Tag: Shaun Alexander

Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch nominated for the Hall of Fame’s 2025 class

Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch nominated for the Hall of Fame’s 2025 class

It is never too early to start thinking about who should be Canonized in Canton, Ohio. On Wednesday morning, the initial list of nominees to be considered for the 2025 Hall of Fame class was released. Among the 167 players nominated, there are several first time nominees, including a face quite familiar to fans of the Seattle Seahawks.

Beloved running back Marshawn Lynch, for the first time, has been nominated as a potential enshrinee in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

In order to be eligible for the Hall of Fame, a player needs to be at least five full seasons removed from when they last played in the NFL. For Lynch, who last took the field for the Seahawks for the final three games (one regular season, two playoff outings) of the 2019 season, this certainly meets the eligibility requirement.

Lynch played for three teams, but should he make it to Canton he will undoubtedly go in as a Seattle Seahawk. Of the 12 years of his career (fitting, isn’t it?) he was certainly best known for his seven in Seattle. He was the undispited face of the franchise, the man who put the new-era Seahawks on the map with his iconic “Beast Quake” run in the 2010 playoffs… only to do it again in the 2014 season with another similar run.

During his career, Lynch barreled his way to 10,413 yards, 85 rushing touchdowns and nine more through the air. In the playoffs, Lynch accoutned for another 970 yards on the ground with 12 (again, fitting) touchdowns. Lynch has also technically received some recognition from Canton, as he is a member of the 2010’s All-Decade Team.

Lynch’s 10,413 regular season yards are only 29th all time in the league for rushing yards, but they are more than other Hall of Famers in Joe Perry, Earl Campbell, Jim Taylor, Larry Csonka and Terrell Davis. I am also of the belief raw statistics alone should not be the only qualifying factor to make it to Canton. The Hall of Fame isn’t just a way to honor legends, it is a museum, a monument to the history of professional football. How one contributes to the overall story of professional football should absolutely be factored in. With that in mind, it is simply impossible to tell the story of the NFL without mentioning Marshawn Lynch.

Lynch also joins fellow Seattle Seahawks legend Shaun Alexander, who is once again a nominee for the Hall of Fame. I have been on the record for years that Alexander is more than deserving of enshrinement and remains one of the biggest snubs in recent memory.

Hopefully, the day will come where Lynch and Alexander will both have busts in Canton, as both have clearly earned it.

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37 days until Alabama football kicks off the 2024 season

Celebrate an Alabama football legend who wore No. 37 Shaun Alexander, as we are now just 37 days away from the start of the 2024 season!

In 37 days, Kalen DeBoer will usher in a new era of Alabama Crimson Tide football, replacing the legendary [autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] as head coach in Tuscaloosa.

Coach DeBoer and the Crimson Tide will take on the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers on Aug. 31 to kick off the 2024 college football season inside Bryant-Denny Stadium.

At Roll Tide Wire, we will count down the days until Alabama football takes the field.

With 37 days remaining, we will look at one of the best to ever wear the Crimson and White in running back legend, [autotag]Shaun Alexander[/autotag].

Alexander played for Alabama from 1996-99, finishing his career with 3,565 rushing yards, 798 receiving yards, and 49 total touchdowns.

Alexander put together a sensational professional career mostly with the Seattle Seahawks where he rushed for 9,453 yards and totaled 100 touchdowns. Alexander was also the winner of the 2005 NFL MVP Award.

Seahawks Mt. Rushmore of players, according to FS1’s Colin Cowherd

Seahawks Mt. Rushmore of players, according to FS1’s Colin Cowherd

One of the more prominent Pacific Northwest sports figures in the national media is Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd. Born and raised in coastal Washington State, Cowherd grew up in the shadow of the blossoming Seattle sports scene of the late 1970’s.

Cowherd may have shifted to being more of a national commentator, opining on all teams in each of the professional leagues, but it is clear he still holds some reverance towards Seattle’s teams… such as the Seahawks.

Recently, Cowherd sat down with former New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman on his podcast. Edelman asked Cowherd to give his personal “Mt. Rushmore” of Seahawks players. Of course, wide receiver Steve Largent was the first pick. No shocker there. But the other three names might surprise you a bit.

First off, you know Cowherd was truly an original Seahawks fan if he’s even making the argument for potentially adding Jim Zorn to the list. As someone who was raised by parents who watched the Seahawks from their inception, I can attest this is only something a diehard 12th Man from that era would say.

Secondly, I firmly believe one of the most underrated Seahawks of all time is absolutely Shaun Alexander. To this date, he is the only Seahawk to win league MVP, and I have been beating the drum that he is well overdue for an enshrinement in the Hall of Fame.

What say you, dear reader? Does Cowherd get it right with his Mt. Rushmore? Who should he have added? Who would you add if you were asked the same question?

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Matt Hasselbeck shares highlights from epic Seahawks 2001 overtime win

Matt Hasselbeck shares highlights from epic Seahawks 2001 overtime win

For every true blue 12th Man, there is a special place in their hearts for quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. Following the dark days of the 90’s, Hasselbeck emerged as the first legitimate quarterback the team had since the Dave Krieg era of the 1980’s. On Twitter, the former beloved Seahawk retweeted a video of an old game from the 2001 season. A low scoring overtime win over the then-San Diego Chargers.

Winding the clock back to 2001 seems like a lifetime ago these days. For the Seattle Seahawks, it essentially was. The 2001 season was a year of transition. The Seahawks were still playing at Husky Stadium, while Qwest Field (now Lumen, of course) was still being built. It was also the final year of Seattle playing in the AFC West.

So naturally, it is only fitting the highlight reel from 2001 was from a game against a former division rival. When watching the highlights below, man, a total throwback list of names will hit you like a brick.

Matt Hasselbeck, Darrell Jackson, Shaun Alexander, Doug Flutie and LaDanian Tomlinson. Names you only hear these days among your friends at a bar, remininsing about former players over a few rounds of beers.

The 2001 Seattle Seahawks would go on to finish the season with a 9-7 record. Although the team missed the playoffs, it was the first season with Hasselbeck at the helm. The foundations built in this season would eventually go on to help the Seahawks during their rise in the mid-2000’s as one of the better teams in the NFL.

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49ers RB Christian McCaffrey named Madden 25 cover athlete

It has been a busy offseason for McCaffrey’s agent.

Depending on how much stock you put into curses, this is potentially some decent news for fans of the Seattle Seahawks. On Tuesday morning it was announced that San Franciso 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey will be the cover athlete for the latest installment of the Madden video game franchise.

It has been a busy offseason for McCaffrey’s agent. Recently, the All-Pro inked a lucrative extension with the 49ers worth $38 million. Now he will be in almost every home in America with a gaming console as the face of Madden 25. Interestingly, this is the second game in the franchise called Madden 25, as the 2013 installment had this name to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the game.

Of course, being the cover athlete is not always the most glamorous thing. With it, comes the potential of the infamous “Madden Curse” where unfortunate things happen to those who are featured on the game. For years, it used to refer to a player getting injured, such as Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander in 2006 who was the Madden 08 cover, or the entire Legion of Boom being hurt going into Super Bowl XLIX after Richard Sherman was featured for Madden 15. Rob Gronkowski may have earned a Super Bowl ring in the year he was the Madden 17 cover, but he was on injured reserve for the big game.

In recent seasons, the effectiveness of the curse seems to be in question. I’m of the belief it has morphed into simply a bad ending to the season in whatever form, such as the Bills losing in the playoffs last year when Josh Allen was the cover for Madden24, or Calvin Johnson Jr.’s record breaking season for Madden 13 resulting in a 4-12 season for the Lions.

Speaking of Detroit, perhaps the funniest one is when the franchise tried to break the curse by putting

However, there have been those who have seemingly broken the curse. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes won his first Super Bowl as the cover of Madden 20, and Tom Brady was league MVP the year he was on the front.

Of course, Seahawks fans might be secretly hoping the curse still lives on for McCaffrey, in some capacity. Maybe not a devastating injury, but maybe a critical fumble against them or yet another heartbreaking playoff loss. The 49ers star has simply been an unstoppable force on the ground, and it has often come at the expense of Seattle.

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Christian McCaffrey ended the 11-year Madden cover drought for running backs and joined these 6 RBs

Christian McCaffrey joined a very exclusive club by getting picked for the Madden cover.

As is tradition, getting picked for the annual Madden cover is the best sign an NFL player has become mainstream. That should make San Francisco 49ers Christian McCaffrey’s selection for Madden 25 not the least bit surprising.

What is surprising is that McCaffrey’s running back position hasn’t been featured on the famed video game cover in a long time. In fact, with McCaffrey’s selection, he is the first tailback to be the official Madden athlete since Adrian Peterson and Barry Sanders’ joint selection for Madden NFL 25 in 2014. That is likely a statement on how runners have been de-emphasized in the NFL over the last decade, making McCaffrey’s cover boy look all the more impressive.

In other words, running backs are making their comeback! (Maybe.)

With McCaffrey officially representing Madden now, here are the six other running backs to appear on the worldwide cover in the game’s illustrious, extended history.

1. Madden 2001 — Eddie George, Tennessee Titans

The first Madden on the PlayStation 2 featured George, a four-time Pro Bowler and former First-Team All-Pro for the Tennessee Titans.

2. Madden 2003 — Marshall Faulk, St Louis. Rams

Near the end of “The Greatest Show on Turf” offense in St. Louis, the Rams finally had their rightful poster boy in do-it-all running back Marshall Faulk.

3. Madden 2007 — Shaun Alexander, Seattle Seahawks

The 2005 MVP finally got his virtual flowers with a Madden cover later that summer.

4. Madden 12 — Peyton Hillis, Cleveland Browns

At the height of his bruising phenomenon in Cleveland, Hillis won a fan vote to notch this early 2010s cover.

5. Madden NFL 25 — Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings (Xbox One and PlayStation 4)

In celebration of Madden’s 25th anniversary, the decorated Peterson debuted on the then-next-gen cover.

6. Madden NFL 2000/25 — Barry Sanders, Detroit Lions (Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3)

Sanders is the rare NFL star to have technically been featured on two Madden covers. He was in the background of Madden 2000 and then won a fan vote for the 25th-anniversary edition on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions.

Seahawks great Shaun Alexander on why he’s not in the Hall of Fame

Here’s Alexander talking with Kay Adams about why he thinks he’s not in Canton.

While every NFL fan base believes that their team is underrated and overlooked, it’s probably more true in the case of the Seattle Seahawks than any other. Geographically isolated in the Pacific Northwest, the franchise has often been ignored and dismissed by the national (east coast) media and that includes the folks that vote on who gets into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and who doesn’t.

Need proof that there’s a real bias against Seattle and its players? Look no further than Seahawks legend and former league MVP Shaun Alexander, who is not in the Hall of Fame despite having a very strong resume. Here’s Alexander talking with Kay Adams about why he thinks he’s not in Canton.

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Caleb Downs recognized as the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year

Alabama Safety Caleb Downs recognized as the top freshman in the country

When you start to make your way down the list of all-time great Alabama running backs, it is just a matter of time until the legend [autotag]Shaun Alexander[/autotag] comes up. During three seasons of varsity football in high school, Alexander rushed for 6,657 yards and 110 touchdowns – both are still Top 10 all-time prep records. In his senior year, he was named Kentucky’s “Mr. Football” and was recruited to join the Tide by Gene Stallings and was one of the most highly sought-after recruits at the time.

Alexander redshirted in 1995 as a true freshman, however, he quickly burst onto the scene in 1996 as a redshirt freshman. Alexander put his name on the map in a crucial SEC showdown as he rushed for a school-record 291 yards and four touchdowns in a 26-0 victory over No. 11 LSU in Baton Rouge. Alexander posted career statistics of 727 carries for 3,565 yards and 41 touchdowns. He also had 62 career receptions for 798 yards and eight scores.

As a result of his success in college, the Seattle Seahawks used the No. 19 pick in the 2000 NFL Draft on the ‘Bama back. Alexander went on to be an NFL MVP and named to the 2000s All-Decade team among a laundry list of accolades.

As a result for the impact he left on the college game, the College Football Freshman Player of the Year award was renamed after Shaun Alexander in 2019 because of his remarkable freshman campaign and performance against LSU back in 1996.

This year, the winner of the award was Alabama DB [autotag]Caleb Downs[/autotag]. It is fitting for the award to head back to Tuscaloosa with Will Anderson being the winner back in 2020-2021. Even though he is only a freshman, people in the NFL have already taken notice of Downs and he is on a path to be the next great Alabama Safety like Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

Aggies starting linebacker is named to the 2023 Shaun Alexander Freshman Player of the Year List

Texas A&M freshman linebacker Taurean York was named to the 2023 Shaun Alexander Freshman Player of the Year List.

It was announced Wednesday morning that Texas A&M standout freshman Taurean York made the 2023 Shaun Alexander Freshman Player of the Year List.

Coming into the year, there were major questions at the linebacker position, especially after losing the top linebacker in the 11th hour in back-to-back cycles. York has stepped up in a significant way, not only with his play on the field, but he is a natural leader. Routinely being called wise beyond his years has led to him being the signal caller on the field.

York has been an outstanding addition to the team and is just scratching the surface of his potential. Outlets across the country have taken notice of his play as he has become a well-known name.

York stats through eight games:

  • 47 Total Tackles
  • 6.5 TFLs
  • 1 Sack
  • 1 Forced Fumble

Below is how the official website describes the spirit of the award.

“In 2019, the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) announced that there would be a new nationally recognized college football award – The Freshman Player of The Year. In honor of his tremendous freshman season for the Alabama Crimson Tide, they named this award after Shaun Alexander.”

Congrats to York, and we look forward to seeing him grow during his time in Aggieland.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on Twitter: @whosnextsports1.

Alabama safety Caleb Downs named Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Week

Alabama safety Caleb Downs was named as the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Week on Tuesday.

Alabama safety Caleb Downs was named as the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Week on Tuesday. Former Alabama running back Shaun Alexander recognizes the top freshman in college football from week to week.

Downs had a solid showing for the Crimson Tide in Week 5 against Mississippi State. He tallied 13 tackles as well as an interception in the Tide’s win over the Bulldogs.

Thus far, Downs has been a bright spot in Alabama’s secondary. His ability to contribute to stopping the run and prevent big pass plays has helped him become one of the top safeties in college football this season. Another interesting thing to note is that Downs currently leads the Crimson Tide with 40 tackles.

He will be an underclassman that Alabama fans will want to keep a close eye on moving forward.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the latest in regards to the Alabama football program.