A Football Life: Steve Largent (NFL Network)

[Largent80]

This was an incredible show, glad I recorded it and will watch again.

 

[seahawksny]

A seattle icon
Arguably the greatest the city has ever seen along with Griffey

 

[harryjohnson]

A seattle icon
Arguably the greatest the city has ever seen along with Griffey

Except Largent walks the walk. Griffey is a prima ballerina.

 

[SeaToTheHawks]

A seattle icon
Arguably the greatest the city has ever seen along with Griffey

Except Largent walks the walk. Griffey is a prima ballerina.

Wow. I'm not even a Mariners fan, but you'd better be careful with those kinds of words about Griffey Jr.

 

[vin.couve12]

A couple of people here talking about whether or note Largent would thrive in today's NFL or even be a #1 WR and that's really an interesting question. I would agree that he wouldn't be a #1 WR in today's NFL, but much in the same way that Welker is/was not a #1 WR in today's NFL. However, on that note, I think you have to look at the QBs who threw to Welker. Welker's talents would be wasted with a QB such as RW, for instance. Welker has had the luxury of playing with some real precision, timing QBs. Granted he did have some success before playing with those two though.

On that note, I think it's even questionable whether or not Rice would be a #1 WR in today's NFL. He was also a 4.6 guy and while 6'2 he wasn't really a go up and get it kind of WR. Like Largent he was all about perfect route running. That still gets you open in today's NFL, but defenses also close a lot faster now. Those windows aren't open very long at all. Also, aside from the fact that Rice played with two of some of the greatest QBs of all time, that 49er offense benefited from a new type of offense that the NFL had never seen and was so successful that nearly half the rest of the NFL tried to duplicate that west coast system as time went on.

I don't think there's any doubt that Largent and Rice would be successful in today's NFL, but not as successful as they were so to speak. The degree of success they would have would obviously be dependent on the QB too, which is just one of those innate general rules, of course.

 

[hawksfansinceday1]

This was an incredible show, glad I recorded it and will watch again.

I've already watched it twice. Well worth the second viewing Rob.

A seattle icon
Arguably the greatest the city has ever seen along with Griffey

Not to be a Richard here, but this statement tells me you don't understand offensive line play well at all. Walter Jones was even more dominant at LT than Largent was at WR. Not by much, but he was.

Dude, he dominated Patrick Kearney (when he was a Falcon) to the point that Kearney quit playing in the 3rd quarter. A Pro Bowl caliber DE simply refused to go back in the game because he was being so thoroughly dominated by Walter Jones.

 

[harryjohnson]

A seattle icon
Arguably the greatest the city has ever seen along with Griffey

Except Largent walks the walk. Griffey is a prima ballerina.

Wow. I'm not even a Mariners fan, but you'd better be careful with those kinds of words about Griffey Jr.

Why? Griffey isn't half the man that Largent is. This is the same guy who flipped off his own father in the dugout.

 

[seahawksny]

A seattle icon
Arguably the greatest the city has ever seen along with Griffey

Except Largent walks the walk. Griffey is a prima ballerina.

Prima ballerina that hit 500 home runs and the reason the Mariners are in seattle not Tampa Bay

 

[JSeahawks]

As an out of towner when I think historically (for me that goes back about 30 years) about Seattle sports the first two guys that come to mind are Griffey jr and Gary Payton. There are really no seahawks that stand up above all the others to icon status.

Big walt was our best player, but he's an olinemen, hard to reach icon status. Tez was a beast but his teams sucked. Largent was loved locally, but I don't know how much he was appreciated nationally.

If you're looking for a seahawk icon I think it might be Shawn Alexander, marshawn lynch or Russell Wilson.

 

[chris98251]

As an out of towner when I think historically (for me that goes back about 30 years) about Seattle sports the first two guys that come to mind are Griffey jr and Gary Payton. There are really no seahawks that stand up above all the others to icon status.

Big walt was our best player, but he's an olinemen, hard to reach icon status. Tez was a beast but his teams sucked. Largent was loved locally, but I don't know how much he was appreciated nationally.

If you're looking for a seahawk icon I think it might be Shawn Alexander, marshawn lynch or Russell Wilson.

Largent was loved nationally, if you were able to watch games when he played most Media were amazed at his ability to get open and make the catches he made as well as take the hits he took and get back up. He was lauded for his hands and his route running. He broke records and set the standard that many receivers can only hope to achieve, this from a guy that Houston didn't want and said was to slow.

Any receiver now days has only to look at Largent to see what excellent in preparation and honing your craft can make you stand out and above the competition. He did all that while being about as low key as you could get, he was a guy that acted like he had been there before from day one. His numbers did his talking. Unless your name was Mike Harden.

 

[JSeahawks]

As an out of towner when I think historically (for me that goes back about 30 years) about Seattle sports the first two guys that come to mind are Griffey jr and Gary Payton. There are really no seahawks that stand up above all the others to icon status.

Big walt was our best player, but he's an olinemen, hard to reach icon status. Tez was a beast but his teams sucked. Largent was loved locally, but I don't know how much he was appreciated nationally.

If you're looking for a seahawk icon I think it might be Shawn Alexander, marshawn lynch or Russell Wilson.

Largent was loved nationally, if you were able to watch games when he played most Media were amazed at his ability to get open and make the catches he made as well as take the hits he took and get back up. He was lauded for his hands and his route running. He broke records and set the standard that many receivers can only hope to achieve, this from a guy that Houston didn't want and said was to slow.

Any receiver now days has only to look at Largent to see what excellent in preparation and honing your craft can make you stand out and above the competition. He did all that while being about as low key as you could get, he was a guy that acted like he had been there before from day one. His numbers did his talking. Unless your name was Mike Harden.

Don't disagree with anything you said, but still don't think he's a Seattle sports icon. To be an icon, in my opinion, you need to transcend the game. I dont think Susie house wife living in Santa Fe would have a clue who Steve largent is. All depends on what you think an icon is I guess. I'd definatly put largent on the seahawks mt Rushmore, but I don't think he's our best known or most popular player.

 

[chris98251]

As an out of towner when I think historically (for me that goes back about 30 years) about Seattle sports the first two guys that come to mind are Griffey jr and Gary Payton. There are really no seahawks that stand up above all the others to icon status.

Big walt was our best player, but he's an olinemen, hard to reach icon status. Tez was a beast but his teams sucked. Largent was loved locally, but I don't know how much he was appreciated nationally.

If you're looking for a seahawk icon I think it might be Shawn Alexander, marshawn lynch or Russell Wilson.

Largent was loved nationally, if you were able to watch games when he played most Media were amazed at his ability to get open and make the catches he made as well as take the hits he took and get back up. He was lauded for his hands and his route running. He broke records and set the standard that many receivers can only hope to achieve, this from a guy that Houston didn't want and said was to slow.

Any receiver now days has only to look at Largent to see what excellent in preparation and honing your craft can make you stand out and above the competition. He did all that while being about as low key as you could get, he was a guy that acted like he had been there before from day one. His numbers did his talking. Unless your name was Mike Harden.

Don't disagree with anything you said, but still don't think he's a Seattle sports icon. To be an icon, in my opinion, you need to transcend the game. I dont think Susie house wife living in Santa Fe would have a clue who Steve largent is. All depends on what you think an icon is I guess. I'd definatly put largent on the seahawks mt Rushmore, but I don't think he's our best known or most popular player.

Well if you ask that Susie Housewife in Santa Clara who Johnny Unitas was you would get the same blank stare, I think it's more about Era's.

 

[harryjohnson]

A seattle icon
Arguably the greatest the city has ever seen along with Griffey

Except Largent walks the walk. Griffey is a prima ballerina.

Prima ballerina that hit 500 home runs and the reason the Mariners are in seattle not Tampa Bay

Yes he did. And then he whined his way out of town,

 

[greenblue_eye's2]

I didn't realize what a tough life he had growing up as a kid, it was one of the better Football Life's I have seen.

 

[Tech Worlds]

It made me want to go to church

 

[Sgt. Largent]

Don't disagree with anything you said, but still don't think he's a Seattle sports icon. To be an icon, in my opinion, you need to transcend the game. I dont think Susie house wife living in Santa Fe would have a clue who Steve largent is. All depends on what you think an icon is I guess. I'd definatly put largent on the seahawks mt Rushmore, but I don't think he's our best known or most popular player.

I understand what you're saying. Is Largent as recognizable of a sports name as the Joe Montana's of the world? Probably not, but IMO that has more to do with what Largent chose to do post career.

Largent didn't go out and do commercials and remain the social circles perpetuating his image and "brand" like so many players do. He was a family man, and focused on politics in a small state away from the media.

But if Susie house wife is over the age of 35 and is a sports fan? She absolutely knows who Steve Largent is, no matter where she lived in the 80's and 90's.

 

[RiverDog]

As an out of towner when I think historically (for me that goes back about 30 years) about Seattle sports the first two guys that come to mind are Griffey jr and Gary Payton. There are really no seahawks that stand up above all the others to icon status.

Big walt was our best player, but he's an olinemen, hard to reach icon status. Tez was a beast but his teams sucked. Largent was loved locally, but I don't know how much he was appreciated nationally.

If you're looking for a seahawk icon I think it might be Shawn Alexander, marshawn lynch or Russell Wilson.

I don't really know how well known Steve Largent was nationally. Being that we exist in a sports backwash, especially back in Largent's days when we hadn't even gone to a Super Bowl and considering how the nation had yet to experience the internet, social media, et al, I would not be at all surprised that a casual fan in someplace outside the PNW might not have heard of him.

But in the late 70's and 80's, Steve Largent was unbelievably huge in this area. The only thing that would make any of the aforementioned Seahawks anymore of an icon was the time he played in and the younger generation's unfamiliarity with who he was.

 

[Our Man in Chicago]

It made me want to go to church

Nah. Just stay at home and listen to stuff like this:

[youtube]DmR8zcCaKU0[/youtube]
[youtube]lypO8pt_8NQ[/youtube]
[youtube]tuNO-4hpLfI[/youtube]

 

[Our Man in Chicago]

From an out-of-towner's perspective: if Steve Largent isn't a Seattle sports icon, that says more about your city than anything else.

I mean, even Tom Waddle will never have to pay for a drink in Chicago again.

 

[Hawkstorian]

Debating Steve Largent's place in Seattle Sports History is stupid.

If you don't understand the man and his impact, it's because you're too young or just being pointlessly contrarian.