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End of an Era in Seattle

Jeffrey Gearhart  |Apr 26,2008
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End of an Era in Seattle
The Shaun Alexander era has ended in Seattle. After eight successful seasons, the Seahawks parted ways with the former MVP in a highly anticipated move. Like so many great Seahawks players of the past, one more will finish his career with another team. Two things are certain about Shaun Alexander; he is talented and will play for another NFL team this season. Over the course of his career in Seattle, it's hard to argue that he was anything less than productive. It's safe to say that Alexander was the most decorated Seahawk in the history of the franchise, with the pinnacle being 2005. After claiming league MVP honors, two NFC rushing titles, and setting numerous franchise records over his career, things took its toll.
    
The descent into a barrage of boos from the Qwest Field crowds from the sometimes-feeble attempts to hit a hole or fight for yardage, seemed to set the tone over the last two seasons. Highlighted by nagging injuries and less than stellar productivity, it would be nice to isolate a cause. Was it the loss of guard Steve Hutchinson? Was it that Shaun signed the biggest contract ever in franchise history after a spectacular MVP season? On the other hand, was it the often theorized, yet unproven Madden curse? We may never know for sure, but one thing remains clear, Shaun Alexander was the best running back to ever adorn the field in a Seahawks uniform. With that said, the numbers for Alexander over the last two seasons were far from impressive.
    
Since becoming the starter in 2001, and up until two seasons ago, Alexander was a consistent performer in the backfield totaling more than 1,100 yards each season. However, that ended in 2006 and 2007 totaling just 1,612 yards combined. Even though his performance dropped, he remained dedicated to the team. His legacy will without a doubt live on holding numerous franchise records including rushing yards; 9,429, rushing attempts; 2,176, single-season rushing yards; 1,880, rushing yards in a game; 266, touchdowns; 112, and touchdowns in a season; 28 just to name a few. These numbers reflect the player Shaun was, but the last two were reason enough for the Seahawks to change the direction of the running game.
    
The speculation that the new direction may not involve Alexander surfaced in the offseason, when the Seahawks signed Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett to long-term contracts. This is certainly no way to treat a former league MVP, but as Seahawks team president Tim Ruskell stated, "we needed to revamp and revitalize our running game", "We felt it was time to turn the page and change that dynamic."
    
That page may not have his name on it, but it begins a new chapter in the career of Shaun Alexander, and no matter where he ends up, he will contribute just as he did in Seattle. The accomplishments of Shaun Alexander are long and impressive, that we will not soon forget. With the stats and records left behind by Alexander in Seattle, there are two that may or may not be significant. He owns or shares 37 franchise records, and had 37 100-yard rushing games. As the franchise's all-time leading rusher, it is hard to absorb that number 37 will not grace the confines of Qwest Field in a Seahawks uniform any longer.
    
As the great Vince Lombardi once said, "To achieve success, whatever the job we have, we must pay a price"
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In this case, it's true for both the Seahawks and Shaun Alexander. Both want success, and with that success there must come a price. That price was letting Alexander move on. There is one thing certain about Shaun Alexander, he will one day is back in Qwest Field, not as an opponent, but when he is inducted into the Ring of Honor.