RumorCentralRumorCentralRumorCentral

Source: Norm Evans' Seahawk Report
January 6, 1983

Since the resumption of the NFL Season, the Seattle secondary -- cornerbacks Keith Simpson and Dave Brown and safeties John Harris and Kenny Easley - has drawn rave reviews everywhere. Typical of the comments about the Seahawks' last line of defense were those offered by New England Coach Ron Meyer and Cincinnati quarterback Kenny Anderson. Said Meyer: "That unit is one of the best in the NFL today. There's a lot of talent there and those four guys really know how to work together. I can only see them getting better and better, which is scary because they are one of the best secondaries in the league as far as I'm concerned." Added Anderson: "Seattle has one of the best defenses in the league, especially at stopping the pass. We watched film on them and we knew they would be tough. They didn't disappoint us. Seattle is good against the pass because they have very good people back there. They are all big and strong, they move well and they react to the ball and read the quarterback. Besides that, they hit. It's one of the tougher secondaries in the league for me to throw against." The Seahawk secondary, for the first few games after the season resumed, was leading the NFL in pass defense, giving up just 106.5 yards per game.

As evidence of Seattle's strength in this position, the fourth secondary member is anything but a weak link -- in fact, he may be the backbone of the group. Dave Brown, one of two remaining (the other is center Art Kuehn) from the club's original veteran allocation draft and this year's "Man of the Year" recipient, has made countless game saving plays and is most often the defender opposing offenses avoid...

20 seasons with Hawks in Kingdome

Source: Seattle-PI
Thursday, September 9, 1999
By CLARE FARNSWORTH
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

It was Nov. 4, 1984, and the Seahawks returned not one, not two, not three, but four interceptions for touchdowns in a 45-0 rout of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Brown, an even better person than he was a player, ran two back for scores in a season when he was voted to his only Pro Bowl.

Hawks Ooze Talent - Enough to be compared to 12-4 club in '84

By Dave Boling
News Tribune columnist
Aug 9, 1998

...It's 1998 against 1984 in the Hypothetical Bowl.

"Hmm, that's an interesting comparison," said Dave Brown, who coaches the secondary of the current edition and played cornerback on the 1984 club. "This team definitely has a lot of talent, and it has really outstanding potential. But potential doesn't make plays. If we can stay healthy and execute and make big plays when we have to, then this team has the potential to be a really fine football team."

And while the 1984 defensive front of Green, Nash and Jeff Bryant was extremely effective, the '98 wall of Sinclair, Adams, Kennedy and Phillip Daniels should be far more disruptive to opponents.

The current offensive front, meanwhile, might be better at every position than the 1984 group. McKenzie was excellent, but aging; Blair Bush and Bob Cryder had been first-round picks. But the current group has a pair of former Pro Bowlers, a pair of first-rounders and a starter off the defending Super Bowl champs.

The 1984 team, without question, benefited from several giant playmakers.

Easley was that season's NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and Largent went on to the Hall of Fame. Their influence is immeasurable. Krieg, meanwhile, was extremely inventive at quarterback, and Young was a special teams terror.

However, Galloway, Kennedy, Adams, Brown, Moon, Darryl Williams and Ricky Watters all have the capacity to individually influence the outcome of games this season.

The strength and character of the current team remains undefined, but Brown can point to the power source of the 1984 unit without hesitation.

"It was our unity; we always remembered we were a team," he said. "There was a pride, an integrity there. Every player had the drive to be the best he could be so the team could be the best it could be. There was nobody going to convince us we weren't going to the Super Bowl."

And so it comes down to this: If the talented 1984 team was to match up against the 1998 club - which has yet to compete in a single regular-season game - who would win?

"If you lined them up, this team against that team, I think this team wins," Wright said, "because there's so much speed and defensively dominating players."

Brown just wants to wait and see.

"These are talented guys, but this team hasn't done anything yet," Brown reminded.

"Between the two, though, I'd have to say our bunch."

Why?

"Because everybody knows they don't make 'em like they used to."

Seahawks Top Chargers, 17-9

Washington Post
August 6, 1978

The Seattle Seahawks defeated the San Diego Chargers, 17-9, Friday night on two touchdowns by running back Sherman Smith and four interceptions by the secondary in the exhibition openeer for both teams. Smith rushed from two yards out early in the second quarter to cap a 64-yeard Seattle drive and give the Seahawks a 7-0 lead. Seattle quarterback Jim Zorn hit three of five passes on the drive for 42 yards after Seattle cornerback Dave Brown intercepted Bill Munson's pass. Smith's second touchdown, a 4-yard run with 3:38 remaining, put Seattle in front 17.9. Smith also had runs of 10 and nine yards on the final Seattle intercepted a pass by San Diego's Cliff Olander.

Dan Fouts drove the Chargers 50 yards in 40 seconds to set up Rolf Benirschke's 35-yard field goal on the final play of the first half.

Benirschke also kicked second-half field goals of 22 and 30 yards to account for the rest of the Chargers points.

James Harris of the Chargers connected on passes late in the fourth quarter before fumbling deep in Seattle territory with 1:47 to go. The fumble was recovered by the Seahawks, who ran out the clock.

Seahawks History

Source: Inside the Seahawks
Vol. 1, No. 14
November 7, 1986-November 13, 1986
By Bob Pruitt

Atlanta scored first, an 18-yard field goal, after Seattle quarterback Jim Zorn fumbled on the Seahawk 9 yard line. Then Seattle made its one "unassisted" scoring drive on the following kick-off. Sherman Smith capped the 80 yard drive by hauling in a 21 yard TD strike from Zorn. Zorn passed for another touchdown to John McMakin only seconds later, after John Leypoldt's kick-off was fumbled by Rick Byas on the Falcon 26.

The third quarter began with a Seahawk drive being stalled near mid-field. Rick Engles punted the ball to the Falcon 6, where Rolland Lawrence took it in and was forced to run for his life by the exceptional Seahawk coverage. With Don Dufek immediately in his face, he retreated laterally back near the end zone where he was caught by a pursuing Dave Brown, who nailed him for the safety.

The next two Seahawk touchdowns were results of great play by the defensive secondary. The first was the Matthews' interception return for 6 points. The other was a Sherman Smith breakaway touchdown run of 53 yards following Brown's second interception.

Seahawks 30-Falcons 13

"Our Best Performance of the Year"

Source: Inside the Seahawks
Vol 1 No. 12
October 24, 1986-October 30, 1986
By Stan Farber

Thrown back four yards in two downs after reaching the Seattle 22, the Giants were in a fourth-and-14 to go situation with less than a minute left.

Seattle's veteran cornerback Dave Brown, much-maligned by friend and foe alike this year, simply reached up and grabbed the ball, killing the Giants' last-gasp hope for a victory which would have given them a club-record sixth straight triumph after a season-opening loss at Dallas. The defeat dropped them a game behind the Washington Redskins in the National Football Conference East.

For Brown, his 48th career interception was his second of the game. He is only one theft behind Pittsburgh's Donnie Shell as the NFL's leading active pass stealer.

"I thought if I could get my hands on it, I would intercept it,' said Brown of his second interception. l wasn't going to let the (intended) receiver (Bobby Johnson) catch the ball."

Brown's first interception set up the Seahawks' first touchdown.

Brown ended the Giants' first thrust in the first period. Simms, passing to Phil McConkey out of shotgun formation, instead put the ball in Brown's hands, and the Seattle cornerback returned it 29 yards to the Giants' 43. Seven plays and 3:05 later. Seattle's Dave Krieg connected with tight end Gordon Hudson on a 16-yard post pattern from the left side to score.

Street and Smith's Pro Football 1977

There was stability in the secondary, despite the 27 touchdown passes given up by Seattle. Ex-Steeler Dave Brown started all 14 games at free safety, ex-Packer Al Matthews did the same at strong safety and ditto ex-Ram Eddie McMillan at left corner.

Seahawks 10 Year Anniversary book

Adding injury to insult, the Hawks' iron man, Dave Brown, suffered a broken leg, interrupting his record of playing in all 77 Seahawks games as the last survivor of the expansion draft of 1976. Brown missed six games, and hasn't missed another once since.

Dave Brown on the Kingdome:

Highlight: Dave Brown tied an NFL record by returning two interceptions for touchdowns against Kansas City at the Kingdome in 1984.

Chiefs’ quarterbacks help set record

In joint effort with Seahawks' defensive unit

Nov. 5, 1984
The Capital Sports

Three Kansas City quarterbacks combined for a National Football League record-breaking performance. Unfortunately for the Chiefs, the records were racked up by the Seattle Seahawks' defense.

Six times the Seattle defenders picked off Kansas City passes, and they returned four for touchdowns - an NFL record - as the Seahawks routed the Chiefs 45-0. Defensive backs Dave Brown, Keith Simpson and Ken Easley returned the interceptions for touchdowns as the Seahawks set another league record with 362 return yards.

Brown, one of four remaining original members of the Seahawks, who entered the league in 1976, picked off a Bill Kenney pass and streaked 95 yards for a score, then later returned a Todd Blackledge pass 58 yards for another TD. The two interception scores tied another record.

Seahawk squawks

By BOB WAYT
Chronicle Sports Writer
The Daily Chronicle, Monday. October 18,1976

The buccaneers of the 17th century, though dashing in their feathered hats, hooped earrings and skintight pants, were sordid fellows, you know.

Not only did they haunt the seas of the Caribbean and Pacific, pillaging ships and sailing malevolently away with the loot, the maritime marauders often robbed settlements as well. There were no buccaneers in ruffled lace at the Tampa Bay-Seattle NFL game Sunday, even though the first-year Florida club answers to that moniker.

There were, however, a band of robbers in striped shirts and while they didnt take anybody's life, or booty, they plundered the expansion bowl of its excitement and vitality. If the United Nations had supplied the flags for this game, the officials would have run out before halftime. By the time all the penalties had been stepped off, it could easily have been midnight—in Tennessee.

One referee threw his flag 21 yards. Another rifled his through the face mask of Seattle defensive back Dave Brown, who was subsequently treated for a swollen eye.