By Khalid Bennett
Seattle Medium Sports Columnist
During a star-studded night in Seattle, the city didn’t hesitate to let the rest of the country know “We are the Champions”. From local headliners like Soundgarden to Grammy award winner Pharrell, the world champion Seattle Seahawks had a party on Thursday to not only celebrate the franchises’ first world championship, but to commemorate the start of the 2014 NFL season.
The fans at Century Link Field were treated to a grand opening by the NFL and the Seahawks organization as they not only had three Hall of Famers raise the 12th man flag, but they also unveiled the 2013 world championship banner in the rafters.
In 1976, the Seattle Seahawks entered the NFL along with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as expansion teams. It took 38 years for the Seahawks to win their first world championship. During that span, three Seahawks have been given the highest honor of induction into the pro football Hall of Fame. Most recently, Seahawk great Walter Jones was inducted this past year ironically on the eve of the franchise’s first world title. All three Seahawk Hall of famers – Steve Largent, Cortez Kennedy and Walter Jones — were on hand to raise the iconic 12th man flag.
Largent, the first Seahawk player to receive the honor in 1995, and Kennedy from the Hall of Fame class of 2012, joined Jones at halftime of the home opener against Green Bay to present the Hall of Fame ring to arguably the best left tackle of all time. Jones a 9 time pro-bowler, 6 time first team all-pro and one of the most impenetrable offensive lineman that the league has ever seen, helped lead the Seahawks to their first Super Bowl appearance in 2005.
Walter Jones’ unassuming personality and consistency of greatness helped garner respect around the league for a franchise that struggled mightily for national exposure. Honoring Walter Jones, Steve Largent, and Cortez Kennedy on the very night the championship banner was raised felt fitting, as the team was able to finish a historical evening in the city of Seattle with a 36-16 victory over the Green Bay Packers.
Some players on the current Seahawks may be on their way to a Hall of Fame career, but right now, the team is focused on getting another Super Bowl ring and the journey continues as they travel down to sunny San Diego to face the Chargers in week two.
