Seahawks Legends Advance In Hall of Fame Voting

A few Seattle Seahawks icons are one step closer to Canton.

Dec 21, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Seattle Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor (31) and safety Earl Thomas (29) against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Seahawks defeated the Cardinals 35-6. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Seattle Seahawks have 13 players enshrined in Canton, but that number could soon grow larger.

On Wednesday, the Pro Football Hall of Fame trimmed its list of modern-era player nominees from 167 to 50. Several former Seahawks made the cut, including running backs Marshawn Lynch, Shaun Alexander and Ricky Watters, safeties Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor and defensive tackle Kevin Williams.

Lynch and Thomas are two of eight first-year eligible players to advance, joining Eli Manning, Joe Staley, Marshal Yanda, Luke Kuechly, Terrell Suggs and Adam Vinatieri. Others, most notably Alexander, have been waiting for their gold jacket for several years now.

As Hall of Fame nominees, all of these players made great contributions to the Seahawks and the league as a whole.

Going down the list, Lynch was an absolute superstar during his time in Seattle, earning the nickname “Beast Mode.” He finished his career with 10,413 rushing yards and 85 touchdowns with three different teams, and his punishing rushing style was a sight to behold.

Even with Lynch in the picture, Alexander is still the gold standard for Seahawks running backs. He spent eight years in Seattle and is the franchise's all-time leader in rushing yards (9,429) and rushing touchdowns (100). Yet, despite his outstanding resume, he's been repeatedly passed over for football's highest honor.

Watters was a great running back in his own right who spent his final four seasons in Seattle. In that time, he rushed for 4,009 yards and 22 touchdowns.

Thomas and Chancellor are nearly inseparable, as they formed the backbone of the legendary Legion of Boom defense. They enjoyed great success in their eight seasons together, and the Seahawks finished in the top five for both scoring and total defense each season from 2012-16. Of course, they were also instrumental in bringing Seattle its first Super Bowl victory.

Williams spent just one season with the Seahawks in 2014, and even then, played just eight games and recorded three sacks. However, his 11-year run with the Minnesota Vikings, which saw him earn five first-team All-Pro selections in a six-year span, is more than enough to place him in Hall of Fame consideration.

The Hall of Fame will announce 25 semifinalists in roughly four weeks, and it seems very likely that the Seahawks will have at least a couple of representatives on that list.

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