Tribute To The Legion of Boom

What started out with a boom, is quietly ending with a whimper. The Seattle Seahawks once had one of the most of the most controversial, yet impressive defenses in the NFL. However as time went on, it slowly fell after it’s two Super Bowl appearances. A defense once regarded as one of the best has since crumbled, and now is on the verge of extinction. This is the “Legion of Boom.”

It all started in the 2010 NFL draft with first round pick, free safety Earl Thomas and their fifth round pick, strong safety Kam Chancellor. However, the boom didn’t come until 2011 with the acquisitions of it’s most controversial member, a free agent from the Canadian Football League, a fifth round pick named Richard Sherman. The full legion would have to wait for it’s debut though, as the only thing stopping them was the starting cornerback that season, Marcus Trufant. Following an injury against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sherman would get his chance. It was at this time that the Legion of Boom was truly born.

While the team would finish with a 7-9 record in their first season, and a wild card season in year two, it all built towards the coup de gras. Following an injury to Browner, the Legion would add cornerback Byron Maxwell, a fifth pick from the 2011 draft who would finally see action. The Seahawks would go on a roll, finishing the season 13 – 3 and earning a spot in the playoffs, where the most recognized moment in their history would happen. During an interview with Fox Sports sideline reporter Erin Andrews, Sherman would call out San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree on live tv. Two weeks later, Seattle would play in their second ever Super Bowl, against the favored Denver Broncos. However, the odds didn’t seem to phase the young group as the Seattle Seahawks would win the game in convincing fashion.

The next season, Brandon Browner would leave Seattle for the eventual Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. This was the first shoe to drop in the dissolution of the Legion of Boom, though we didn’t know it yet. The next season, Maxwell would follow suit, signing a six year, $63 million contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. Following another wild card season, rumors have circulated about the Seahawks trading both Sherman and Thomas.

The future of the Legion of Boom is uncertain. However the future looks bleak for the once great defensive faction following the trade of defensive end Michael Bennett to the Eagles, as well as Sherman saying good bye to his teammates. On the verge of extinction, the mighty have fallen. The Legion of Boom may be no more.