Seattle Seahawks: 15 best running backs in franchise history
Number 6: Seahawks only got the tail end of his career, but that was enough
Our next star is a bit of a different case from almost any other player on our list. If we include his entire career, his 142 starts, 2622 carries and 10,643 yards would easily make him the number one back in Seahawks history. He certainly isn’t in the same category as AP; I mean, he did play more than one game with Seattle. But it remains a fact that Ricky Watters did most of his damage with other teams.
He began his career with the much-despised 49ers in 1992. The Seahawks running back room was in great shape then – as you probably remember – but Watters made an immediate impact on the league. He ran for over 1,000 yards as a rookie but saw his production begin to tail off over the next two seasons. Watters joined a bird team in 1995, but one of the wrong ones – the Eagles. Hey, at least it wasn’t the Cardinals.
Philadelphia decided to do what so many teams enjoyed in the ’90s – they nearly ran him to death. After seasons of 206, 208, and 239 carries with the Niners, the Eagles promptly added 100 carries a season to his workload. Over the next two seasons, Watter had 37 more carries than he did in his first three. Not that he got bad results; he totaled 2,684 yards and 24 rushing TDs in ’95 and ’96. Luckily for him, the Eagles dropped his workload in ’97, but he still managed 1,110 yards and seven scores. He also racked up 301 catches for 2,760 yards and nine touchdowns in those cities that no one cares about.
And now we get to the good stuff – Ricky Watters with the Seahawks. He was 29 years old when he joined Seattle. I realize that’s pretty young, but of the nine men we’ve already discussed, only Morris and Strong played past that age. Happily for the 12s, Watters had a lot left in the tank. He played four seasons in Seattle and racked up over 1,200 yards for the first three. He was dangerous out of the backfield too, with 155 catches and four touchdowns to add to his 21 on the ground.
But 2001 was to be his last in Seattle and in the league. He suffered a broken ankle – man, does that ever sound familiar, right 12s? – and was done after just five games. Overall, Watters tallied 994 carries for 4,009 yards and 22 touchdowns for the Seahawks. He ranks seventh in career rushing yards for Seattle and eighth in touchdowns. Not too bad for a guy who was on his third team!