Legendary Seattle Seahawks running back Dan Doornink died on Saturday at 70. A native Washingtonian, he spent seven seasons with the team at the franchise’s onset from 1979-1985, became one of their first playoff folk heroes under head coach Chuck Knox, and established the foundation on which the Pacific Northwest’s football culture grew for decades to come.
The New York Giants drafted Doornink in 1978 before trading him to Seattle in 1979. That season in New York was the only one Doornink ever played outside of Washington State. He grew up in Yakima and attended Wapato High School before playing college football for Washington State University. He also attended medical school at the University of Washington, which earned him the nickname “Dr.
Dan” from fans.
Doornink represents rare loyalty to the union’s 42nd state. It’s easy to see fans returning to Lumen Field in droves for the defending Super Bowl champions, but the team struggled to attract fans in their early days. Former owner Ken Behring even attempted to move the team to Los Angeles in 1996. It’s easy to forget these wrinkles in time when there’s so much to talk about every week, but it’s fitting to show gratitude to those who paved the way for the Seahawks to even exist 30 years later.
As Seattle becomes the epicenter of the football world for Monday Night Football in Week 8, Dr. Dan Doornink will be watching down from above with a smile. He was an old-school player who made the blue-and-green bird mascot synonymous with physicality. The team’s modern culture of physicality has evolved as much as that of any NFL team. It would be fitting for the Seahawks to have their best running game of the season against the Chicago Bears in his honor, but the physicality they bring every single game is the real tribute.
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This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Remembering former Seahawks RB Dan Doornink's legacy
