Tag: Ricky Watters

2 former Seahawks among 15 Pro Football Hall of Fame finalists

Former Seahawks OL Steve Hutchinson and RB Edgerrin James are among the two modern-era finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced the 15 finalists for the modern-era ballot and two former Seattle Seahawks, running back Edgerrin James and guard Steve Hutchinson, remain eligible for enshrinement.

The list originally featured 122 names, including six other Seahawks: quarterback Dave Krieg; running backs Shaun Alexander, Ricky Watters and Chris Warren; center Ray Donovan; and punter Jeff Feagles.

Watters was among the 25 semifinalists, but was cut when the list was whittled down to 15, leaving just Hutchinson and James among former Seahawks.

Hutchinson seems like the likeliest of the pair to gain Hall of Fame status this winter, having finished as a finalist in each of the past two years. The guard was a seven-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro in his 12-year career.

James only appeared in seven games for the Seahawks in the 2009 season, rushing 46 times for just 125 yards. He is 13th all-time in rushing yards, however, and has a decent chance of hearing his name called this year.

The final ballot will include five inductees, and will be announced the Saturday before the Super Bowl.

As part of the Hall’s special 20-member class of 2020, they will be joined by 10 ‘senior’ players (who have been retired for more than 25 seasons), three ‘contributors’ (neither a player nor coach) and two coaches.

Two former Seattle coaches, Mike Holmgren and Tom Flores, are among the coaches who could be enshrined as well, giving the Seahawks four potential inductees this year.

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2 former Seahawks coaches finalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame

Former Seattle Seahawks head coaches Tom Flores and Mike Holmgren are among the eight coaching finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced the Class of 2020 Centennial Slate Finalists on Thursday, and two former Seattle Seahawks coaches made the cut.

Mike Holmgren and Tom Flores were among the eight coaches named finalists. Only two of those eight will be elected into the Hall of Fame however, and the Blue Ribbon Panel will determine the inductees sometime in January.

Holmgren was an NFL head coach for 17 seasons, seven with the Packers and the final 10 with the Seahawks from 1999 to 2008.

He posted a 161-111 record and coached in 24 playoff games, going 13-11 and appearing in three Super Bowls, winning one with the Packers in 1996 and leading Seattle to their first ever appearance in 2006.

Flores coached in the NFL for 12 seasons, his final three in Seattle. He didn’t have a lot of success in the Emerald City, going just 14-34 from 1992-1994, but he won two Super Bowls while coaching the Raiders in the 1980’s.

14-year head coach Don Coryell is on the ballot as well. While he never worked with the Seahawks, he is a native of Seattle and attended school at the University of Washington.

Flores and Holmgren join three former Seahawks’ players as Hall of Fame eligible this year – Edgerrin James, Steve Hutchinson and Ricky Watters – who are all on the modern era committee list.

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3 former Seahawks among 25 Hall of Fame semifinalists

Former Seattle Seahawks Steve Hutchinson, Ricky Watters and Edgerrin James are among the 25 modern-era semifinalists for the Hall of Fame.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame reduced the list of 122 modern-era nominees to 25 on Tuesday, and three of the eight former Seattle Seahawks remain: guard Steve Hutchinson and running backs Ricky Watters and Edgerrin James.

The original class of 2020 ballot also included quarterback Dave Krieg; running backs Shaun Alexander and Chris Warren; center Ray Donovan; and punter Jeff Feagles.

Hutchinson is the likeliest of the trio to gain Hall of Fame status this winter, having finished as a finalist in each of the past two years. The guard was a seven-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro in his 12-year career.

James only appeared in seven games for the Seahawks in the 2009 season, rushing 46 times for just 125 yards. He is 13th all-time in rushing yards, however, and has a decent chance of hearing his name called this year.

Watters’ success came primarily as a member of the 49ers, but he did post four quality seasons with Seattle from 1998-2001, rushing 994 times for 4,009 yards and four touchdowns.

A Pro Bowler in each of his first five NFL seasons, Watters is 24th all-time in rushing yards and 22nd in rushing touchdowns.

The ballot will be pared down again, this time from 25 to 15, and they will be announced in January. The final ballot with five inductees will be announced the Saturday before the Super Bowl. As part of the Hall’s special 20-member class of 2020, they will be joined by 10 “senior” players (who have been retired for more than 25 seasons), three “contributors” (neither a player nor coach) and two coaches.

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Ricky Watters named Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalist

Former Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Ricky Watters is one of 25 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s modern era ballot was cut from 122 all the way down to 25, but former Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Ricky Watters made it through the second round of cuts, and is still eligible for induction as a member of the class of 2020.

The ballot will be pared down to 15 at some point in January, before the five inductees are announced on the Saturday before the Super Bowl.

Watters was named to five straight Pro Bowls from 1992-1996, and was a Super Bowl champion in 1994 with the San Francisco 49ers. His career was cut short by injuries, but he was arguably a top-two running back in the NFL in the early-1990’s, and still finished with 10,643 rushing yards and 78 rushing touchdowns, both just outside the top-20 of all-time.

Watters starred at Notre Dame before getting drafted 45th overall by the 49ers in the 1991 NFL draft. He rushed for 1,814 yards and 21 touchdowns with the Irish, while also hauling in 610 receiving yards.

He also excelled as a punt returner, leading the NCAA in punt return touchdowns in 1988, with two.

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