Quartet of Former Seahawks Running Backs Finding Daylight in Post-NFL Careers
SEATTLE, WA - Inevitably, NFL careers start and finish in the blink of an eye. On average, players last 3.3 seasons in the "Not For Long" league, with many washing out in a year or less.
For those lucky enough to make it to the NFL, preparing for life after football remains critical, as the next snap could be your last. This is especially true for running backs, who have incredibly short shelf lives and wear down quickly being battered by defenders each and every Sunday.
When it comes to modeling how to successfully transition from the gridiron to the next phase of their lives, current players could learn a lot from a quartet of former Seahawks star running backs who have thrived since hanging up their cleats.
Shining in the Pacific Northwest, Curt Warner, Chris Warren, Shaun Alexander, and Marshawn Lynch share the distinction of being the only players in franchise history with four or more 1,000-yard rushing seasons. As a group, they combined to play in 13 Pro Bowls and earned two First-Team and seven Second-Team All-Pro selections respectively.
Quickly establishing himself as the first star running back in franchise history, Warner broke into the league as the No. 3 overall pick in the famous 1983 NFL Draft. He surpassed 1,400 rushing yards as a rookie, helping carry Seattle to the playoffs for the first time and advance to the AFC Championship Game.
Wrapping up his career with 6,844 yards, 56 touchdowns, and three All-Pro selections in eight NFL seasons, Warner ran a car dealership in Vancouver, Washington until 2010. Then, he transitioned into insurance and has owned his own agency since 2015.
Following years of secrecy, Warner and his wife Ava joined forces with long-time Seattle sports columnist Dave Boling to share their family's trials and tribulations parenting two children with severe autism. He co-authored The Warner Boys: Our Family's Story of Autism and Hope, which was published in 2018.
“We wrote our book to provide hope and encouragement to families who have children with autism and as an example of how marriages can thrive even with an autism diagnosis," Warner shared with ArtOfAutism.com.
Only a few years after Warner departed Seattle, Chris Warren broke into the league as a fourth-round pick out of tiny Ferrum College in 1990. Unlike his predecessor, he wasn't a highly-touted prospect from a college football powerhouse or an instant starter, toting the football just 17 times in his first two seasons.
But just as Warner did, Warren emerged as one of the NFL's best running backs once he became a starter in 1992, surpassing 1,000 yards each of the next four seasons and scoring 34 touchdowns during that span. Though the team around him struggled and wins were scarce, he earned back-to-back All-Pro selections in 1994 and 1995.
Following brief stints with Dallas and Philadelphia to close out his career, Warren retired after the 2000 season. Along with coaching football at Edison High School in Alexandria, Virginia, he achieved his goal of becoming a published author in 2019, penning Life Lessons: Before & After the Game.
"The book came about just from life experiences," Warren elaborated. "I wanted to find a way to give back and be a positive role model for some of the guys now, I wanted to be a positive role model for my kids and my grandkids whenever they may be here... I just wanted to be a positive influence and help the next generation."
Always writing during team meetings as a player, Warren kept those notes and used them to help write the book. Several humorous stories are included in the inspirational journal, including when he and teammate Cortez Kennedy partied with Raiders Hall of Fame defensive end Howie Long in Los Angeles prior to the start of the 1992 season.
"Somehow, me and Howie ended up talking and he's asking me where I'm from, who I play for, this and that," Warren laughed. "And I'm like 'Oh, I'm Chris Warren, I'm the running back with Seattle' and he's like 'you're that new dude that's about to blow up!'"
Sure enough, Long proved to be right, as Warren eclipsed 1,000 yards in his first season as a starter with the Seahawks.
"For Howie Long to know who I was and say what he said, that gave me great confidence going into the rest of my career."
Only a few years after Warren exited in 1998, Seattle used a first-round pick on Alabama star running back Shaun Alexander. After spending a year behind incumbent starter Ricky Watters, he broke out as the franchise's next superstar back rushing for over 1,300 yards in just 12 starts during the 2001 season.
Over the next five years, Alexander assaulted franchise and league record books. He surpassed Warren as Seattle's all-time leading rusher, scored an NFL record 27 rushing touchdowns and won MVP in 2005, and produced 1,100 or more rushing yards in five straight seasons.
After retiring in 2009, Alexander shifted his focus to faith and his family. Living in the Washington DC area, he conducts Bible studies with individuals and families, runs a ministry consultation business, and has also partaken in public speaking while home schooling his children.
"I don't think I ever want to stop getting closer to Jesus," Alexander told Seahawks.com about his future goals. "And I don't want to ever stop becoming a better husband and father. Those three things are huge for me. I feel like if I do those things, business and ministry will pretty much take care of itself."
Last but not least, only a few seasons after Alexander was released by the Seahawks, Marshawn Lynch arrived via trade during the middle of the 2010 season. Though he started off slow, his famous "Beast Quake" run capped off a stunning upset over the Saints in the Wild Card round and a star was born.
During the next four years, few backs were as dominant or productive as "Beast Mode," as the former California star ran for over 1,200 yards and scored 10 or more touchdowns each season. He earned First-Team All-Pro honors in 2012 and made the Pro Bowl all four seasons while helping the Seahawks reach back-to-back Super Bowl appearances.
Away from the field, Lynch has enjoyed tremendous success, capitalizing on his nickname to launch a successful apparel line as well as a mobile cell phone service that allows subscribers to pay for their phone bill through ads. He also purchased ownership stakes for the Oakland Panthers, an Indoor Football League franchise.
In a signature moment following what may have been his final NFL game in January, Lynch offered financial advice for other players in the unconventional manner that only "Beast Mode" could deliver in a press conference.
"You know, I had a couple players who I played with that they’re no longer here no more, they’re no longer. You feel me? So start taking care of y’all mentals, y’all bodies and y’all chicken for when y’all ready to walk away. You’ll walk away and you’ll be able to do what you want to do."
On the field, Warner, Warren, Alexander, and Lynch stand out amongst the biggest stars ever to don a Seahawks uniform. Though none of them are in the Hall of Fame - at least not yet - they were transcendent talents who each brought something a little different to the table.
While there are plenty of examples of NFL players struggling to adjust to life once they step away from the game, just as they did on Sundays, these four Seattle icons continue to make the most of their post-football careers, providing a blueprint to success for others to follow.
