... Jean-Philippe Darche!!!

That's right! J.P. Darche! Who's J.P. Darche, you ask? He hasn't won any awards! I've never even heard of him! THAT is why he's our Graffy winner this year!!

Jean-Philippe Darche has been the long snapper for the Seahawks since he was acquired in 2000. What does Seahawks.com say about him? Let's see ...

2000: Handled all of Seattle’s snapping duties in all 16 games. Recorded four tackles on special teams.
2001: Handled all of Seattle’s snapping duties for second consecutive season. Had a pair of special teams tackles.
2002: Handled all of Seattle’s snapping duties for third consecutive season. Had one tackle on special teams.
2003: Handled all of Seattle’s snapping duties for fourth consecutive season. Had five tackles on special teams and forced one fumble.
2004: Handled all of Seattle’s snapping duties for fifth consecutive season. Had four tackles on special teams.
2005: Handled all of Seattle’s snapping duties for sixth consecutive season. Had two tackles on special teams.

Note: Updated for 2006 2006: Season-ending hip injury that occurred in the 9-6 win over Detroit. Darche was a special teams captain.

For JP Darche to have been the long snapper for 6 years and not come to the attention of media and fans, he's obviously doing his job. It's a job we take for granted -- a horrible mistake for us to make! I recall a season in the past when we didn't have a dependable long snapper and believe me, it's painful when the snap is blown and the other team capitalizes on our errors! JP Darche has been a runner-up in the Graffy voting since the inception of the award, and it's an honor that's long over due! Congratulations, J.P. Darche! We love you and appreciate you!

There's a great article written before the Super Bowl XL about J.P. Darche. You can read it here.

Neil Graff? WHO'S NEIL GRAFF?!?!
And what's this award about?!?

This message from my in-box will explain it all!!

Of all the 1976 Seahawks - all 54 players on the roster in the year - Graff is the only one who didn't play in a single regular-season game.

That's right - zero starts and zero appearances while on the active roster.

[Note: He had one pre-season start which went like this -- "When the 49er lead rose to 24-0 in the third period, Patera lifted the starting quarterback, Neil Graff, and sent in Zorn."]

It occurred to me that if we ever wanted a definition of an under-appreciated footballer, Neil Graff is our man.

I think we need an award for the Seahawks' best kept secret player. The guy who's doing the hard work without getting the recognition.

That's the message from my in-box! I think it's a terrific idea! We implemented the plan in 2001, when Mack Strong was awarded the 1st annual Neil Graff Award! Congrats, Mr. Strong, and to those who have received the honor subsequently!