Seattle Seahawks: 15 greatest players in franchise history

Seahawks WR Steve Largent played with Seattle from 1976 through 1989

Steve Largent wasn't supposed to be anywhere as good as he became. He wasn't the fastest receiver or the biggest, but he just had a knack for getting open. Largent was exactly what a coach would want from a football player. He worked hard to make himself better and by the time he was done, he was arguably the greatest wide receiver the NFL had ever seen.

When Largent retired in 1989, he held the NFL record for most catches (819), receiving yards (13,089), and touchdown catches (100). He also had had a catch in 177 straight games. Between 1978 and 1986, Largent had at least 1,064 yards receiving each season except for the strike-shortened season of 1982. He led the NFL in receiving yards twice.

He was a model of consistency. He had between 8 and 12 touchdown receptions in a season eight times. And he had between 66 and 79 catches in a season eight times as well. Yet somehow Largent managed to only be a first-team All-Pro one time. He was a second-team All-Pro four times. Just think of how ridiculous that reads when one holds up Largent's numbers compared to every other one of his contemporaries.

Largent was selected by the Houston Oilers in the fourth round of the 1976 NFL draft. But Largent didn't play that well through the preseason and the Oilers were going to release him. Thankfully for Seahawks history, Seattle decided to trade an eighth-round pick to get Largent, which is probably one of the most one-sided trades ever made.