OP
OP
Hawkstorian
Well-known member
#1
My 16 year old son has become a great Seahawk fan like his dad and his dad's dad. Looking at this project, he asked me "Is Ryan Plackemeier the best #1 in Seahawk history?"
Sounds like a pretty silly question, but he's 16 years old. In his memory's eye when he sees a Seahawk player wearing number 1 he sees a mediocre punter from a few years ago. His fandom, like everyone's, is formed through his own experiences, and that's just how it should be. He knows Matt Hasselbeck and now Russell Wilson, but he only knows Jim Zorn, Dave Krieg and Warren Moon through the stories we tell.
I'm very fortunate. I was 9 years old when the Seahawks played their first ever game. My memories of those early years are that of a child. I remember certain images and emotions, but mostly I remember the exciting moments where my dad and my brothers would scream and I'd say "what?!!". I remember Jim Zorn running around. I remember "Got Milk". And I definitely remember Efren Herrera catching a pass on Monday Night Football.
By the time Easley and Green and Warner were around, I was old enough to comprehend all the components that went into the team. I wrote down my first roster in the summer of 1983, when I too was 16. It was on notebook paper, with color codes based on how the player was acquired.
We hear a lot about the "business" of football. One of the important themes of this whole project is the long list of players who's careers were cut way too short due to injuries. This work is ultimately dedicated to them. Steve Niehaus and Ken Easley and Nate Odomes and Fred Vinson and Dustin Johnson. All guys who gave everything they had but the nature of the game ultimately kept them off the field. Older players get cut so younger and cheaper guys can take their place. We get upset when a decent player like Golden Tate, who earned his free agency, leaves for another team. Part of what I hope to accomplish here is to remind you all that every name in Seahawk history made a contribution, big or small, to our collective memories, and it's the memories that form the building blocks of our collective loyalty and fandom to our Seattle Seahawks.
All that's left to end this project is to name my final MVP. Herrera was one of the best kickers of his era, but bad knees cut his career short. I met him at the game where he raised the 12th man flag and I asked him if he could still kick one, and he basically said his knees were shot. He is, of course, famous for both throwing and catching passes off of fake FGs, usually when the Seahawks were on the national stage.
My heart says Efren, but really Moon gets it based on his tremendous 1997 season, where he set the team's single-season passing record. His 3678 passing yards still sits as the 3rd highest passing total in team history, having only been surpassed by Matt Hasselbeck in 2003 and 2007. When Moon left the CFL in 1984, the Seahawks were only slightly out-bit by the Houston Oilers. We can only imagine what the next 15 years would have been like.
Thanks to everyone who followed this thread, corrected my errors, and chimed in your opinions. It's good to be a Seahawk fan, and not just because we're the World Champs.
GO HAWKS!
| First | Last | College | Pos | Years | Games | Starts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Efren | Herrera | None | K | 1978-1981 | 60 | 0 |
| Warren | Moon | Washington | QB | 1997-1998 | 25 | 24 |
| Ryan | Plackemeier | Wake Forest | P | 2006-2008 | 37 | 0 |
My 16 year old son has become a great Seahawk fan like his dad and his dad's dad. Looking at this project, he asked me "Is Ryan Plackemeier the best #1 in Seahawk history?"
Sounds like a pretty silly question, but he's 16 years old. In his memory's eye when he sees a Seahawk player wearing number 1 he sees a mediocre punter from a few years ago. His fandom, like everyone's, is formed through his own experiences, and that's just how it should be. He knows Matt Hasselbeck and now Russell Wilson, but he only knows Jim Zorn, Dave Krieg and Warren Moon through the stories we tell.
I'm very fortunate. I was 9 years old when the Seahawks played their first ever game. My memories of those early years are that of a child. I remember certain images and emotions, but mostly I remember the exciting moments where my dad and my brothers would scream and I'd say "what?!!". I remember Jim Zorn running around. I remember "Got Milk". And I definitely remember Efren Herrera catching a pass on Monday Night Football.
By the time Easley and Green and Warner were around, I was old enough to comprehend all the components that went into the team. I wrote down my first roster in the summer of 1983, when I too was 16. It was on notebook paper, with color codes based on how the player was acquired.
We hear a lot about the "business" of football. One of the important themes of this whole project is the long list of players who's careers were cut way too short due to injuries. This work is ultimately dedicated to them. Steve Niehaus and Ken Easley and Nate Odomes and Fred Vinson and Dustin Johnson. All guys who gave everything they had but the nature of the game ultimately kept them off the field. Older players get cut so younger and cheaper guys can take their place. We get upset when a decent player like Golden Tate, who earned his free agency, leaves for another team. Part of what I hope to accomplish here is to remind you all that every name in Seahawk history made a contribution, big or small, to our collective memories, and it's the memories that form the building blocks of our collective loyalty and fandom to our Seattle Seahawks.
All that's left to end this project is to name my final MVP. Herrera was one of the best kickers of his era, but bad knees cut his career short. I met him at the game where he raised the 12th man flag and I asked him if he could still kick one, and he basically said his knees were shot. He is, of course, famous for both throwing and catching passes off of fake FGs, usually when the Seahawks were on the national stage.
My heart says Efren, but really Moon gets it based on his tremendous 1997 season, where he set the team's single-season passing record. His 3678 passing yards still sits as the 3rd highest passing total in team history, having only been surpassed by Matt Hasselbeck in 2003 and 2007. When Moon left the CFL in 1984, the Seahawks were only slightly out-bit by the Houston Oilers. We can only imagine what the next 15 years would have been like.
Thanks to everyone who followed this thread, corrected my errors, and chimed in your opinions. It's good to be a Seahawk fan, and not just because we're the World Champs.
GO HAWKS!
