Former Seahawks RB Shaun Alexander snubbed for Hall of Fame
Every year, the NFL inducts new legends into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. For the 2021 class, the finalists were named on Tuesday. The class includes several first-time eligible icons such as quarterback Peyton Manning, wide receiver Calvin Johnson, and defensive end Jared Allen.
However, there appears to be a glaring omission among the 25 finalists . . . Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander.
Alexander is perhaps the most underappreciated, great running back. He is a former league MVP, an All-Pro, three-time Pro Bowler, a member of the 2000’s Hall of Fame Team, and a former cover athlete for the popular Madden franchise. Despite playing in geographically isolated Seattle in the era before social media, Alexander was certainly a household name.
BREAKING: 4 first-year eligible players are among the list of 25 Modern-Era Player Semifinalists for the Class of 2021.
More on the semifinalists: https://t.co/ZtQVFup3B2#PFHOF21 pic.twitter.com/ukCvmOWnrF
— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) November 24, 2020
Alexander was the undisputed face of the Seahawks, and during his MVP year of 2005, he carried Seattle to its first-ever Super Bowl appearance with 1,880 yards and a then-NFL record 27 rushing touchdowns.
During his career, Alexander dominated the league en route to 100 career rushing touchdowns, which is tied with current Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk for No. 8 all-time in NFL history. Every other running back who has more touchdowns than Alexander is all enshrined in Canton, OH with the exception of Adrian Peterson, who is still actively playing football.
Alexander may only have 9,435 rushing yards over his career, but it is more than Hall of Famers Earl Campbell, Jim Taylor, Larry Csonka and Terrell Davis.
Unfortunately, what is probably hurting Alexander’s chances the most is the fact he does not have a Super Bowl title next to his name, which is rather unfair to judge greatness in regards to a championship ring considering other running backs in the Hall currently do not have one either.
Alexander has been eligible for the Hall of Fame since 2013. It is high time he is given serious consideration for the highest honors the league can bestow upon a player.
The Seahawks currently have 12 players attributed to the team who are currently in the Hall of Fame. However, of those 12, only four would be considered as true Seahawks legends, as the others are better known for their play with other teams, and only spent a short while in Seattle, such as wide receiver Jerry Rice.
When Alexander eventually gets his due, he will be the sixth, and his No. 37 jersey will hang from the rafters of Lumen Field alongside the likes of Steve Largent, Cortez Kennedy, Kenny Easley, and Walter Jones – the man who helped pave the way for Alexander’s legendary career.
