Seahawks great Shaun Alexander deserves more Hall of Fame consideration

Last week during NFL Honors, the newest members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame took center stage. This August, cornerback Eric Allen, defensive end Jared Allen, tight end Antonio Gates, and wide receiver Sterling Sharpe will receive their busts on Saturday, August 2, in Canton, Ohio.

To say the size of this class was a surprise would be an understatement. You would have to go back 20 years to 2005 to find just four men (Benny Friedman, Dan Marino, Fritz Pollard, and Steve Young) who would receive this honor the same year.

“I’m not sure it’s what the Hall envisioned when it overhauled its voting procedures last summer,” stated Clark Judge of Talk of Fame Network, and a Pro Football Hall of Fame voter. “But I know it’s not what voters had in mind. When they cut the ballot from seven finalists to five, as required by the new bylaws, most anticipated a modern-era class of five—as it’s been for every class since 2007 when former commissioner Paul Tagliabue was left out.

“However, they overlooked one key element: Only those who gain 80 percent approval are elected, with a minimum of three and a maximum of five required. Result: We got three.”

In other words, getting to the Pro Football Hall of Fame just got a little more difficult. That’s not exactly good news for a player that is one of only 28 performers in NFL annals to score at least 100 touchdowns.

University of Alabama running back Shaun Alexander was the 19th overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks. He spent eight seasons in the Pacific Northwest, and is the franchise’s all-time leader in rushing yards (9,429) and total touchdowns (112). He ran for 1,000-plus yards five times, and was a three-time Pro Bowler.

Shaun Alexander XL — Feb 5, 2006; Detroit, MI, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back (37) Shaun Alexander runs the ball against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third quarter of Super Bowl XL at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images | Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images

In 2005, he enjoyed a banner year. Alexander led the league in rushing yards in carries (370), rushing yards (1,880) and total touchdowns (28). He was an All-Pro selection, the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Years, and the league’s Most Valuable Player.

Alexander concluded his NFL career with a forgettable four-game stint with Washington in 2008. He finished his nine-year stint in the pros with 9,453 yards on the ground. However, those 112 touchdowns (100 rushing, 12 receiving) rank 17th on the NFL’s all-time list.

While some may roll their eyes a bit that the talented performer didn’t reach the 10,000-yard rushing mark, that end zone total is hard to ignore. All told, 14 of the 16 players ahead of Alexander on the touchdown list are Pro Football Hall of Famers. The only exceptions are running back Adrian Peterson (126) and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (121). The former is Hall of Fame eligible in 2027, the latter in 2026.

Perhaps some should take a closer look at what Alexander did accomplish, rather than what he didn’t manage to do.

More Seahawks on SI stories