On this date: Bobby Wagner and Russell Wilson selected in NFL Draft
A look at some memorable moments in Seahawks history that occurred on April 27:
1982: Jeff Bryant is selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. Bryant would team with fellow defensive end Jacob Green and nose tackle Joe Nash to form what they called “The Diehard.” Why? “Because we always start,” Green explained. And that they did, from 1983 through 1989. In 1990, after selecting tackle Cortez Kennedy in the first round of the draft, coach Chuck Knox switched to a four-man defensive line and Bryant eventually became the only player in franchise history to start at all four spots.
2012: Middle linebacker Bobby Wagner (second round) and quarterback Russell Wilson (third round) are selected in the NFL Draft. Wagner would lead the team in tackles and finish second in voting for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Wilson not only became the starter, he threw 26 touchdown passes to tie the league’s rookie record that was set by Peyton Manning in 1998, finished third in voting for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and played in the Pro Bowl as an injury replacement.
On this date: Seahawks trio leads AFC to Pro Bowl win
A look at a memorable moment in Seahawks history that occurred on Jan. 27:
1985: Fredd Young blocks a punt to set up a touchdown, Norm Johnson kicks two field goals and Kenny Easley has a game-high 10 tackles as the AFC wins the Pro Bowl 22-14. The Seahawks’ largest Pro Bowl contingent in franchise history also includes Steve Largent, Dave Krieg, Joe Nash and Dave Brown.
Marshawn Lynch, Max Unger, Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas named All-Pro
STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. – The Seahawks have landed four players on the All-Pro team that is selected by the Associated Press, it was announced this morning.
There were two on offense – running back Marshawn Lynch and center Max Unger; and two on defense – cornerback Richard Sherman and free safety Earl Thomas. This is the first time any of them have been selected All-Pro, but Lynch, Unger and Thomas were voted to the Pro Bowl last month.
Sherman received 39 of a possible 50 votes, while Thomas got 28, Lynch 24 and Unger 16.
The Seahawks are in Georgia for tomorrow’s NFC divisional playoff game against the Falcons in Atlanta.
The four-player contingent matches the largest in franchise history. In 2005, the season the Seahawks made their Super Bowl run, running back and league MVP Shaun Alexander, left guard Steve Hutchinson, left tackle Walter Jones and fullback Mack Strong made the All-Pro team. The 1984 team had three players selected – kicker Norm Johnson, nose tackle Joe Nash and strong safety Kenny Easley, with wide receiver Steve Largent and cornerback Dave Brown getting second-team honors.
“That is taking individuals and saying they are the best in the NFL at that position and that’s what I wanted to be,” Sherman said. “The Pro Bowl is taking three from each side, it’s more of a popularity contest. The All-Pro, you’re the best at your position. It doesn’t matter if you’re a fifth-rounder or fourth-rounder or undrafted. If you play the best, you’re All-Pro.”
Unger took the opposite view, saying that the Pro Bowl means more because the squad is selected by other players and coaches in the league – as opposed to the media members who vote on the All-Pro team.
“To have other players say you’re the best at your position, that really means something,” Unger said, and then added with a smile, “But being named All-Pro is pretty cool, too.”
Unger, Thomas and Sherman are the first players in franchise history at their positions to be named first team All-Pro. Lynch joins Alexander as the only running back to be named first-team All-Pro, and Alexander also made the second team in 2004. Curt Warner was a second-team selection three times (1983, 1986 and 1987), while Chris Warren got second-team status twice (1994 and 1995).
Jones holds the franchise record with four first-team selections (2001, 2004-05 and 2007), and he was a second-team pick in 2008. Defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy and Easley were named to the first team three times – 1992-94 for Kennedy, who also was a second-team selection 1996; 1983-85 for Easley. Largent made the second team four times (1978-79, 1984 and 1987).
You can find the entire All-Pro team here.
On this date: Turnovers, sacks and rushing TDs
A look at some memorable moments in Seahawks history that occurred on Oct. 16:
(AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
2005: The Seahawks rush for a club-record 320 yards and Shaun Alexander scores four touchdowns in a 42-10 victory over the Texans at home that is win No. 2 in what will become a franchise-record 11-game winning streak. Alexander, who would set an NFL single-season record with 28 touchdowns, scores on runs of 4, 5, 1 and 23 yards as part of his 144-yard afternoon.
1983: The Seahawks force eight turnovers and register eight sacks in a 38-36 win over the Raiders at the Kingdome. The defensive line of Jacob Green (3½), Joe Nash (2) and Jeff Bryant (1½) combine to sack Jim Plunkett seven times.
On this date: Neck injury ends Strong’s career
A look at a memorable moment in Seahawks history that occurred on Oct. 7:
2007: Fullback Mack Strong, who is playing in his 201st game for the Seahawks, suffers a career-ending neck injury in a loss to the Steelers in Pittsburgh. Only Joe Nash played in more games (218) and for more seasons (15) with the Seahawks than Strong (201 games and 14 seasons).
Thursday cyber surfing: Wilson a ‘star in the making’
Good morning. Here’s what’s “out there” about the Seahawks for today, June 28:
Mike Sando at ESPN.com passes along an interesting – and possibly insightful – comment on rookie QB Russell Wilson from Tony Softli, a former personnel evaluator for the Panthers and Rams: “(Matt) Flynn will have his hands full in a training camp competition against this star in the making.” The item also includes this pre-draft assessment from Football Outsiders of the player who ended up being the Seahawks’ third-round choice: “Considering the examples from Wilson’s junior year in the Atlantic Coast Conference where he’s effective on deep passes off play-action, throws receivers open, and improvises on the move, his potential to develop into an NFL quarterback is better than his height may indicate,” (Matt) Waldman wrote. “Still, it is reasonable to approach Wilson’s NFL prospects with skepticism. (Drew) Brees never overcame doubts from the organization that drafted him. … However, as Brees, Tom Brady, Marc Bulger, Matt Hasselbeck, Tony Romo and Kurt Warner, and several others have demonstrated, careers don’t end due to an inauspicious beginning.”
Sando also offers his thoughts on KC Joyner’s thought that cornerback Brandon Browner is among the most overrated players in the league: “Joyner pointed to the Seahawks cornerback’s league-high penalty count (19) as one indicator. He also used various coverage metrics to suggest Browner wasn’t all that good in coverage, either. I might have considered Browner’s teammate, Richard Sherman, as a superior choice to represent the NFC at season’s end. Pro Bowl voting was completed before then, of course. While Browner did commit too many penalties, those flags represented something positive, as well. Browner continually harassed opposing receivers near the line of scrimmage. Overrated or not, he was a pain to play against.” I’ll second that, and also point out that Browner led the NFL with 23 passes defensed.
And still more from Sando, he offers his “hidden treasure” for the NFC West teams and tabs the wide receivers for the Seahawks: “The Seahawks haven’t sent a player to the Pro Bowl as a full-time wide receiver since Brian Blades made it following the 1989 season. That streak appears unlikely to end anytime soon. The team invested virtually nothing in the position this offseason. A few questions persist – for example, what does Mike Williams have in store? – but with so much attention on quarterbacks and the Seattle defense, wide receiver gets my vote as a Seahawks position group that could surprise.” The Seahawks have had only two wide-outs voted to the Pro Bowl in franchise history – Steve Largent (seven times) and Blades (once).
Danny O’Neil at the Seattle Times looks at rookie offensive linemen J.R. Sweezy and Rishaw Johnson: “… There are going to be the rookies to consider, and yes, that’s going to be rookies with an ‘s’ to indicate plural. The Seahawks chose J.R. Sweezy from North Carolina State in the seventh round, and have converted him from defensive tackle into an offensive guard. When the rookie minicamp ended in early May, coach Pete Carroll gave a very positive review. … The other rookie who made a strong first impression was Rishaw Johnson, an undrafted free agent signed from California (Pa.) University, which is the same college where the Seahawks found quarterback Josh Portis a year ago.”
With school out for the summer, Pat Kirwan at CBSSports.com offers a final examine to test your retention of what happened during the 2011 NFL season: “Think you remember how it all happened? Want to test your memory and maybe learn a thing or two? Have some fun taking this 21-question, multiple-choice (guess?) quiz.”
Here at Seahawks.com, we take a look at the last of the team’s offseason workouts – and the nine rookie free agents who concluded the program this week: “Rookie free agents do face the longest of odds, as (strength and conditioning coach Chris) Carlisle said, in their attempts to earn spots on the 53-man roster or practice squad. But the Seahawks always have been good to undrafted rookies, and vice versa. The team’s honor roll of longest-odds beaters includes Ring of Honor quarterback Dave Krieg; free safety Eugene Robinson, the franchise’s all-time leading tackler; nose tackle Joe Nash, special teamer/linebacker Rufus Porter and fullback Mack Strong, who all played in the Pro Bowl during their careers and, like Robinson, were voted to the Seahawks’ 35th Anniversary team; and Doug Baldwin, the team’s leading receiver last season. ‘There are a lot of guys who came in as free-agent rookies who play in the Pro Bowl, who were Super Bowl champions, that are in Canton (at the Pro Football Hall of Fame) right now that have gone from didn’t-have-a-chance to being pretty darn special,’ Carlisle said. Carlisle’s history lesson did not fall on deaf ears. ‘This is a program that kind of breeds these undrafted free agents, and that fact is very encouraging,’ said (tight end Sean) McGrath, who was heading back to Henderson State University in Arkansas to pack up the last of his left-behind belongings before going home to the Chicago area. ‘Anything can happen. You’ve just got to put your mind to it and keep working hard.’ ”
On this date: Bryant drafted
A look at a memorable moment in Seahawks history that occurred on April 27:
1982: Jeff Bryant is selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. Bryant would team with fellow defensive end Jacob Green and nose tackle Joe Nash to form what they called “The Diehard.” Why? “Because we always start,” Green explained. And that they did, from 1983 through 1989. In 1990, after selecting tackle Cortez Kennedy in the first round of the draft, coach Chuck Knox switched to a four-man defensive line and Bryant eventually became the only player in franchise history to start at all four spots.
On this date: Seahawks lead AFC Pro Bowl victory
A look at a memorable moment in Seahawks history that occurred on Jan. 27:
1985: Fredd Young blocks a punt to set up a touchdown, Norm Johnson kicks two field goals and Kenny Easley has a game-high 10 tackles as the AFC wins the Pro Bowl 22-14. The Seahawks’ largest Pro Bowl contingent in franchise history also includes Steve Largent, Dave Krieg, Joe Nash and Dave Brown.
On this date
A look at the memorable moments in Seahawks history that occurred on Oct. 16:
1983: The Seahawks force eight turnovers and register eight sacks in a 38-36 win over the Raiders at the Kingdome. Jacob Green (3½), Joe Nash (2) and Jeff Bryant (1½) combined to sack Jim Plunkett seven times.
2005: The Seahawks rush for a club-record 320 yards and Shaun Alexander scores four touchdowns in a 42-10 victory over the Texans at home that is win No. 2 in what will become a franchise-record 11-game winning streak.
Cyber surfing: Tuesday
Good morning. Here’s what’s “out there” about the Seahawks for today, Oct. 4:
Mike Sando at ESPN.com has “silver linings” from the Seahawks’ two-point loss to the Falcons on Sunday. Says Sando: “Coach Pete Carroll and staff again appeared to win the battle of halftime adjustments. The Seahawks have allowed 13 points in the second halves of their past three games. They have outscored their past two opponents, Arizona and Seattle, 28-6 after halftime. Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan credited Seattle for figuring out how to stop the run in the second half.”
Danny O’Neil of the Seattle Times looks at Carroll’s theme for this week: Finding a way to start faster, especially on offense. Offers O’Neil: “The Seahawks offense has scored seven touchdowns so far this season, only one in the first half. The defense, meanwhile, has only allowed one touchdown in the second half. That shows a staying power that is surprising given Seattle’s utter inability to sustain an offense in the first half, which has left the defense on the field for too long. Against Atlanta on Sunday, the Falcons held the ball twice as long as the Seahawks in the first half.”
Dave Boling at the New Tribune writes on that same slow-starting topic. Says Boling: “Last season set the tone, when Carroll’s first Seahawks team was outscored 230-128 in first halves. But they’re nowhere near keeping it that competitive in the first four games of 2011, being outscored 67-13 in the first halves. Rallying to “win” the second halves 45-30 has left them 1-3.”
Also at the New Tribune, Eric Williams has the word on the knee injury Matt McCoy got early in Sunday’s game. Says Williams: “McCoy suffered the injury on the opening series of Sunday’s game against Atlanta while attempting to make a tackle on Seattle’s punt unit. The seven-year pro is one of Seattle’s top special teams players, and he also carved out a role for himself defensively as the Seahawks’ middle linebacker on obvious passing downs.”
Scott Johnson of the Everett Herald continues his “The Game of My Life” series with former Seahawks nose tackle Joe Nash. Says Johnson: “Nash was the kind of player who didn’t put up big statistics or earn many awards. He was, quite simply, the kind of player that got the most out of his ability and made everyone around him better. And that was more than enough to keep him in the NFL for 15 productive seasons, a record of longevity among Seahawks. ‘You could always count on Joe,’ said former Seahawks coach Chuck Knox. ‘He anchored that line for a long time.’ “
Christian Caple at PI.com has Carroll’s reaction to the reaction of him deciding to go for a 61-yard field goal at the end of Sunday’s game. Says Carroll: “So we took a shot at capturing the moment to win the football game right there following a great comeback, and unfortunately it didn’t happen. I’m fine about it. I knew clearly what I wanted to do at the time and went for it and I’m not looking back at it.”
Here at Seahawks.com, we’ve got some numbers to go with all the words about the Seahawks’ slow starts in their first four games: “The Seahawks have averaged 3.3 points and 96 yards in the first half; compared to 11.3 and 158 in the second half. The Seahawks have allowed averages of 16.8 points and 197.5 yards in the first half; compared to 7.5 points and 144 yards in the second half.”
There also are the daily recaps in the Hawkville report and Tony Ventrella’s video review, as well as a sweet-and-sour post-game conversation with Red Bryant in “Monday metatarsal musings.”
