Five Best Running Backs in the History of the Seahawks
By Lee Vowell
5. Sherman Smith
Smith was the sacrificial lamb for the Seahawks in their expansion seasons. He was a tough runner who was simply unable to amass a lot of yards. His offensive line was terrible. The passing game was not good in the early part of his career.
Smith was a lot like the running backs Pete Carroll prefers. Smith could run between the tackles and eat up clock. He was the first running back in Seahawks history to run over 100 yards in a game when he ran for 124 yards against the Atlanta Falcons in 1976. Smith led the Seahawks in rushing in the first four years of the franchise.
Was Smith the best running back in the NFL? No. But if he were playing today he would definitely fit in Seattle’s offensive scheme. He finished his career with 3,429 rushing and 28 touchdowns. Smith ran for 4.2 yards-per-carry in his time in Seattle. Behind the lines he had, that is not so bad. He also had 210 receptions for 2,445 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Though it does not count on this list, of important note is that Smith, until he was let go this offseason by Seattle, was the running backs coach who helped lead Marshawn Lynch to extremely effective years.