Holmgren, Knox, Alexander among Seahawks nominated for Pro Football Hall of Fame
Sep 17, 2014, 3:35 PM | Updated: 4:11 pm
Former coaches Mike Holmgren and Chuck Knox, along with running back Shaun Alexander top a list of seven former Seahawks players and coaches nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2015.
The group also includes running back Ricky Watters, former coach Tom Flores, center Kevin Mawae and defensive back Shaun Springs.
Holmgren coached the Seahawks from 1999 through 2008, leading them to their first Super Bowl berth in 2005. His teams won four consecutive NFC West titles, going 86-74 in the regular-season and 4-6 in the postseason. Prior to coming to Seattle, he led the Green Bay Packers to two Super Bowl appearances, including a 35-21 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI. He finished his career as President of the Cleveland Browns after leaving Seattle.
Alexander was a key to the Seahawks 2005 Super Bowl run. The explosive running back won the NFL MVP award, leading the league with 27 rushing touchdowns and 1,880 yards on the ground. He was a three-time Pro Bowler during his eight-year Seattle career.
Knox led the Seahawks to the playoffs four times during his nine-year tenure in Seattle, winning the NFC West in 1988 during a 22-year career that included stints with the Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills.
Flores came to the Seahawks after leading the Oakland Raiders to two Super Bowl titles. His tenure in Seattle was less successful, posting a 14-34 record during a three-year run from 1992 to 1994.
Watters ended a standout career with the Seahawks, rushing for 4,009 yards and notching another 1,480 receiving yards during four seasons. He’s one of only two NFL running backs to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season for three different teams.
Mawae was an eight-time Pro-Bowler who also played with the Jets and Titans after being picked by the Seahawks in the second round of the 1994 draft.
Springs was the third-overall pick in the 1997 draft, earning a spot in the Pro Bowl in his second season after recording 76 tackles, seven interceptions and two defensive touchdowns. He left Seattle after four seasons for stints with the Redskins and Patriots that saw him post 22 career interceptions.
Ninety-nine players and 14 coaches in all were nominated Tuesday for preliminary Hall of Fame voting. The group will be cut to 25 semifinalists in November, before a subsequent cut-down pares the list to 15. Up to five total nominees will be selected in a vote the day before Super Bowl XLIX.
Fans can vote for their favorite 25 players from the list at NFL.com.
