Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald's right-hand man earns special hometown honor

Most key members of the Seattle Seahawks' coaching staff are on the younger side, with head coach Mike Macdonald and offensive coordinator Klint Kurbiak both being in their late 30s, for example.

There is at least one notable exception, however, and that's assistant head coach head coach Leslie Frazier.

Frazier, 66, joined the Seahawks last year as a mentor of sorts for Macdonald, ending a brief stint as an NFL Network analyst. Prior to that, he had been coaching in the NFL for nearly 25 years, most notably serving as the Minnesota Vikings' head coach from 2010-13.

Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier on the field before a game against the Washington Football Team. | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Going back even further, Frazier was a great athlete in his heyday. He was a member of the legendary 1985 Chicago Bears defense, even leading the team that season with six interceptions. He was also a All-American defensive back at Alcorn State and a multi-sport athlete Stephen D. Lee High School in his hometown of Columbus, Mississippi, excelling in football, baseball and basketball.

Now, he's a member of his hometown's inaugural class of the Lowndes County Sports Hall of Fame, cementing him as a legend in the area.

"It’s extremely humbling,” Frazier told The Dispatch, a local newspaper. “When I think about my grandmother raising myself and my two younger brothers, and how challenging it was some days, to now be honored in my hometown, it’s very special to be a part of the inaugural class. Just very grateful, very thankful, and I’m always thinking about my hometown wherever I go. I want to represent Columbus in the right way.”

Frazier has already received a ton of recognition for his athletic achievements. He was inducted to the SWAC Hall of Fame in 2007, the Alcorn State Hall of Fame in 2012, the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 2017 and the Black College Hall of Fame in 2023.

It remains to be seen how long Frazier will continue coaching, but no matter what, he's already a sports legend in so many ways.

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