On this date: From Chuck Knox, to Rick Mirer, to Mike Holmgren, to Aaron Curry
A look at some memorable moments in Seahawks history that occurred on April 25:
1991: Chuck Knox signs a two-year contract extension through 1993, but the ’91 season would be his ninth and final with the Seahawks as the extension includes a buyout clause. Knox would return to the Rams from 1992-94, after coaching the team from 1973-77.
1993: Rick Mirer is selected with the second overall pick in the NFL Draft. Following a productive rookie season when he started all 16 games and passed for 2,833 yards, Mirer would start 35 games over the next three seasons before being traded to the Bears in 1997.
1997: The Washington State Legislature passes the stadium-funding plan – Referendum 48 – for what would become Seahawks Stadium and is now CenturyLink Field. It is the next step necessary for Paul Allen to complete his purchase of the franchise from Ken Behring.
2008: Mike Holmgren wins the Horrigan Award, which is presented annually to the NFL executive who helps the media do its job. Having not won the award had become a running joke with the team’s coach and reporters who covered the Seahawks.
2009: Aaron Curry is selected with the fourth pick overall in the NFL Draft. Hailed as the “safest pick” in that year’s draft class, Curry would start 30 games at linebacker before being traded to the Raiders during the 2012 season.
On this date: Paul Allen purchases option to buy Seahawks
A look at some memorable moments in Seahawks history that occurred on April 20:
1993: Ray Donaldson, a Pro Bowl center from the Lions, signs with the Seahawks in free agency. He started 32 games in two seasons with the club.
1996: Paul Allen, the billionaire co-founder of Microsoft, purchases an option to buy the Seahawks from owner Ken Behring. On the same day, guard Pete Kendall is selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. Kendall would start 75 games in five seasons with the team.
2002: Former University of Washington tight end Jerramy Stevens is selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. Stevens would start 26 games in five seasons with the team and catch 45 passes in 2005 – which was then the franchise record for the position.
On this date: Allen’s ownership approved
A look at a memorable moment in Seahawks history that occurred on Aug. 19:
1997: Football Northwest is approved as the new owners of the Seahawks by the other owners in the NFL. The organization is the football section of the far-reaching umbrella controlled by Paul Allen, the billionaire co-founder of Microsoft who purchased the team from former owner Ken Behring.
“It’s great. It’s exciting. And we’re happy that piece is behind us,” is the way club executive Bob Whitsitt views the needed approval. “But I think the biggest thing was when we actually signed the option (to purchase the franchise on June 30).”
On this date: Final step in Allen’s purchase of Seahawks
A look at a memorable moment in Seahawks history that occurred on June 30:
1997: Bob Whitsitt, president of Football Northwest, signs the paperwork to complete Paul Allen’s purchase of the Seahawks.
On this date: Leiweke named CEO
A look at a memorable moment in Seahawks history that occurred on June 25:
2003: Tod Leiweke is named CEO in charge of all Seahawks business and administration operations by chairman Paul Allen. Leiweke would remain in that position until 2010, when he left to become part-owner/CEO of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning.
On this date: Enter CenturyLink
A look at some memorable moments in Seahawks history that occurred on June 23:
1997: Metropolitan King County Council votes 9-3 to approve a new stadium for the Seahawks, a move necessary for Paul Allen to complete his purchase of the team from Ken Behring.
2011: The Seahawks’ home stadium is renamed CenturyLink Field. The facility had been called Qwest Field since 2004.
On this date: Nickname ‘Seahawks’ selected
A look at some memorable moments in Seahawks history that occurred on June 17:
1975: The nickname “Seahawks” is selected for Seattle’s NFL team that will begin playing in the 1976 season. “Seahawks” was selected from 20,365 entries, which included 1,741 different names.
1997: Washington state voters pass Referendum 48 that approves funds for a new stadium for the Seahawks, a move necessary for Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen to complete his purchase of the franchise from Ken Behring. The Referendum got 51.1 percent of the votes (820,354) statewide, including 56.4 percent (275,358) in King County.
Remembering Faye Allen
Faye Allen, the mother of Seahawks owner Paul Allen, died Saturday of complications from Alzheimer’s disease. She was 90.
“She was a shining light for everyone that knew her,” her son said in a statement.
This final-chapter announcement should come with a “Read all about” tagline because of Faye Allen’s love of books and reading.
As Maureen O’Hagan put it in the obituary that ran in Sunday’s Seattle Times: “Talk to just about anyone who knew Faye Allen, and they’ll invariably mention books. She read them feverishly; she collected them by the thousands; she talked about them with anyone who would listen; and ultimately, she helped create an everlasting gift of books for the people of Seattle. ‘You wouldn’t find a person more dedicated to the power of books than Faye Allen, especially children’s books,’ said Terry Collings, former executive director of The Seattle Public Library Foundation. Mrs. Allen helped secure a $22.5 million gift to be used by the library system for years to come.”
From his Twitter account, Paul Allen (@PaulGAllen) linked to this story on his Vulcan Inc. website which has several candid photos of him and his mother, as well as more information about Alzheimer’s disease.
On this date: Mirer drafted
A look at some memorable moments in Seahawks history that occurred on April 25:
1991: Chuck Knox signs a two-year contract extension through 1993, but the ’91 season would be his ninth and final with the Seahawks as the extension includes a buyout clause.
1993: Rick Mirer is selected with the second overall pick in the NFL Draft. Following a productive rookie season when he started all 16 games and passed for 2,833 yards, Mirer would start 35 games over the next three seasons before being traded to the Bears in 1997.
1997: The Washington State Legislature passes the stadium-funding plan for Seahawks Stadium – Referendum 48. It is the next step necessary for Paul Allen to complete his purchase of the franchise from Ken Behring.
2008: Mike Holmgren wins the Horrigan Award, which is presented annually to the NFL executive who helps the media do its job. Not having won the award had become a running joke with the team’s coach and reporters who covered the Seahawks.
2009: Aaron Curry is selected with the fourth pick overall in the NFL Draft. Hailed as the “safest pick” in that year’s draft class, Curry would start 30 games at linebacker before being traded to the Raiders during the 2011 season.
On this date: Allen purchases option to buy team
A look at some memorable moments in Seahawks history that occurred on April 20:
1993: Ray Donaldson, a Pro Bowl center from the Lions, signs with the Seahawks in free agency. He started 32 games in two seasons with the club.
1996: Paul Allen, the billionaire cofounder of Microsoft, purchases an option to buy the Seahawks from owner Ken Behring. On the same day, guard Pete Kendall is selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. Kendall would start 75 games in five seasons with the team.
2002: Former University of Washington tight end Jerramy Stevens is selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. Stevens would start 26 games in five seasons with the team and catch 45 passes in 2005 – which was then the franchise record for the position.
