Top 100 Seahawks Countdown: No. 40-31
Over the course of 44 seasons, the Seahawks have boasted plenty of star power on offense, defense, and special teams. But which players stand out as the best of the best in franchise history?
To take part in the festivities, each member of the Seahawk Maven writing staff assembled their own individual rankings for the top 100 players in Seahawks history.
After compiling averages from all seven lists, who made the final cut? Continuing our countdown, here’s players No. 40 through 41 with highest ranking, lowest ranking, and analysis courtesy of our writing staff.
40. Ricky Watters, RB
Seahawks Tenure: 1998-2001
Highest Ranking: 38
Lowest Ranking: 50
Writer's Take: Already an accomplished running back by the time he made it to Seattle, Watters won a Super Bowl with San Francisco in 1994, played in five straight Pro Bowls to open his career, and earned All-Pro honors three times in his first five seasons. But once Watters signed with the Seahawks in 1998, he may have been arguably even better. In his first three seasons in Seattle, Watters rushed for over 1,200 yards and averaged 51 receptions as a receiver, a dual-threat back in a time where pass-catching backs were rather unconventional. Watters was on track for another impressive season when he broke his ankle five games into the 2001 season - and then Shaun Alexander stepped in and rushed for over 1,300 yards. Watters only played 53 games for the Seahawks, but by the time he retired, he ranked fourth in franchise history all-time for rushing yards and currently ranks sixth in that category. Perhaps Watters' greatest feat is that he boasts one of the most remarkable stretches for an elite running back, even after surpassing the dreaded 30-year mark. -Aryanna Prasad
39. Joey Galloway, WR
Seahawks Tenure: 1995-1999
Highest Ranking: 30
Lowest Ranking: 56
Writer's Take: Drafted eighth overall out of Ohio State in 1995, Galloway wasted little time making his mark in the AFC West, putting points on the board in bunches both on offense and special teams for Seattle. He surpassed 1,000 receiving yards as a rookie and scored eight combined touchdowns, including returning a kickoff for a score. Teaming up with Warren Moon in 1997 and 1998, he produced 2,096 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns while averaging 15.3 yards per reception, emerging as one of the NFL's most dangerous vertical threats with his elite speed. Though he got snubbed from the Pro Bowl, he scored 14 combined touchdowns in 1998, including leading the league with two kickoff returns for touchdowns. Seattle eventually traded Galloway to Dallas in 2000, receiving two first-round picks in exchange that were later used to draft Shaun Alexander and Koren Robinson. -Corbin Smith
38. Brandon Mebane, DT
Seahawks Tenure: 2007-2015
Highest Ranking: 28
Lowest Ranking: 57
Writer's Take: Well-renowned for his signature "belly roll" celebration, Mebane was one of the few Seahawks who survived an extensive list of trades and cuts after Pete Carroll and John Schneider arrived in 2010. Anchoring the middle of Seattle's defensive line, he excelled at eating up double teams and doing the dirty work in the trenches, but he also displayed plenty of play making ability with the Seahawks. Making 125 starts, he amassed 349 combined tackles, 49 tackles for loss, 15.5 sacks, and eight pass deflections in nine seasons with the franchise. His best season came in 2012 as he registered a career-high 56 tackles, 3.0 sacks, and three passes defensed. A reliable leader and underrated cog of one of the NFL's best all-time defenses, it's a travesty Mebane somehow never garnered Pro Bowl honors. His longevity coupled with consistent production shutting down the run make him one of the best defensive tackles to wear a Seahawks uniform. -Corbin Smith
37. Robbie Tobeck, C
Seahawks Tenure: 2000-2006
Highest Ranking: 34
Lowest Ranking: 62
Writer's Take: The often forgotten anchor of the early 2000s Seahawks offensive line, Tobeck was a key to Seattle's glory years before the arrival of Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson. After signing as a free agent in 2000, he would make 88 starts at center for the Seahawks, including five consecutive seasons without missing a game from 2001 to 2005. After years of being snubbed as a Pro Bowl talent, he finally made the NFL's all-star event at the age of 35 in 2005. While Walter Jones, Steve Hutchinson, and Chris Gray overshadowed Tobeck, he was without a doubt a leader on an offensive line that produced a 1,000-yard rusher for five straight seasons while he manned the center position and earned a selection to the Seahawks 35th anniversary team. -Colby Patnode
36. Keith Butler, LB
Seahawks Tenure: 1978-1987
Highest Ranking: 31
Lowest Ranking: 49
Writer's Take: While most fans know him as the defensive coordinator for the Steelers, Butler is also considered as one of the best defensive players to ever play for the Seahawks, unofficially producing the fourth-most tackles (813) in franchise history. After Seattle drafted him in the second round of the 1978 NFL Draft, the 6-foot-4, 230-pound linebacker made an instant impact during his rookie season, starting in 14 of the team’s 16 regular season games. Before retiring after the 1987 campaign, Butler went on to start in 118 consecutive games from 1979-1986, a truly impressive ironman streak. Known as a coach on and off the field throughout his playing career, the Memphis standout helped mentor players like Fredd Young, Greg Gaines, Michael Jackson, and Bruce Scholtz over his 10 seasons in the Pacific Northwest. –Thomas Hall.
35. Shawn Springs, CB
Seahawks Tenure: 1997-2003
Highest Ranking: 32
Lowest Ranking: 57
Writer's Take: Selected with the third overall pick of the 1997 NFL Draft, Springs came to Seattle with much fanfare as a decorated former Big Ten Player of the Year and didn't disappoint. In his seven seasons in Seattle, the former Ohio State star intercepted 20 passes, recovered five fumbles, forced three fumbles, and racked up 434 total tackles. Springs would make his only Pro Bowl in '98, intercepting seven passes while returning two of those picks for touchdowns and serving as a shutdown corner for the often forgotten late-90s Seahawks. He followed up with another strong season in 1999, intercepting five passes and producing 14 passes defensed to lead the secondary. While he wasn't near as dominant in his last four seasons with the team, he belongs in the discussion as one of the best cornerbacks to play in the Pacific Northwest. -Colby Patnode
34. Terry Wooden, LB
Seahawks Tenure: 1990-1996
Highest Ranking: 36
Lowest Ranking: 47
Writer's Take: One of the franchise's most criminally underrated defensive stars, Wooden put up gaudy numbers throughout most of his seven seasons with the Seahawks. Entering the league as a second-round pick with Syracuse, the 6-foot-3, 239-pound linebacker started eight games as a rookie and enjoyed a breakout 1991 campaign, surpassing the 100-tackle mark for the first time. From 1993 to 1995, he averaged over 120 tackles per season, including an NFL-best 114 solo tackles in 1994, while also adding four interceptions, five forced fumbles, and a defensive touchdown. In total, he racked up 625 tackles and six interceptions in just 89 games over seven seasons. Playing on underwhelming teams throughout his time in Seattle, Wooden never received the respect he deserved as a top-tier NFL linebacker and would rank near the top of the list for best Seahawks never to play in a Pro Bowl. -Corbin Smith
33. Max Unger, C
Seahawks Tenure: 2009-2014
Highest Ranking: 26
Lowest Ranking: 53
Writer's Take: Taken in the second round of the 2008 draft, Unger because an instant starter on the offensive line, starting all 16 games his rookie season. He was a vital part of an offensive line that paved holes for Marshawn Lynch to become "Beast Mode," blocking for him for each of the four seasons the star back eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards. He was the center for Matt Hasselbeck and Russell Wilson, helping bridge the franchise from the old era to their Super Bowl winning ways. Unger played in eight playoff games for the Seahawks including the back-to-back Super Bowl appearances. He earned First-Team All-Pro honors in 2012, one of just three Seattle offensive linemen to receive that distinction. Seattle sorely missed him once he was dealt to the Saints for Jimmy Graham in 2015. -Nick Lee
32. Chris Gray, G
Seahawks Tenure: 1998-2007
Highest Ranking: 24
Lowest Ranking: 52
Writer's Take: After spending four seasons in Miami followed by a miserable season with Pittsburgh, Seattle decided to take a flier on Gray after the 1997 campaign. Despite starting in just eight games during his opening season with the Seahawks, the former fifth-round selection eventually earned the starting job at center in 1999, starting in the final 11 games of the season (including playoffs). While Gray moved to right guard in 2001, the Auburn product was still able to retain a starting role. From 1999-2006, the 6-foot-4, 308-pound guard started in 121 consecutive games and made seven playoff starts during that eight-year stretch, including starting in Super Bowl XL. Before retiring due to a spine injury in 2008, Gray went on to start in every single regular season game along with two postseason games during his final season in the league. –Thomas Hall.
31. John L. Williams, FB
Seahawks Tenure: 1986-1993
Highest Ranking: 23
Lowest Ranking: 41
Writer's Take: Most teams don’t even carry a fullback in today’s NFL, but back in the 1980s, the position was far more important. While fullbacks rarely get drafted nowadays, Seattle used a first-round pick on the 231-pound Williams in the 1986 NFL Draft. He immediately made an impact for coach Chuck Knox’s offense, starting all 16 games as a rookie while rushing for 528 yards and catching 33 passes. Over the next seven seasons, Williams emerged as a dynamic playmaker out of the backfield, producing nearly 8,000 total scrimmage yards and scoring 33 touchdowns for the Seahawks. By the time he left Seattle in 1994, he’d played in two Pro Bowls while running for over 4,500 yards and catching a ridiculous 471 passes, becoming the first and only player in franchise history to be in the top-10 for both rushing and receiving yardage. Even with fullbacks nearing extinction, if Williams suited up today, he’d be in high demand given his receiving skills and athleticism. -Corbin Smith
Who else made the cut in our Top 100 Seahawks Countdown? Check out earlier players on our annual rankings below.
