The Seattle Seahawks were founded in Seattle, Washington, on June 4, 1974; however, they did not have a name. So they opened it up to the public. After receiving over 20,000 entries and 1,700 different names, the team picked the “Seahawks” on June 17, 1975.
Recent Success
Seattle fans have dealt with mediocrity for much of the team’s history. It wasn’t until 2005 that the city received its first NFC championship and went to its first Super Bowl. Under coach Mike Holmgren, the Seahawks went 13-3 – winning the NFC West division. As the NFC’s No. 1 seed, Seattle beat the Carolina Panthers in the NFC championship game but would eventually lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl.
The Seahawks’ finest season would come in 2013 when they again finished with a record of 13-3. The Seahawks beat their division rival, the San Francisco 49ers, in the NFC championship game and advanced to the Super Bowl to face the Denver Broncos. Capping off their amazing season, Seattle beat the Broncos 43-8 to win their first-ever Super Bowl title.
The following season, the Seahawks would again reach the Super Bowl – this time facing the New England Patriots. The game would end in tragedy, however, for Seattle. Down four points in the final minutes of the game, quarterback Russell Wilson drove the offense all the way down to the one-yard line. With 26 seconds left, Wilson threw a game-ending interception. The play call was surrounded by controversy, as many thought the Seahawks should have run the ball with Pro Bowl running back Marshawn Lynch.
Best of Seattle
When it comes to all-time great Seahawks players, you have to mention running back Shaun Alexander. Alexander is the franchise’s leading rusher, with 2,176 carries for 9,429 yards and 100 touchdowns. He made the Pro Bowl three times, and in 2005, he was a First Team All-Pro when he led the NFL with 27 rushing touchdowns. Another great running back in Seattle history is Marshawn Lynch. Lynch made the Pro Bowl from 2011 to 2014 and was a First Team All-Pro in 2012, rushing for over 1,200 yards in each of those seasons. Lynch also led the NFL in rushing touchdowns in 2013 and 2014. A current star for the Seahawks is Russell Wilson, who has been the starting quarterback since his rookie season in 2012. He led the Seahawks to their first-ever Super Bowl championship in 2013 and made the Pro Bowl in 2012, 2013, and 2015.
When it comes to coaching greats in Seattle, two men come to mind: Mike Holmgren and Pete Carroll. Holmgren is the franchise’s winningest coach with a record of 86-74. He coached Seattle for 10 years and led the Seahawks to their first-ever NFC championship in 2005. The Seahawks’ current coach is Pete Carroll, who was hired in 2010 after reaping much success at the University of Southern California. In his first season, Carroll’s Seahawks didn’t have a winning record at 7-9, but they would still make the playoffs and subsequently win a game against the New Orleans Saints. Three seasons later, the Seahawks would win their first-ever Super Bowl title with Carroll at the helm.
Logo Evolution
The Seahawks logo has not seen much change in the team’s 40-year history. The logo has always been a right-facing Seahawk and has only been altered twice. When the team selected the name “Seahawks” in 1975, then General Manager John Thompson described a Seahawk as a “tough, fish-eating bird.”
1976–2001: The original logo is derived from a picture of a transformation mask of the Kwakwaka’wakw tribe found in an art book called “Art of the Northwest Coast Indians.” After the Seahawks create their rendition of the mask, a local artist named Marvin Oliver sends the Seahawks his version of the logo, which he thinks better adheres to Northwest Coast design principles.
2002–2011: The original logo lasts over 20 years until it is modernized in 2002. The franchise wants to give the logo a fiercer look. It also changes the team’s colors from royal blue and green to navy blue, light blue, and green.
2012–2016: Ten years later, Seattle makes one slight change to the logo by swapping light blue for gray.
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Sources
- http://www.profootballhof.com/teams/seattle-seahawks/team-history/
- http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/sea/
- http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/A/AlexSh00.htm
- http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/L/LyncMa00.htm
- http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HolmMi0c.htm
- http://www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/CarrPe0.htm
- http://www.sportslogos.net/logos/list_by_team/180/Seattle_Seahawks/
- http://www.burkemuseum.org/blog/mask-inspired-seahawks-logo
