... J.P. 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.

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.

[Web Author's Note: 2006: Season-ending hip injury that occurred in the 9-6 win over Detroit. Darche was a special teams captain.]