Earl Thomas

[Dismas]

He's my favorite player. He deserves defensive player of the year IMO.

He does deserve it.
And, because the Seahawks are relevant, finally, he has been getting much love this year.
We Seahawks fans have know for years what Earl brings to the field, it gives me warm fuzzies when I see the rest of the country acknowledging his talent.

Much of the blabber I have seen on the tube has Earl as frontrunner for DPOY, with Sherman not far behind him.
Both of them helped their case today.

 

[Shaz]

As you may know I tend to look at things in terms of historic context --- and my favorite all-time player that people never seem to recognize is Eugene Robinson. I've said in the past he had a better Seahawk career than either Kenny Easley or Cortez Kennedy. Many think I'm nuts.

I think Earl Thomas is well on his way to being the greatest defensive player in Seahawk history. Mind you I'm somehow biased towards safeties -- but can you possibly imagine what this defense would be without him? The dude is freaking EVERYWHERE. ALL DAY LONG.

That is all.

He didn't have a better career than neither Cortez or Easley

 

[Tokadub]

That's funny you mention Eugene Robinson, I never even thought about this for years it's been so long. I wish I was older since I couldn't appreciate it fully at the time.

But when I was in elementary school probably 1st-3rd grade around 1993-1995 Eugine Robinson lived right down the street from us in a neighborhood called Demery Hill in what was Redmond WA, now is Sammamish, WA.

He probably lived like 5-8 houses down across the street! Wish I knew what a badass he was at the time I knew he was on the team but was so young didn't know how good he was but my dad told me.

Apparently he was a really nice guy too at some school carnival fair event type thing I guess my dad talked to him and said he was a good guy.

His daughter though haha... I only remember one thing she ever said "My Daddy can beat up your daddy!" I think she just went up to random people and said that cause I don't remember any incidents with her

Wish I had been old enough to try to meet the guy, I was a little football noobie back then.

 

[Hawks46]

No safety in this game has ever been a bigger or better hitter than Chancellor.

Not Easley, Lott, Tatum, Atwater, Dawkins, no one. It's not even close....

That would be a fun debate. Easley is one of my favorite Hawks ever.

I remember that hit Atwater had on Okoye. Dude weighed 265 lbs, had a 10 yard run and Atwater hit hit straight up and flatbacked him. I didn't watch the Broncos enough to see if was as consistent as Easley's play was though.

I'd say Easley was a better hitter because if his range; he got in on more plays. Chancellor is better at the LOS I think. None of those guys you listed above would blow up an OT and make the play Kam did a few weeks ago.

 

[45Hawker]

Don't forget: Eugene Robinson played with Easley (who was already an All-Pro and NFL Defensive Player of the Year) his first 2 or 3 seasons. Perhaps he learned a few things from Kenny. (Kind of like Kam and Earl might have learned from Milloy)

Eugene was very very good, and a favorite of mine, but Easley was a more impactful player. Offenses schemed around/away from Easley. Players called him a "headhunter". I doubt Eugene got that level of respect.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

Eugene Robinson was the bomb.

The hookers in and around Atlanta proper agree with you.

I'd say if you polled fans, ex-players, coaches, media types, etc. Kenny Easley would probably be considered the greatest Hawk defender of all time. Maybe Jacob Green as well.

But Earle is Hall of Fame material. If he plays even 80% of his career here, it's no contest IMO..............he would be the greatest Hawk defender of all time. Not even close.

 

[HansGruber]

Don't forget: Eugene Robinson played with Easley (who was already an All-Pro and NFL Defensive Player of the Year) his first 2 or 3 seasons. Perhaps he learned a few things from Kenny. (Kind of like Kam and Earl might have learned from Milloy)

Eugene was very very good, and a favorite of mine, but Easley was a more impactful player. Offenses schemed around/away from Easley. Players called him a "headhunter". I doubt Eugene got that level of respect.

Amen to that.

Will never forget going to the 49ers-Seahawks game at Candlestick back in 1985. 49ers had a rookie named Jerry Rice that was already pretty good. Saw him go deep on a play, Montana threw to the other side of the field, and Easley just unloaded on Rice, put his hat right in Rice's earhole and laid him out. After the play, there was a TV timeout and Montana was bitching to the refs (as was Walsh) about the hit, while the trainers came out and helped Rice off the field. They never did throw at Easley that game, and Rice was quitting on routes. He'd see Easley coming up and just literally stop in his tracks.

Another game was against the Raiders, back in 1984. Don't remember the receivers' names, but Easley knocked TWO of them out. One of them got taken off the field on a cart. Easley hit the guy so hard that we heard the "CRAAAACK!!!" all the way up in the upper stands of the LA Colliseum. People were stunned, silent and praying for the WR. We thought Easley had killed or paralyzed the guy. Will never forget them taking that player off the field, and Easley just standing there watching. Like Predator.


As to the person saying he wasn't close to Kam, you must never have seen Easley play. Easley was a BIG step up from Kam. Bigger than Kam, better in coverage, and had 10 INTs in 1984. The dude was a monster. Even Ronnie Lott said he was the best who ever played at that position.

 

[HansGruber]

Oh, and Easley DID boss offensive linemen around and knock them on their butts. Go back and watch those old games. Chuck Knox liked to use Easley in blitz packages because he could get around linemen easily with his speed, and if they were lucky enough to stop him, he'd just push them into the QB. Saw him do that to Elway a couple times. There won't ever be another player like Easley.

 

[Keyhawk]

He is special. Hopefully future Hall of Famer like Tex.

 

[seahawkfreak]

No safety in this game has ever been a bigger or better hitter than Chancellor.

Not Easley, Lott, Tatum, Atwater, Dawkins, no one. It's not even close....

Oh I'm not sure about that. I love Chancellor but you have named some beasts in that discussion. I rembeber when I wanted Hamlin in that category. Kam still needs more years. I mean what if Kam is gone next year and never produces like he has here. Body of work is still important

 

[raisethe3]

If I had to choose who is the DPOY, it has to be Earl Thomas, even though Sherman is my favorite player.

 

[BASF]

No safety in this game has ever been a bigger or better hitter than Chancellor.

Not Easley, Lott, Tatum, Atwater, Dawkins, no one. It's not even close....

I love Kam Chancellor, but I don't think anyone will ever match the Atwater/Okoye hit. Watching that game in a sports bar was a lot of fun and loud, then the hit happened. The original angle on the run where you couldn't really see Atwater and Okoye hit what seemed to be an open hole only to have the loud crack and watch Christian "I have run over literally everyone for four years" Okoye simply fall backward was enough to shut everyone in the bar up for a few seconds. Then, pretty much everyone marked out for it. I'd still put Hamlin's destruction of Stallworth higher than anything Chancellor has done. Heck even Darryl Williams laying out Rickey Dudley as better than any hit Chancellor has gotten on any receiver.

 

[themunn]

I have never seen a safety put an OT on his back AND tackle the runner for a loss like Chancellor did in the Houston game. A safety. Every DL in the league would be proud of that play.

 

[twelthmanfan]

And to think some draft experts (so called) said Taylor Mays was the best. Wow, so grateful we took ET. He is one amazing player. No one better and the main reason our defense can play the d they play. He is the perfect player for that triangle.

 

[Subzero717]

And to think some draft experts (so called) said Taylor Mays was the best. Wow, so grateful we took ET. He is one amazing player. No one better and the main reason our defense can play the d they play. He is the perfect player for that triangle.

No experts said that. Be honest.

 

[vin.couve12]

The Easley comments are very off. Even to the point of discrediting themselves.

No safety in the history of this game hits like Kam.

That's not to say that Easley wasn't one of the best safeties in history, but this conversation reminds me of topics discussed with my brother and how everything was better in the 80s.

I was there too. Some things were and some weren't. Fact remains that no one at the safety position can slap around any of the 11 players on the offensive side of the ball like Kam can. It's just the truth.

Some "everybody wins" jerk will say that's just an opinion, but it's really not....

 

[hawksfansinceday1]

And to think some draft experts (so called) said Taylor Mays was the best. Wow, so grateful we took ET. He is one amazing player. No one better and the main reason our defense can play the d they play. He is the perfect player for that triangle.

No experts said that. Be honest.

Some did say Eric Berry was. So far they'd be wrong though in fairness I believe Berry missed most of a whole season. Didn't KC draft him ahead of Earl?

 

[Subzero717]

And to think some draft experts (so called) said Taylor Mays was the best. Wow, so grateful we took ET. He is one amazing player. No one better and the main reason our defense can play the d they play. He is the perfect player for that triangle.

No experts said that. Be honest.

Some did say Eric Berry was. So far they'd be wrong though in fairness I believe Berry missed most of a whole season. Didn't KC draft him ahead of Earl?

Yes they did. He is also very good. Hard to knock them for picking him though. Berry and Thomas were the two best safeties coming out and Earl being as young as he was and lighter I don't think anyone would have taken Thomas because at that time Berry was more polished. Hes also been hurt a lot. They also play completely different schemes.


That said I'm glad we have Thomas.

 

[HansGruber]

The Easley comments are very off. Even to the point of discrediting themselves.

No safety in the history of this game hits like Kam.

That's not to say that Easley wasn't one of the best safeties in history, but this conversation reminds me of topics discussed with my brother and how everything was better in the 80s.

I was there too. Some things were and some weren't. Fact remains that no one at the safety position can slap around any of the 11 players on the offensive side of the ball like Kam can. It's just the truth.

Some "everybody wins" jerk will say that's just an opinion, but it's really not....

No, you weren't there. If you had ever seen Tatum, Easley or Lott play in person, you'd never make such a silly statement.

I have NEVER seen Kam hit someone so hard that everyone, including the fans, thought the player was dead. I've never seen him hit someone and send them off on a stretcher. Last I checked, he's never paralyzed anyone either.

 

[scutterhawk]

No safety in this game has ever been a bigger or better hitter than Chancellor.

Not Easley, Lott, Tatum, Atwater, Dawkins, no one. It's not even close....

I love Chancellor as much as the next fan here, BUT, You really don't know :roll:
If you've EVER watched Kenny "The Enforcer" Easley playing/stalking, you'd have a whole different take on what an intimidating player looks like.
I remember one particular game where an announcer thought that he was seeing things, as he said that he would almost swear that there were TWO # 45's out there on this one play, "Not Even Close"? SMH

NOW, as for Earl Thomas, when he gets his SB ring, he'll be a lock for the HOF, because there isn't anyone out there that is even close to being his equal.