NFL Trivia: How & When Was the Seattle-Based Franchise Named Seahawks?

Each team in the NFL shares a unique name made up of two parts. A geographical location and the team name. While the former is mostly cities, except New England as a region and Arizona, a state, the team names come in varied forms.

They can range from the names of animals to historical backgrounds to being named after fan contests and former professional teams. As for the Seattle Seahawks, the name shares a unique story and timeline, ranging back to the late 1970s.

The first part of the name — Seattle — doesn’t need an introduction. Located on the West Coast, this city is the seat of King County, Washington. But why mention that? Well, it is because, initially, it was decided that the franchise would be called Seattle Kings.

Coming back to the Seahawks part now, Seattle got its franchise in 1975. However, they were yet to receive a team name that would officially play during the 1976 season. That was when the fans – those who became known as 12s – were asked to submit their suggestions, and most of them proposed ‘Seahawks.’

In the contest, 1,741 different suggestions were given, and almost 20,365 entries were submitted. Eventually, Seahawks was selected as the franchise name, and since then, June 17 has been celebrated as its anniversary.

According to nflhistoric, the name is a common slag for an Osprey. Surprisingly, though, the logo didn’t include an Osprey. Rather, the design recalls the mythological creature, a thunderbird. Seattle’s natives, the Kwakwaka’wakw community, saw it as a religious figure.

 

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Another interesting fact is that the team couldn’t use the Seahawk symbol because of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s restrictions on using native birds for commercial purposes. Nonetheless, the team got its official name approved before the 1976 season began.

The “Hawks” gained popularity gradually, and in their first season, they were coached by Jack Patera.

If you wish to know the name of all 153 individuals who suggested “Seahawks,” it is on their official site. There, you can find other alternative names that were suggested as well. Some of them were: Woodpeckers, White Roosters, Third Degree, Snowflakes, Running Salmons, O-Zones, and so on.