Good morning, 12s. Here's a look at what's out there today — Monday, February 14 — about your Seattle Seahawks.
Shaun Alexander Details Super Bowl XL Experience
The 2021 NFL season came to an exciting finish Sunday night, as the Los Angeles Rams completed a fourth quarter comeback over the Cincinnati Bengals to earn a 23-20 win in Super Bowl LVI. The Bengals had built a 20-16 lead before Matthew Stafford led the Rams on a 15-play, 79-yard drive culminated by a touchdown reception by Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp. A turnover on downs on the Bengals' ensuing drive secured the victory for the Rams, who became the second consecutive team — and just the second team in NFL history — to win a Super Bowl on its home field.
Ahead of Sunday's game, Seahawks Legend Shaun Alexander sat down with Brian Jones of PopCulture.com and discussed what it was like to play in the Super Bowl, shared why he believes he belongs in the Hall of Fame, and told a story about competing against Tom Brady in college. Click here to listen to the conversation and read Jones’ piece, and read some highlights below.
What was the overall Super Bowl experience like?
"It's like a whole otherworld. You win the NFC Championship and you're sitting on top of a mountain for like two weeks. And it's just amazing, the fans, the city comes together. Everybody's so excited and proud of their team. It's wonderful. Then you head to the Super Bowl city, after the first weekend, and you're there. And I remember the media day was on that Tuesday, and it's loud. And you've got other celebrities that you've watched on TV or look up to, they're actually knowing you by name. They're calling your phones and things like that. So there's an excitement about it. And then there's this great focus that's needed to be had, for you to be and play well during the game. And so, it's just a fun time, but it's like two weeks that you'll never forget."
On competing against Tom Brady:
"Tom and I probably played in the best Orange Bowl game in college football history, Michigan versus Alabama … When Tom came back against us, we were up 28-14 in the third quarter and he just has a wonderful third and fourth quarter, and they come back and beat us in double overtime. I remember seeing him at the rookie symposium, and I said, 'Bro, you're going to be pretty good.' And he said, 'Oh, really, you think so? Why would you say that?' I said, well, honestly, as humble as I can say: I've only been in a zone one other time and got beat — and that was one of them. And so I just said, 'There's something about you, you know how to win … When I'm in a zone, we usually win. And we didn't, so there's a lot to say about you.'"
On if he believes he belongs in the Hall of Fame:
"Oh, definitely. I know how it all works, I know I have to be patient. But I think that if you really took my career, I probably played about seven years … So I really did all that — 9,000 [yards] and a hundred touchdowns — all in, like, seven years. So now you're comparing my stats to Gale Sayers and Earl Campbell, those guys played seven, six years. Terrell Davis … But my stats stick for themselves, and I was on a program that was dead, ruined — you could fly to Seattle, get some good seafood and win a football game, too. By the time I left, no one was beating us in Seattle."
Social Post Of The Day
Seahawks players reacted to the Super Bowl in real-time on Twitter:
More From Around The Web
Michael Renner of Pro Football Focus has the Seahawks trading for multiple first rounders in his mock draft.
Jim Nagy (via Brandon Gustafson of 710 ESPN) on why the Seahawks need to get back to letting young players play.
Corbin Smith of Sports Illustrated provides a free agent primer on Seahawk CB D.J. Reed.
