K.J. Wright's 10th year with the Seahawks has been one of his best, and the veteran linebacker's 2020 season got even better on Sunday when he was presented with the Steve Largent Award, one of the team's most prestigious honors, prior to kickoff of Seattle's Week 16 game against the Los Angeles Rams.
The Steve Largent Award, which was first given out in 1989 to Largent in the Hall of Fame receiver's final season, is voted upon by players and presented to the player or coach who best exemplifies the spirit, dedication and integrity of the Seahawks.
Wright is one of three current Seahawks to win the Steve Largent Award along with linebacker Bobby Wagner, who won it in 2017, and quarterback Russell Wilson, who has won it three times (2012, 2018, 2019).
"It's means a lot because it was voted on by my teammates, and to join teammates like Bobby and Russ in winning it, that's special, man."
In addition to being a starting linebacker for all 10 seasons of his career since arriving in Seattle as a 2011 fourth-round pick, Wright has also spent his career using his platform to make the community and the world a better place.
Seattle's 2018 nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, Wright has made an impact locally by, among other things, mentoring local youth through organizations like Rainier Athletes and Future Leaders, as well as globally by raising money to build fresh-water wells in Kenya, and by helping Cliff Avril build a school in Haiti.
On the field, Wright is a one-time Pro-Bowler who has played well enough to make several, but who has sometimes been overshadowed by other defensive stars like Wagner, Kam Chancellor, Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas. And in Year 10, after switching positions from weakside to strongside linebacker, Wright is playing as well as he ever has, recording 76 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, two sacks, eight passes defended, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll called Wright "a perfect teammate" earlier this season when discussing Wright's position switch this year, which came after Bruce Irvin went down with a season-ending knee injury.
"He's really not just survived (the position switch), he's excelling in it and doing great," Carroll said. "It says everything about him, but he's been speaking and screaming loudly about who he is for years around here."
Wright, who has the third most tackles in team history, still has this season to finish and then a decision to make about his future in the offseason, but even if there's still plenty of good football left in him, he does allow himself to appreciate all he has accomplished in a career that will see him go down as an all-time great Seahawk who was a key member of one of the best defenses in NFL history.
"I do think about that," he said. "When I came into the league, I said my goal was to play 10 years, and now I'm in Year 10, Super Bowl champ, Pro Bowl, Man of the Year, a lot of things. I'm proud of what I've done but there's still more work to do."
Here is the history of Steve Largent Award Winners:
- 1989 WR Steve Largent
- 1990 DE Jacob Green
- 1991 LB Rufus Porter
- 1992 DE Jeff Bryant & DT Joe Nash
- 1993 FS Eugene Robinson
- 1994 WR Brian Blades
- 1995 LB Terry Wooden
- 1996 DT Cortez Kennedy
- 1997 LB Winston Moss
- 1998 DE Michael Sinclair
- 1999 LB Chad Brown
- 2000 RB Ricky Watters
- 2001 FB Mack Strong
- 2002 FB Mack Strong
- 2003 QB Trent Dilfer
- 2004 FB Mack Strong
- 2005 FB Mack Strong
- 2006 FB Mack Strong
- 2007 WR Bobby Engram
- 2008 Head Coach Mike Holmgren
- 2009 QB Matt Hasselbeck
- 2010 CB Roy Lewis
- 2011 DT Red Bryant
- 2012 QB Russell Wilson
- 2013 S Earl Thomas
- 2014 S Kam Chancellor
- 2015 CB Richard Sherman
- 2016 S Kam Chancellor
- 2017 LB Bobby Wagner
- 2018 QB Russell Wilson
- 2019 QB Russell Wilson
- 2020 LB K.J. Wright
