The 1980s weren't the best decade in Seattle Seahawks history, but they were some of the years when the organization finally became a good one after starting in the 1970s. Wide receiver Paul Skansi helped with that.
Skansi scored 10 touchdowns in eight seasons with the team. In 1989, he was second on the team with 488 receiving yards and five touchdowns. He wasn't the best player on his team or in the league, but he was a valuable one.
He didn't quit football after he retired from playing after the 1991 season. In fact, his most impactful years were still to come. After coaching for a bit in college, including the Gig Harbor native's alma mater, Washington, he became a scout for the Chargers, with whom he worked from 2000 through 2015.
Former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver and longtime NFL scout, Paul Skansi, retires
In 2016, he joined the Washington Commanders, where he worked until June 2026. That is when, at 65 years old, Skansi decided to retire, maybe for good.
To be fair, Skansi has made his working life about football. He's still young enough to have a long life after the sport, though football has a way of calling people back to it. To suddenly stop traveling to high school and college football fields at all times of the year is an odd adjustment.
Skansi helped find some excellent talent in his career, including quarterbacks Drew Brees and Philip Rivers. The NFL was better, and a better experience for all involved, most importantly the fans, because Skansi understood talent when he saw it.
He began his playing career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was a fifth-round draft pick in 1983, but left after one season and found his way back to the Pacific Northwest. He played for the Seattle Seahawks from 1984 through 1991. Between 1986 and 1990, Skansi missed just three regular season games, and those were all in 1987.
He also made his mark on special teams. In 1985, for instance, he was both a punt returner and a kick returner for Seattle. He averaged a solid 10.1 yards per punt return.
Ultimately, he learned from the Seattle Seahawks what it took to create a winning team in the league and what helps make up a winning team. He turned that into 26 years of high-end scouting. Again, without people like Paul Skansi, the NFL wouldn't be as good. Now, he is retired, and hopefully the rest of his life is as good as he was for the sport of football.
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