No longer a child, not yet middle-aged, and still finding their place in the NFL world.

...the 30-year wall of silence is an impressive achievement for a League that leaks as a lifestyle.

He recommended Jack Patera enthusiastically for the Seahawks...

The letter C is coming soon!

The Seahawks used Williams’ local reputation as a promotional tool, as they would do (very briefly) with Ahmad Rashad.

The average Seahawk selected in the veteran allocation is 6-2, 222 pounds, just under 26 years old and is entering his fourth NFL season.

The Seahawks played the Rams...facing off against future Seahawk coaches Chuck Knox, Tom Catlin and Ken Meyer.

...management decided early to pursue coaches with no NFL head coaching experience.

Patera had the boldness to recruit 3 coaches with no NFL service...

...why was there no place for one of the ultimate local heroes of the early 1970s – Sonny Sixkiller?

Thompson may have looked on paper like a conservative and safe manager for a new team with first-time owners, but...

...reports from the camp are unclear as to who did the special team evaluations.

As a defensive coach, Jack Patera valued his linebackers.

Maybe we'll come up with something soon!

...nobody else on the Seahawks squad took their dislike quite to the extent of Ahmad Rashad.

The Nordstroms were an obvious possibility because of their wealth and local presence.

Approximately 14 members of that squad would never play for the Seahawks again.

A simple lesson in draft history is to list the fate of quarterbacks for several years before 1976.

Jack Patera was unable to take a single Redskin veteran from the allocation list.

...the Seahawks’ offense would be directed by 3 men who had 2 years of NFL experience between them

Terry Brown’s Seahawk career lasted less than 24 hours.

...we think this story might just have been a good Patera Prank!

While Patera had an inside edge on stocking his team with Vikings, he only chose one Viking from the allocation...

Character would clearly play a part...

Patera lived up to his code of we will tolerate you until we can replace you...

Yes! We will have something for Y eventually!

What more need we say?


P is for Panic?

The Seahawks also figure to strengthen themselves through acquisition of players waived by other NFC teams. The Seahawks have first choice on players waived by NFC clubs.

(Seattle Seahawks Media Guide 1976, page 21)

On September 4 1976, the Seahawks travelled to the Oakland Coliseum for their final pre-season game and lost 16–13.

Approximately 14 members of that squad would never play for the Seahawks again. Meanwhile, 17 men had yet to learn that they would be wearing a Seahawks jersey that season.

The Seahawks had been placed in the NFC, but would move to the AFC in 1977, while Tampa Bay would travel in the opposite direction. This allowed both teams to play as many opponents as possible in their first 2 seasons, making the range of games on offer more attractive to ticket buyers and sponsors. As part of that exchange of conferences, the NFC would see its discarded players going to Seattle in 1976 knowing that they were less likely to play against NFC teams in 1977 when the Seahawks might be on the improve.

We’ve become used to pre-season purges, thanks to roster reductions and the unexpected availability of players on the free agent market. But by the time the Seahawks faced the Cardinals in the first regular-season game, Jack Patera had put weeks of training and preparation up for grabs by removing a number of the men he had been working with for so long.


Almost Hall

Almost Hall of Fame

We invite you to visit our special feature, the Almost Hall of Fame, where we honor those Seahawk players who won our hearts even if they haven't won Hall of Fame honors.

Spirit of '76

Go Hawks

We invite you to visit our in-depth feature on the 1976 expansion team, where we honor every known player who had a chance at becoming Seahawk on the 1976 squad!

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