: “And so when I first heard the news Saturday that Kennedy had finally been granted entrance to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, I put aside my journalist suit and broke into a short celebration. Anyone who got to know Kennedy over the years, even a little bit, had to be ecstatic when the Seahawks great was honored as one of the greatest to ever play the game.”

Here at Seahawks.com, we check in with Dave Wyman and Paul Moyer for their thoughts on Cortez Kennedy being voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday: “But while watching all of this unfold – and all the blocking schemes he collapsed – did those around him realize they were watching a player who would end up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame? ‘That’s a great question, because while you’re there you really don’t get that feeling much,’ Dave Wyman, who played middle linebacker during Kennedy’s first three seasons, said Saturday shortly after hearing that Kennedy had been elected to the Hall. ‘But I would say with Tez, he was one of the rare guys where you did know that he was something special. It’s the cream of the cream of the crop. I always tell the story that you’re the state shot put champion and player of the year and all these things in high school. Then you’re an All-American in college. Then when you get to the pros, you’re just kind of one of the guys because everybody is so good. But then every once in awhile there’s one guy that even in the pros is just special and ahead of everybody else. That was Tez. He was that kind of player.’ ”

Brady Henderson at mynorthwest.com passes along the audio from an interview Wyman did on 710 ESPN with John Clayton of ESPN.com and also a member of the Hall of Fame selection committee on Friday: “He wasn’t lining up in gaps. He wasn’t hiding. They were triple-teaming him,” Wyman said. “It was just amazing to watch.”

As for coverage of that game that was played on Sunday, there’s Clayton’s “Last Call” at ESPN.com; Clark Judge’s “Judgements” at CBSSports.com; and Art Thiel at sportspress northwest reminds us that the Seahawks beat the Super Bowl champion Giants in Week 5, offering: “Since the Giants are the best team in football today, and three months earlier were punched out at home by the Seahawks, it means either the Giants became really good really fast, or the difference between 6-10 and 10-6 in the NFL is the breaks on a handful of plays.”

Good morning. Here’s a special Super Bowl Sunday edition for Feb. 5 to cover everything that was written about Cortez Kennedy after he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday:

Dave Boling at the News Tribune looks at the man behind the player who was the best defensive tackle of his generation, and among the best to ever play the game: “Those of us who have followed Kennedy since he arrived in 1990 have heard endlessly that ‘Tez,’ as they all called him, was a Hall of Fame teammate, a Hall of Fame guy, a Hall of Fame father, a Hall of Fame friend. He was considered larger than life as a player (which is saying a great deal given his ample girth), but at the same time may have been the most humble man on the team.”

Also at the News Tribune, Eric Williams looks at Kennedy the player – now a Hall of Fame player: “(Former center Robbie) Tobeck got a steady diet of Kennedy’s impressive athletic ability at practice during the week. ‘Even in practice, when the offensive line goes down and does one-on-one pass drills, you had to be quick to get to your set because he was so quick and explosive off the ball,’ Tobeck said. ‘He had great hands, too. I think that sometimes doesn’t get talked about a lot in line play – playing off blocks with your hands – but he certainly was good with his hands.’ ”

Danny O’Neil at the Seattle Times says the long-awaited honor left Kennedy almost speechless: “Kennedy was at his home in Orlando, Fla., when he learned of the news. He was elated. He was grateful. Mostly, he was overwhelmed. ‘I don’t know what to say,’ he said. That’s OK. His career spoke for itself. He was a defensive tackle, as thankless a job as there is in football, and he played that underappreciated position for a team that can often be overlooked in the NFL.”

Mike Sando at ESPN.com, who made Kennedy’s presentation to the selection committee, offers his thoughts on Tez and the rest of the Class of 2012: “Thirteen modern-era NFL players were finalists for enshrinement Saturday in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Only one was named offensive or defensive player of the year during his career. That was the Seattle Seahawks’ Cortez Kennedy. His eight Pro Bowls, all-1990s selection and overall dominance made my job as his presenter quite simple. State the facts and let Kennedy’s career do the talking. Picking the final five out of 15 modern-era finalists is always tough, however, because it usually requires leaving off worthy candidates.”

Here at Seahawks.com, we caught with Kennedy moments after the announcement was made and he was one happy Hall of Famer: “ ‘I thought I’d get a call,’ Kennedy said moments after taking his rightful place among the best to ever play in the National Football League. ‘I was just watching TV, like everyone else, and then they called my name. They called my name. Can you believe it? It’s unbelievable. Unbelievable. Can you believe it?’ Believe it, Tez. You are a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Kennedy was a finalist for the fourth consecutive season, and also advanced from that field of 15 to the group of 10 last year. But Saturday, when the 44-person selection committee gathered in Indianapolis, Kennedy took the final two steps. First, he emerged from the group of 10 to the final five, as did Pittsburgh Steelers center Dermontti Dawson; defensive end/linebacker Chris Doleman, who played for the Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers; New York Jets running back Curtis Martin; and offensive tackle Willie Roaf, who played for the New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs. But even that does not insure a berth in the Hall, because the final five also must get 80 percent approval on the final ballot. Each did, and will be joined in the six-man class by Jack Butler, a senior committee nominee who played cornerback for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1951-59.”

We’ve also got a video tribute to Tez that will help those who never saw him play understand just how good he was, and those who did see him play remember just how much fun he was to watch.

Jim Trotter at SI.com writes that for most fans the Hall of Fame attention is usually on those who didn’t make it, but he also looks ahead to the Classes of 2014 and 2015, when the next former Seahawks will be eligible: “2014 – linebacker Derrick Brooks, wideout Marvin Harrison, coaches Tony Dungy and Mike Holmgren, running back Shaun Alexander, and safety Rodney Harrison. 2015 – left tackles Walter Jones and Orlando Pace, linebacker Junior Seau, quarterback Kurt Warner, cornerback Ty Law, , and running back Edgerrin James.”

1995: Chris Warren runs for 127 yards and a touchdown as the AFC rushes for 400 yards – and averages 10 yards per carry – to win the Pro Bowl 41-13. Rick Tuten averages 40.3 yards on four punts. Cortez Kennedy (one tackle) also starts for the AFC.

2003: Ray Rhodes is named defensive coordinator on Mike Holmgren’s staff.

2006: Matt Hasselbeck passes for 273 yards and Shaun Alexander runs for 95 yards, but the Seahawks can’t overcome their own mistakes and some dubious calls by the officials in dropping a 21-10 decision to the Steelers in Super Bowl XL – the franchise’s first appearance in the NFL title game.

The wait has ended for Cortez Kennedy. The Seahawks’ eight-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle was elected today to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Kennedy’s selection was announced on the NFL Network after the 44-person selection committee voted him into the Class of 2012. He was a finalist for the fourth consecutive year, but now has taken his rightful place among the best to ever play in the NFL – including Steve Largent, the Seahawks’ all-time leading receiver who was voted into the Hall in 1995.

Others with ties to the Seahawks are members of the Hall of Fame – Warren Moon, the former University of Washington quarterback who played for the Seahawks from 1997-98 and entered the Hall in 2006; John Randle, a sack-producing defensive lineman who played his final three seasons with the Seahawks in 2001-03 and was added to the Hall in 2010; Jerry Rice, the NFL’s all-time leading receiver who played the 2004 season in Seattle and also became a member of the Hall in 2010; Mike McCormack, an offensive lineman for the Browns who also was a Seahawks executive from 1982-88 and joined the Hall in 1984; Franco Harris, the former Steelers running back who played in eight games for the Seahawks in 1984 and entered the Hall in 1990; and Carl Elller, a defensive lineman for the Vikings who was with the Seahawks in 1979 and entered the Hall in 2004.

But Kennedy and Largent were with the Seahawks for their entire careers – Kennedy from 1990-2000; Largent for 1976-89 – and became cornerstone players in the franchise’s history.

Kennedy, a first-round draft choice in 1990, was a member of the NFL’s Team of the Decade for the 1990s and is the most-decorated defensive player in franchise history.

Moon was a co-host for the NFL Network show that unveiled the selections, along with fellow Hall of Fame QB Dan Fouts.

“I played with Cortez Kennedy for a couple of years in Seattle, and the way he dominated the game at the nose tackle spot … having 14 sacks in a season from that position, also has three interceptions in his career, believe it or not,” Moon said. “The guy is just an all-around great football player. So he’s a guy I think is very deserving.”

1990: Dave Krieg completes 15 of 23 passes for 148 yards and a touchdown, but the NFC wins the Pro Bowl 27-21. Jerry Gray, a cornerback for the Rams who would go on to coach the Seahawks’ defensive backs in 2010, is named MVP after returning an interception 51 yards for a TD and also registering seven tackles. Rufus Porter (two tackles) and Brian Blades (one reception) also represent the Seahawks in the game.

1996: Chris Warren leads the NFC with 43 rushing yards, but the NFC wins the Pro Bowl 20-13.

1998: Jim Johnson is named linebackers coach on Dennis Erickson’s staff. Johnson remains for only one season before becoming the Eagles’ defensive coordinator, but his impact on the Seahawks’ defense is apparent even after he leaves.

2010: First-year coach Pete Carroll announces his staff: Jeremy Bates (offensive coordinator), Gus Bradley (defensive coordinator), Brian Schneider (special teams coordinator), Kippy Brown (wide receivers), Luke Butkus (quality control/offensive line), Dave Canales (quality control/offense), Chris Carlisle (head strength and conditioning), Jedd Fisch (quarterbacks), Mondray Gee (assistant strength and conditioning), Alex Gibbs (offensive line), Jerry Gray (defensive backs), Kris Richard (assistant defensive backs), Rocky Seto (quality control/defense), Sherman Smith (running backs), Jeff Ulbrich (assistant special teams), Art Valero (assistant offensive line) and Jamie Yancher (assistant strength and conditioning).

Every team in the league will get at least one primetime game during the 2012 season, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced today during his annual state-of-the-league address at the Super Bowl in Indianapolis.

The move is part of the NFL Network televising an additional five regular-season games on Thursday nights, bumping the total number to 13. The increase means all 32 teams will play at least one primetime game, and each will play on one Thursday night following a Sunday game.

“Adding these games to the NFL Network schedule will give more players, teams and cities the primetime stage,” Goodell said. “Our fans can now get an early start on the NFL weekend in the season’s first 15 weeks.”

The Seahawks did the Sunday/Thursday double once during the 2011 season, playing the Eagles on Thursday night after meeting the Redskins on Sunday. Both games were played at CenturyLink Field.

This year’s home schedule offers some inviting primetime matchups, with the Patriots, Packers, Cowboys and 49ers coming to CenturyLink Field – as well as the Rams, Cardinals, Vikings and Jets. The dates of those matchups will be determined with NFL schedule is announced this spring.

Rather than make the trip to Indianapolis, site of Sunday’s Super Bowl rematch between the Giants and Patriots as well as the day-before Hall of Fame selection process and news conference that will follow, Tez will be at home in Orlando.

“I’ll be here watching it with my daughter,” Kennedy said. “I think she is more excited than I am.”

That would be 16-year-old Courtney, who Kennedy is raising as a single parent.

“Being a single dad raising a daughter, that’s tough,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy had one of those proud-parent moments recently when Courtney brought something home from school that a teacher wanted autographed.

“When she was younger and we’d go to banquets, and even the Ring of Honor ceremony, she didn’t realize the magnitude of what was going on,” said Kennedy, who was added to the Seahawks’ Ring of Honor in 2006.

“But she came home the other day and said, ‘Daddy, can you sign this for my teacher? He’s a big Seahawks fan.’ So she realizes everything that’s going on now.”

If Kennedy is elected to the Hall, he’ll likely make a hurried trip to Indy so he can be introduced with the rest of the Class of 2012 during the game on Sunday.

Whether that is necessary will depend on what happens during the selection committee meeting Saturday morning. It helps to have friends “in the room,” and Kennedy does. Mike Sando of ESPN.com will make Kennedy’s presentation to the group as the Seattle representative. John Clayton of ESPN.com, like Sando a former Seahawks beat writer for the Tacoma News Tribune, is an at-large member of the committee after the being the Seattle rep for many years.

Alex Marvez of FoxSports.com, who also is a Kennedy supporter, was added to the committee this year, as was Jeff Duncan of the Times-Picayune in New Orleans – where the Saints also have been lobbying on Kennedy’s behalf. And when I made Kennedy’s presentation to the committee in 2009, during the discussion that followed Peter King of Sports Illustrated and SI.com said, “This might not be his year, but if you don’t think Cortez Kennedy belongs in the Hall of Fame than you’re just ignorant.” King is one of the more-respected, and most-outspoken, members of the group.

And what happens “in the room” definitely impacts who gets into the Hall. In 2006, when the Seahawks were in Detroit for their Super Bowl matchup against the Steelers, I did a story during the week on Warren Moon’s chances of being part of that year’s class. The selection committee members I spoke with said they didn’t expect it to happen. But of course it did.

What happened? John McClain of the Houston Chronicle made a presentation for Moon that was as convincing as it was impassioned, so even some of the selectors I had talked with changed their minds and voted for Moon.

Kennedy is a finalist for the fourth consecutive year. Whether his wait finally ends will be played out “in the room,” when the 44-person selection committee goes through the process Saturday morning.

We examined that process in a story this week, when we also profiled Kennedy and looked at his off-the-field contributions to the Seahawks.

Jeff Triplett of the Times-Picayune also did a story on Kennedy, and he was even profiled by The Associated Press.

But there’s also a story out there that lists Kennedy among the linebackers who are included in this year’s finalists and says part of his problem was that he played in the shadow of Kenny Easley. Arrgh. Kennedy was an eight-time Pro Bowl selection and member of the NFL’s Team of the Decade for the 1990s as a defensive tackle, and Easley’s final season with the Seahawks was 1987 while Kennedy was a first-round draft choice in 1990.

A look at the memorable moments in Seahawks history that occurred on Feb. 3:

1991: John L. Williams (three carries for 8 yards) is a member of the AFC squad that wins the Pro Bowl 23-21.

2005: Mike Reinfeldt, who had been with the Seahawks from 1999-2003, returns as a consultant and later is named vice president of football operations.

Mike Sando of ESPN.com caught up with Larry Fitzgerald at the Super Bowl and the Cardinals’ wide receiver had this to say about how the Seahawks have changed under coach Pete Carroll: “They are much more physical, much more physical. At the Pro Bowl last week, they had three guys from their secondary, Brandon Browner and Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor. When you look at Chancellor, Chancellor is 6-foot-3, 230 pounds and a phenomenal athlete with good ball skills, good range. Earl Thomas is like a young Troy Polamalu, flying around and making plays. And Brandon Browner is the biggest cornerback I’ve ever seen in my life. He can play, too. He can cover. I really like the young rookie they have, (Richard) Sherman from Stanford. He is going to be a good player. Obviously, when they get Marcus Trufant back, that will only make them deeper. They challenge you at the point of attack. They want to pressure you and make things uncomfortable for you at the line of scrimmage, and their whole philosophy has changed. It’s fun to play against them.”

Fitzgerald also had this to say about the NFC West: “The division is getting better. Two years ago, people looked at the NFC West as the armpit of the league, so to speak. Now, teams are playing much better. The games are physical now. That is good because you want the competition; you want to have great division rivalries. That is a lot of fun, like the NFC East. I don’t care if Washington is playing at New York, you can get beat. We want to build it up that way, too.”

Danny O’Neil at the Seattle Times looks at the franchise tag as it applies to franchise backs, including Marshawn Lynch: “In the past five years, there have been a grand total of two running backs who received the franchise tag from their respective teams: Darren Sproles (San Diego, 2009) and Brandon Jacobs (New York Giants, 2009). That’s it. Teams can begin designating franchise players later this month, and there’s the distinct possibility that three running backs could receive the tag.”

Here at Seahawks.com, we look at the process that produces the annual selections for the Pro Football Hall of Fame – which also includes Sando, because he’s the Seattle rep on the selection committee: “(Cortez) Kennedy, the eight-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle for the Seahawks, is a finalist for the fourth consecutive year. But for the first time, he faces a field of fellow finalists that does not include a “shoo-in” candidate as the 44-person selection committee huddles in Indianapolis on Saturday morning to choose the Class of 2012 – which will be announced at 2:30 p.m. PST during a one-hour special on the NFL Network.”

Todd McShay at ESPN.com has his second mock draft. There’s no link because it’s for insiders and requires registration and a fee, but here’s who he has the Seahawks selecting: Alabama RB Trent Richardson. “Richardson is a top-five talent but will likely slip a bit because of positional value considerations. Falling this far would be a surprise, but none of the teams in the top 10 have a pressing need at running back. If none of them ignore need to take the best player available, the Seahawks will feel like they’ve won the lottery. Both Marshawn Lynch and Justin Forsett are free agents, and Richardson would bring with him an elite combination of size, speed, power, quickness and vision.”

Also at ESPN.com, but also in an insider’s feature, Mel Kiper ranks Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman as the 10^th best rookie in the NFL last season: “He didn’t start immediately, but he did get 10 total, and played at what I consider a Pro Bowl level for the second half of the season, helping to galvanize a suddenly very impressive Seattle secondary. He’s long at 6-foot-3, and can battle against big wideouts.”

As for that game this Sunday, checkout John Clayton’s “First and Goal” at ESPN; Clark Judge’s comparison of Tom Brady and Joe Montana, Brady’s boyhood idol, at CBSSports.com; and Richard Deitsch’s look at what most of us will be watching at SI.com.