Steve Largent #80

Seahawk Wide Receiver, 1976-89

Steve Largent's career began by being cut after four preseason games in 1976. Largent recalls, "I remember crying all the way home from Houston, dragging my little U-Haul trailer. I was preparing to move on to the next phase of my life."

Seattle assistant Jerry Rhome, however, had other ideas. Rhome, who coached Largent at Tulsa urged the Hawks to acquire the Rookie. And after one of the most prolific receiving careers in the NFL, the rest is history.

Although Largent was not the most athletically gifted player at his position, he never failed to get the most out of what he had. Here is what some noteable names have had to say about Steve Largent:

"Steve was not the fastest guy," said Hall of Fame receiver Paul Warfield. "He's not the tallest guy. But he had that unique combination of quickness and enough speed."

In a television interview, during the 1977 season Steve's then teammate QB Jim Zorn let fans in on a little secret:
"People don't think he's fast." Zorn pauses, gives a sly grin and whispers, "But he's fast."

"You can't measure competitive speed," said Mel Blount, Hall of Fame defensive back. "You can't measure the heart when someone is out there competing. Steve could run away from people."

"There wasn't a defensive back that wanted to go out and cover Steve Largent," said Dave Krieg, former Seahawks quarterback. "He had a way to make you look foolish. I don't care how good you were."

"At times when we would play Seattle I would sit on the sidelines and watch this guy," said San Francisco 49ers star Jerry Rice, considered by many to be the best receiver in NFL history. "I would try to pick up some moves and try to improve my game."

When he retired after the 1989 season, Largent held six NFL records, including 819 catches, 177 consecutive games with at least one reception, 13,089 receiving yards and 100 touchdown catches. He was voted NFL Man of the Year in 1988.

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Now, all of Steve Largent's records have been surpassed by other players except one, most seasons with 50 or more receptions. Steve still holds this record with 10.

"These records were something that I held with an open hand," Largent said. "I never looked at them as my records and that my self-esteem or self-worth was built upon the fact that I'm holding NFL records, because it wasn't."

Today, Steve is known as Congressman Largent, after being sworn into the 103rd Congress on November 29, 1994, to represent the First Congressional District of Oklahoma.

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           Team         Rec     Yds     Avg     TD
1976    Seattle         54      705     13.0    4
 1977    Seattle         33      643     19.4    10
1978    Seattle         71      1168    16.5    8
1979    Seattle         66      1237    18.7    9
1980    Seattle         66      1064    16.1    6
1981    Seattle         75      1224    16.3    9
1982    Seattle-x       34      493     14.5    3
 1983    Seattle         72      1074    14.9    11
 1984    Seattle         74      1164    15.7    12
1985    Seattle         79      1287    16.3    6
1986    Seattle         70      1070    15.3    9
1987    Seattle         58      912     15.7    8
1988    Seattle         39      645     16.5    2
1989    Seattle         28      403     14.4    3
Totals                  819     13089   16.0    100

x-strike-shortened season