Moments In Time
Next up in our Moments In Time Northwest sports series is a fun flashback of Seattle Seahawks NFL draft picks.
The current Seattle Seahawks administration has done an absolutely stunning job of finding talent throughout the draft.
That hasn’t always been the case.
The Seahawks’ first-ever draft pick, selected 2nd overall in 1976, was Steve Niehause. Steve took the league by storm and was named the 1976 NFC Defensive Rookie of the Year. His 9.5 sacks are still a Seahawks rookie record.
Unfortunately, knee injuries ended his career and he was out of football by 1979.
Brian “Boz” Bosworth
Brian Bosworth. A true draft bust. (Photo:Scott Halleran/Allsport)
The Seahawks’ first real draft bust was actually taken in the supplemental draft. In 1987, they used their 1st round draft pick to select Brian Bosworth from the University of Oklahoma. Little did they know, they were drafting two different people, Brian and “The Boz.”.
If you haven’t read the book “Then Zorn Said to Largent” by Paul Moyer, Dave Wyman and Chris Cluff, I highly recommend it. In that book, Wyman goes into detail about his teammate and roommate, whom he was very fond of, Bosworth, and the guy he couldn’t stand to be in the same room with, “The Boz.” He explains that they were two completely different people.
Bosworth played pretty well when he was on the field, except against Bo Jackson. Unfortunately, the Seahawks only got 24 games out of the young man, whom they signed to a ground-breaking 10-year, $11 million contract.
Two games into the 1989 season, Brian retired from football after flunking his team physical due to a shoulder injury.
He will always be remembered more as the guy who sold t-shirts that read “BAN THE BOZ” to Bronco fans, without their knowledge, and for his hair cut than his contributions on the field.
I must admit, I had a Boz Cut back in those days.
Dan McGwire
The Seahawks’ second draft bust was in 1991 when the team decided to draft a 6’8″ quarterback from San Diego State. Unfortunately, Dan McGwire made more of a splash because of his height than he did on the field (he is still the tallest quarterback ever drafted).
Maybe he should have been taking androstenedione like his brother because while Dan threw more interception than touchdowns, his brother Mark was belting home runs and having a hall of fame career.
Well, until people found out he was cheating.
2nd overall pick 93 draft…
I remember on draft day being really excited to see the Seahawks draft Mark’s younger brother. As a kid, I thought the Seahawks were getting a really talented player because of his genetics. That was the moment I realized that the name on the back of a jersey doesn’t mean anything when it comes to how they will produce on the field.
Rick Mirer
Two years later, the Seahawks used the second overall pick of the 1993 NFL to select Rick Mirer. After missing the boat with Dan McGwire, the team thought the young quarterback from Notre Dame would be the answer.
Once again, they were wrong.
I have to admit that Rick had a lot better career than Dan; however, it was still not what you would expect from the second overall pick. It is too bad the Patriots selected Drew Bledsoe instead of him.
Either that or wait until the 5th round and select Mark Brunell from the University of Washington.
Chris McIntosh
Through no fault of his own, Chris McIntosh became a draft bust when he suffered a neck stinger in training camp before the 2001 NFL season. He was forced to retire from the NFL after only 24 games.
Aaron Curry is the biggest draft bust in Seattle history.
Just like Bosworth, that is not enough playing time from a first round draft pick.
Aaron Curry
The team’s biggest draft bust was the pick that I had been the most exited about in any draft. Entering the 2009 draft, there was no player I wanted to see the Seahawks select more than Aaron Curry.
We all know his story, so I wont rehash the past; but I would like to mention that he recently said that he was selfish while in Seattle. He told reporters that he cared more about himself than the Seahawks. We already knew that was the case, so I’m unsure how I feel about him admitting it.
We welcomed him and Jamilia (his wife) with open arms and open hearts. We welcomed his first-born child, Maxwell, with congratulations and gifts.
How did he repay us? By not caring.
I want to give a (not-so) honorable mention to Marcus Tubbs. It was tough to decide between him and McIntosh, and it was only the number of games played that made my decision. Chris had 24 games while Marcus played in 27.
Will anyone ever be a bigger draft bust in Seattle than Aaron Curry? Time will tell. Let’s just hope the Seahawks don’t add a player to this list for a long time.
Go Seahawks!
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