Isaiah Kacyvenski will announce Seahawks’ second-round draft choice
Whoever the Seahawks select in the second round of the NFL Draft next Friday, the pick will be announced at Radio City Music Hall in New York City by former linebacker and special teams standout Isaiah Kacyvenski.
The league began having alumni announce picks in 2011 and today announced the lineup for this year.
Kacyvenski was a fourth-round draft choice in 2000. He started nine games at middle linebacker in 2002, when he had 71 tackles; and 13 games at outside linebacker in 2004, when he produced a career-high 81 tackles to finish second on the team. Kacyvenski also led the club in special teams tackles in 2000 (15) and 2001 (21).
He will announce the team’s first draft choice, because the Seahawks traded their first-round pick as part of the deal to acquire receiver/runner/returner Percy Harvin from the Vikings.
Here’s the list of the other alumni that will announce picks (* — team does not have a second-round pick, so the former player will announce the third-round pick):
Cardinals – FB Larry Centers
Falcons – CB Deion Sanders
Ravens – OT Jonathan Ogden
Bills – DE Chris Kelsay
Panthers – S Mike Minter
Bears – RB Neal Anderson
Bengals – DT Tim Krumrie
Browns* — OT Dick Schafrath
Cowboys – DT Tony Casillas
Broncos – LB Randy Gradishar
Lions – WR Herman Moore
Packers – LB Dave Robinson
Texans – C Steve McKinney
Colts* — OT Tarik Glenn
Jaguars – QB Mark Brunell
Chiefs* — DB Gary Barbaro
Dolphins – OG Larry Little
Vikings – S Joey Browner
Patriots – RB Kevin Faulk
Saints* — S Steve Gleason
Giants – OG Rich Seubert
Jets – WR Wayne Chrebet
Raiders* — DB Willie Brown
Eagles – LB Jeremiah Trotter
Steelers – RB Merril Hoge
Rams – OT Orlando Pace
Chargers – DB Jim Hill
49ers – OG Guy McIntyre
Buccaneers – DT Warren Sapp
Titans – LB Keith Bulluck
Redskins – LB LaVar Arrington
On this date: Levon Kirkland signed in free agency
A look at a memorable moment in Seahawks history that occurred on April 9:
2001: Levon Kirkland, a Pro Bowl linebacker from the Steelers, is signed in free agency. He finished third on the team with 101 tackles in his only season with the Seahawks. Kirkland was one of eight players to start at middle linebacker for the Seahawks during a seven-season stretch – joining Dean Wells and DeShone Myles (1998), Anthony Simmons (1999), George Koonce (2000), Isaiah Kacyvenski (2002), Randall Godfrey (2004) and Orlando Huff (2004) – before Lofa Tatupu was drafted in 2005.
And the best fourth-round pick is …
Chris Warren was an overlooked entity in a 1990 NFL draft that also delivered defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy, linebacker Terry Wooden and strong safety Robert Blackmon.
Until, that is, the 6-foot-2, 226-pound Warren stepped on the field for the first time. Derrick Fenner had replaced Curt Warner as the Seahawks’ leading rusher, so the fourth-round draft choice was relegated to kickoff and punt return duties.
“He’s got to be the biggest punt returner in the history of the league,” then-coached Chuck Knox marveled while watching Warren field punts behind his back during practice.
Warren also flashed some nifty moves once the games began, as he led the club in kickoff and punt return average as a rookie and also for the next two seasons. But it’s when Warren was finally allowed to play running back that he really got busy.
He rushed for 1,000-plus yards four consecutive seasons (1993-96), including a career-best and AFC-leading 1,545 yards in 1994. He scored 16 touchdowns in 1995, then the club single-season record. He also averaged 40 receptions from 1994-97.
Warren was voted to the Pro Bowl in 1993, 1994 and 1995, and named team MVP in ’94 and ’95. When he was released in 1998, Warren left as the team’s all-time leading rusher (6,706) and ranked second in rushing touchdowns (44).
Not surprisingly, Warren also ranks as the best fourth-round draft choice in franchise history.
And that’s saying something, considering that the competition includes kicker John Kasay (1991), who led the team in scoring for four consecutive seasons; linebacker Dean Wells, who led the team in tackles in 1996; defensive end Phillip Daniels (1996), who led the team in sacks in 1999; linebacker Isaiah Kacyvenski, who led the club in special teams tackles in 2000 and 2001; defensive end Red Bryant, who blocked four kicks and returned an interception for a touchdown last season; and linebacker K.J. Wright (2011), who played his way into the starting lineup as rookie.