As a kid, I fell in love with everything about the Seahawks. From the Native American Design of their logo, to the way those jerseys shined on TV, on the rare occasion they broadcast a game in NY. 

I grew up a Seahawks fans in the days before the internet and before satellite TV and NFL Sunday Ticket. Growing up a Seahawks fan 3,000 miles away, my only interaction with the team would be my weekly Monday morning ritual, where I would check in the local news paper to read about highlights from the game the night before. 

I remember reading articles about some of the Seahawks biggest Super Stars! 
Some of the names that came to mind when I would think about the Seahawks were guys like Jim Zorn, Dave Kreig, Steve Largent, John L. Williams, Cortez Kennedy, Kenny Easley and Warren Moon. 

I would remember reading articles about these incredible athletes who took to the field every Sunday and made amazing plays in a town known as the Emerald City. 

I had never seen a Seahawks game live and I had never been to Seattle at all. Growing up I think I saw a total of 5 Seahawks games televised.

• Monday Night Football – Raiders @ Seahawks, where Bo Jackson leveled Bosworth
• The infamous helmet incident against the Jets
• A Wild Card playoff game against the Houston Oilers
• The Seahawks / Dolphins Playoff Game in 1999
• And a Sunday Night Game against the Denver Broncos.

On September 10th, 2001 I had decided that it was time for me to finally come out to Seattle to see in person for the first time the city and team that I had worshiped for so many years. So that Monday night I went online and booked a flight to Seattle for the October 14th game against the Broncos. I was so excited that I would finally make it out for a trip to Seattle and see a Seahawks game in person. 

The next morning was September 11th. 

Being someone who worked in the city, I was at the site of the World Trade Center that morning during the attacks. Words alone can never describe the feeling that was endured that morning, along with the rest of the country who watched in awe of such a terrible event. 

The weeks that followed were some of the most emotional times I had ever faced. 

As the morning of Saturday October 13th approached, I contemplated as much of our nation did, whether or not it was safe to fly. But coming to Seattle was something I had wanted to do ever since I was a kid, and I was not about to miss the opportunity. 

As soon as I landed and checked into my hotel, I went down to the construction site of what would be the new Seahawks Stadium. As I was walking along 1st Ave, I happened to come across a small sign that said “Seahawks Marketing Office”. Seeing as how it was a Saturday the office was closed, but the door was slightly held open by a paint bucket. Now being a curious NY’er, I decided to walk in and see what was going on.  It was a couple of construction guys who were redoing the office. I had apologized for walking in and told them that I had just flew in from NY and was a huge Seahawks fans. 

What happened next was truly unbelievable. 

The construction workers gave me a tour of the office which included a Locker Room Set up with Jerseys & Helmets hanging from players like Largent, Zorn and Kennedy. It was such an overwhelming feeling for someone who had never even seen a live Seahawks game to be standing among all this history.

Moments later I had found my way to the Pro Shop to try on a jersey, and while talking with one of the sales reps someone had picked up on my east coast accent and asked where I was from. When I mentioned NY, he told me there was an entire group of Seahawks fans from all over the country who flew in for that weekend to watch the game. 

They mentioned that they were all meeting up at one of the local Seattle restaurants later that night to meet up with other Seahawks Fans from all over the country and had invited me to stop down. 

I did not know at the time how much this chance encounter would change my life. 

That weekend was spent meeting and hanging out with some of the most active and well known Sea Hawkers. They even invited me along their giant party cruise to Sail Gate before the game at Husky Stadium.

I remember stepping off that boat and seeing a group from the Military who were in attendance for the Seahawks game and we all posed for pictures with them, and for the first time since that early Tuesday morning in September, I felt a sense of safety. 

I had left Seattle after an amazing and totally coincidental weekend and stayed in contact with several of the Sea Hawkers I had met.

Within a week of returning to NY, I was talked into coming back out to Seattle the following month to watch the Sunday Night Game against the Raiders. 

I was hooked.

A week after that, I was talked into flying out for the game against the Cowboys, and to fly out to San Diego to meet up with more Sea Hawkers for the Chargers Game. And then I was able to meet up with some of the East Coast Sea Hawkers for a game at Giants Stadium to wrap up the season. 

To most… that experience would seem to be nothing more than a stretch of 5 football games, of which my travel record was undefeated in 4 games, losing only the game against the Giants in my own home state.

But to me…. That stretch of 5 games, was not about football. It was about the people I met, and the experiences I shared. That stretch of 5 games helped me get through one of the darkest times myself, NY and this country have ever seen.  

So now… some 20 years after becoming a Seahawks fan, I not only saw one Seahawks game in person but 5 in one season. And each season since has been filled with the same blessing that first season was. I have had the opportunity to meet Seahawks Fans from all over the country and have experienced some things through the Organization, that as a kid growing up a Seahawks fan in NY could have never imagined!

And now when I think about the Seahawks, some of the names that come to mind are:

Dana Patera
Neil Hart
Sal Longano
Will Harrison
Rick & Julie Tolar
Jeff & DeDe Schumaier
Bruce McMillan
Brad Carter
Andrew Wright
Bruce Bright & Kerry Lucci
David Israel
Paul Gates
Smokey & Cher Simons
Jerry Martinez
Traci Williams
Lorin Sandrestky
Patrick Hirang
Mike Flood
Garrett Thiemens
Kiara Bright
Sarah Bryant
Eric Peterson
And Amber Lancaster

People who do not take to the field every Sunday to score touchdowns, or make game winning plays…… But people whose dedication and passion for the Seahawks and the Seahawks Community have truly made me a fan both on and off the field.