NFL Team by Team Guide: Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks were founded in 1974 and joined the NFL in 1976 as one of two (Tampa Bay was the other) expansion teams. Seattle was originally placed in the NFC before moving to the AFC West Division in 1977. In 2002, the Seahawks were moved back to the NFC West where they reside today.
Games in Seattle are known for the crowd noise, which registers at record-setting decibel levels. Seahawks fans are known collectively as the “12th Man” or simply “12s.” Seattle is the only NFL franchise located in the Pacific Northwest and draws fans from a large geographical area.
Seattle has been one of the more successful teams over the last decade and draws a number of national broadcasts that can be seen on FOX Sports and CBS. Other national games like Monday Night Football and Sunday Night Football are available on networks like ESPN and NBC. Fans can watch virtually the complete Seahawks TV schedule using a live streaming service like HULU or fuboTV.
Home of the Seahawks
The Seahawks originally played at the old Kingdome in Seattle where they played from 1976 to 1999. While their new stadium was being built, the Seahawks played at Husky Stadium on the campus of the University of Washington. In 2002, Seattle moved into its current home, CenturyLink Field. It is known as the loudest stadium in the NFL even though a capacity crowd is just 68,740 fans.
Championship History
The Seahawks have made the NFL playoffs 18 times. The first trip to the postseason came in 1983. The first of 10 division titles came in 1988. Seattle has won three conference championships (2005, 2013, and 2014) and has won one Lombardi Trophy by virtue of winning Super Bowl XLVIII in 2013.
Best of the Seahawks
Steve Largent was a fourth-round draft pick in Seattle’s inaugural season of 1976. He would become one of the all-time great wide receivers in the NFL. Known for his hands and route-running ability, Largent would earn seven Pro Bowl berths, lead the NFL in receiving twice (1979, 1985), and earn five All-Pro honors. Largent was selected to the NFL’s 100th Anniversary All-Time Team and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995, his first year of eligibility.
Cortez Kennedy was the third overall pick of the 1990 draft. Kennedy defined interior defensive line play in the early 1990s. In 1992, he recorded 14 sacks and earned the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year award. He played in eight Pro Bowls and earned five All-Pro honors. Kennedy is widely considered one of the greatest defensive tackles to ever play the game. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2012.
He played just seven seasons in the NFL - all in Seattle - but Kenny Easley was one of the most punishing safeties in the game. In those seven seasons, Easley went to five Pro Bowls and earned four first-team All-Pro honors. In 1984, Easley led the NFL with 10 interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns. He won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year that season. Easley was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017.