HawkShack.com

A good offseason topic.

Who is your nominee for the Seahawks' most overlooked, underappreciated Seahawk in franchise history?

Here's my guy: Chris Gray, offensive guard, Auburn. He played 10 years for us, from 1998-2007. He was never a Pro Bowler and he was a big ugly, an offensive lineman, and a guard at that, so he didn't appear in the box scores, let alone the headlines. But Gray started 121 consecutive games, or over 7.5 years, and was a critical component in what was arguably our best offensive line in team history, responsible for paving the way for Shaun Alexander to win our team's only MVP award and our first SB appearance.

Can anyone top that?

1995-2007 (rookie 1994) Mack Strong Fullback. In most two back systems (an old norm) the fullback often went under the radar while helping to make his Halfback partner grab some limelight. Following Strong's "fading into the twilight" we toyed with Michael Robinson and Will Tukuafu in formations using a fullback role...but Mack Strong was the key fullback when the position itself was fully utilized...fullback on Offense...Nose Tackle on Defense key roles for their times...but seldom any glory. Sadly Mack Strong was before I became a "buy in fan" in 2010.

tarlhawk wrote:1995-2007 (rookie 1994) Mack Strong Fullback. In most two back systems (an old norm) the fullback often went under the radar while helping to make his Halfback partner grab some limelight. Following Strong's "fading into the twilight" we toyed with Michael Robinson and Will Tukuafu in formations using a fullback role...but Mack Strong was the key fullback when the position itself was fully utilized...fullback on Offense...Nose Tackle on Defense key roles for their times...but seldom any glory. Sadly Mack Strong was before I became a "buy in fan" in 2010.

Good nomination, but Strong gets plenty of notice in this forum, including one very respected HawkShack poster who has adapted his name as his handle. He was also on two Pro Bowls including a first team All Pro, so we can't really say that he was overlooked by the media.

In my view, the only Seahawk fullback that is in the same league with Strong is John L. Williams.

Yeah, Mack Strong is one of the most beloved Seahawks ever. Gray was the first guy popped into my mind as well but I have no problem at all going with the second guy to come to mind in Isaiah Kacyvenski.

Kaz is one of my top 5 all time favorite Seahawks! Son of a drunk abusive father, spent time homeless as a kid, a Harvard grad and the hardest working football player since Rudy. His story is a great one, read it here: https://nfl-pe.azurewebsites.net/next/a ... acyvenski/

c_hawkbob wrote:Yeah, Mack Strong is one of the most beloved Seahawks ever. Gray was the first guy popped into my mind as well but I have no problem at all going with the second guy to come to mind in Isaiah Kacyvenski.

Kaz is one of my top 5 all time favorite Seahawks! Son of a drunk abusive father, spent time homeless as a kid, a Harvard grad and the hardest working football player since Rudy. His story is a great one, read it here: https://nfl-pe.azurewebsites.net/next/a ... acyvenski/

Wow, I'd never heard that about Kaz. I knew that he was from Harvard, but that was the limit of my knowledge of his background. Great story! I'm not sure if I'd rank him amongst the most overlooked or unappreciated Hawks, but he'd definitely take first place if the subject was the most compelling human-interest story.

I think Breno Giacomini is up there as well. He brought the attitude on the OL that set the tone when it needed an identity and got the players pumped when he took things to the edge of the rules.

Hard not to like Mack Strong. Was waiting his turn at UGA only to be pushed down the depth chart again by Hearst and Davis and told to switch to FB or ride the bench. So he switches and does a bang up job blocking for those guys. Then goes I drafted and carves out a 13? Year career with Seahawks and gives us memorable 20 yard run on a 3rd down draw against the then Redskins in the playoffs. Much more well known amongst the faithful than the heathens.

Chris Gray is a great one to mention. Unsung and unspectacular but steady and reliable.

Agree with c_bob though. Kaz takes it for me. Didn’t check the article linked, but I read about his tumultuous upbringing with a missionary family. Living in a tent and relying food stamps while dealing with an alcoholic abusive father. Right before a game his senior year, his mom gets fatally struck by a car while walking home at night. Kaz sat alone on the bus to the game grieving and then goes out and plays a monster game. Harvard was one of the only colleges to recruit him and get him a scholarship. He puts on 30 lbs his freshman with the meal plan. Plays well for Harvard and gets picked up the Seahawks and becomes a special teams leader and backup linebacker and a great teammate. He even let his father walk for him in his place for graduation. Guy is all class and rose above his circumstances.

NorthHawk wrote:I think Breno Giacomini is up there as well. He brought the attitude on the OL that set the tone when it needed an identity and got the players pumped when he took things to the edge of the rules.

Breno set the tone for our offense, was nicknamed "the mad Russian." Picked up more than his share of personal fouls, but his aggressiveness set the tone. I wish we would have kept him.

Damn, Kaz is extremely inspirational. I did not know that much about him.

My vote goes to Joe Nash, who went undrafted, made the team, then spent his entire 14 year career in Seattle but was easily overlooked by his contemporaries Cortez Kennedy and Jacob Green - rightfully so - but Nash was a stalwart, and himself made Pro Bowl and All Pro in 84.

I-5 wrote:My vote goes to Joe Nash, who went undrafted, made the team, then spent his entire 14 year career in Seattle but was easily overlooked by his contemporaries Cortez Kennedy and Jacob Green - rightfully so - but Nash was a stalwart, and himself made Pro Bowl and All Pro in 84.

Great call on Joe Nash! The Hawks were constantly looking to upgrade at his position, but he always ended up starting and playing well. I remember him blocking a FG attempt, I think at home vs the Bengals on MNF, that won the game for us. An unsung hero if there ever was one.

What I remember about Nash is his faking injury several times towards the end of a game when the Hawks were out of timeouts. I'm not sure who the opponent was that night but I think it was the Raiders.

trents wrote:What I remember about Nash is his faking injury several times towards the end of a game when the Hawks were out of timeouts. I'm not sure who the opponent was that night but I think it was the Raiders.

It was in the playoffs vs. the Bengals, a game that we lost. They changed the rule to charge a team with a timeout when a player has an injury. It was the same game when Bengals HC Sam Wyche got on the stadium PA and encouraged fans to point out to security anyone throwing a snowball, saying "this isn't Cleveland, it's Cincinatti!"