Largent & Lockett

Happy Birthday to my man Steve Largent (b. 1954), the greatest Seahawk ever, after the incomparable Walter Jones.

Largent won All-American honors at the University of Tulsa, but his professional career began inauspiciously. Drafted in the fourth round by the Oilers in 1976, he failed to impress Houston’s coaches. Instead of cutting Largent, the Oilers dealt him to Seattle for an eighth-round pick.

At this bargain rate, the Seahawks acquired an athlete with average size and speed by NFL standards who became one of the greatest wide receivers of his era, despite a limited supporting cast. Largent’s secret? A phenomenal work ethic, great hands, precise routes and extremely powerful ankles and calves to power sharp cuts, allowing him to achieve separation from even the fleetest defensive backs.

Largent won first-team All-Pro honors once (1985), second-team honors four times (1978-79, 1984, 1987), went to seven Pro Bowls (1978-79, 1981, 1984-87), and broke every major NFL receiving record (receptions, yards, touchdowns, etc.), including several set by Don Hutson that had stood since 1945. Largent’s records soon fell as rules changes created an increasingly pass-happy league, but in the context of his times and the preceding decades, the receiver’s records remain impressive.

Throwing to Largent made a capable quarterback (Jim Zorn) look dynamic and made a good passer (Dave Krieg) look great.

By all accounts, Largent was a great person and teammate. He won almost as much recognition for his character as for his achievements on the field. He won the league-wide Walter Payton & Bart Starr Man of the Year Awards in 1988. When he retired the following year, the Seahawks created the Steve Largent Man of the Year Award to give annual recognition to a player of high character.

Largent was the first Seahawk inducted to the Ring of Honor (1989) and the first to have his jersey number retired (1992), though he gallantly allowed Jerry Rice to wear the #80 during the latter’s brief stint with the team in 2004.

In 1995, Largent became the first true Seahawk to enter the Hall of Fame (Carl Eller and Franco Harris got into Canton despite—not because of—their time in Seattle.)

In retirement, Largent returned to Tulsa, Oklahoma and launched a political career, advocating economic and religious conservativism. In 1994, he signed on to Newt Gingrich’s Contract with America, ran for Congress and won. In 2002, he quit the House to run for governor, but a third-party candidate split the Republican vote and handed the election to his Democratic opponent.

Like many former Congressmen, Largent landed on his feet financially. He served as President and CEO of the CTIA-Wireless Association—a lobbying group for the telecom industry—from 2003-14.

Happy Birthday also to my man Tyler Lockett (b. 1992). Seattle drafted him in the third round primarily to return kicks and he wasted no time, returning his first career punt for a 57-yard touchdown in St. Louis in Week One. Against Chicago yesterday, the electrifying rookie took a kickoff out of the end zone for a 105-yard touchdown, the longest return in team history. Thus far this year, Lockett is the only player in the league with both punt and kickoff return touchdowns.

Lockett runs fearlessly and decisively, using great vision to find the right lanes and capitalize on his teammates' blocks. Already, opposing special team units display a healthy fear of the Kansas State product, with punters angling balls out of bounds or booming them high and short to force fair catches, while placekickers try for touchbacks.

He's even a good actor. Lockett and the rest of the punt return effectively sold the trick play yesterday, lining up for a return on the left side of the field to fool the Bears coverage unit while Richard Sherman fielded the ball on the right and brought it back 64 yards.

He shows considerable promise as a slot receiver and has the speed to challenge defenses as a deep threat.

Let’s hope that Lockett’s career follows a similar trajectory to the Seahawk great with whom he shares a birthday.