Shaun Alexander

Shaun Alexander

Alexander in 2006
No. 37
Position:	Running back
Personal information
Born:	(1977-08-30)August 30, 1977 Florence, Kentucky,U.S.
Height:	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:	228 lb (103 kg)
Career information
High school:	Boone County (Florence, Kentucky)
College:	Alabama(1996–1999)
NFL draft:	2000/ round: 1 / pick: 19
Career history
Seattle Seahawks(2000–2007) Washington Redskins(2008)
Career highlights and awards
NFL Most Valuable Player(2005) NFL Offensive Player of the Year(2005) First-teamAll-Pro(2005) Second-team All-Pro (2004) 3×Pro Bowl(2003–2005) Bert Bell Award(2005) NFL rushing yards leader(2005) 2×NFL rushing touchdowns leader(2001, 2005) NFL scoring leader(2005) NFL 2000s All-Decade Team Seattle Seahawks 35th Anniversary team Seattle Seahawks Ring of Honor First-teamAll-American(1999) First-teamAll-SEC(1999) Second-team All-SEC (1998) SEC Player of the Year(1999)
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards: 9,453 Rushing average: 4.3 Rushing touchdowns: 100 Receptions: 215 Receiving yards: 1,520 Receiving touchdowns: 12
Player stats atPFR

Shaun Edward Alexander(born August 30, 1977) is an American former professionalfootballplayer who was arunning backfor theSeattle SeahawksandWashington Redskinsof theNational Football League(NFL). He playedcollege footballfor theAlabama Crimson Tide,earning first-teamAll-Americanhonors in 1999. He was selected by Seattle 19th overall in the2000 NFL draft.In 2011, he was inducted into theAlabama Sports Hall of Fame.

Alexander set numerous NFL and Seahawks' franchise records and was named theNFL MVPin 2005. He was also named to the NFL's 2000 All-Decade team,and ranks eighth all time in NFL history for rushing touchdowns (100). Alexander was the first athlete featured on the cover of both theNCAA FootballandMadden NFLseries of video games.

Early life

Alexander was born and raised inFlorence, Kentucky.His father, Curtis Alexander Jr., works forMorton Saltand his mother Carol works in the truancy department of theBoone County School District.He has an older brother Durran, and four older half-sisters and three older half-brothers.His parents divorced when he was 11, and he and Durran were raised by their mother in a two-bedroom apartment off of Shenandoah Drive in Florence, Kentucky.

Alexander attended Florence Elementary School and Rector A. Jones Middle School.In 1991, he enteredBoone County High School.As a freshman, he playedfootballfor thejunior varsityteam and was votedClass President—as he was every year in high school.As well as football, Alexander excelled in basketball, baseball, and track.

In his sophomore season, Alexander made the varsity team as the second-string running back. By mid-season, he was the team's featured running back as he rushed for 1,095 yards and 14 touchdowns. During his junior season in 1993, Alexander ran for 2,396 yards and 42 touchdowns as Boone County made it to the state semifinals. In a game versus Campbell County, Alexander rushed for seven touchdowns. He was listed in "Faces in the Crowd" section ofSports Illustratedin January 1994.

During his senior season, 1994–1995, Alexander rushed for 3,166 yards and a state record 54 touchdownsand was namedKentucky's "Mr. Football".He also was selected All-American byParadeandUSA Today's1994 All USA team,named "Old Spice Athlete of the Month" by Sports Illustrated, and was known as "Alexander the Great" and had his high school number 37 retired a few weeks before his graduation.In three varsity seasons, Alexander rushed for 6,657 yards and 110 touchdowns—both of which are Top 10 prep all-time records.

College career

Alexander had narrowed his choices down toMichigan,Alabama,andNotre Dame(where his brother Durran played drums in the marching band).He ultimately chose theUniversity of Alabamabecause of the warm weather and the overall students' enthusiasm.

In 1995, during his senior year in high school, Alexander accepted ascholarshipfromGene Stallings,then-head coach for theAlabama Crimson Tide footballteam.Mike DuBosewould replace Stallings in 1997. In his freshman season on campus, Alexander wasredshirted.

In1996,as a redshirt freshman, Alexander rushed for a school-record 291 yardsand four touchdowns in a 26–0 victory over rivalsLSUatTiger Stadium.He finished the year with 589 rushing yards and six touchdowns, and helped the team to a 10–3 record.

The1997 seasonproved to be tough for both Alexander and the Crimson Tide, as Alexander finished with 415 rushing yards and three touchdowns, while the Tide limped to four victories.

The1998 seasonturned out much better for both, as Alabama improved to 7–5, and Alexander had 18 touchdowns (14 rushing and four receiving) and attained 1,178 yards. He was rewarded with an All-Southeast Conference honors at the end of the season.

Following his junior season, Alexander decided to return for his senior season rather than leaving early for the NFL. After initially being givenHeisman Trophyconsideration to start theseason,those hopes would fade as the season progressed and ended with a sprained ankle versusTennessee.Alexander still played a key role in leading the Tide to theSECChampionship in 1999, as Alabama trampled #3Floridawith a 34–7 victory. In the fourth quarter of the 1999Iron Bowlversus rivalsAuburn,Alexander led a comeback as he scored three rushing touchdowns in the 28–17 victory, finishing the game with 199 total yards.He left the school holding 15 records, including 3,565 career rushing yards.

College statistics

Alabama Crimson Tide
Season	GP	Rushing						Receiving
		Att	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Y/G	Rec	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Y/G
1996	11	77	589	7.6	73	6	53.5	7	53	7.6	28	0	4.8
1997	9	90	415	4.6	27	3	46.1	4	37	9.3	22	0	4.1
1998	10	232	1,046	4.5	37	12	104.6	25	379	15.2	43	4	37.9
1999	11	302	1,383	4.6	38	19	125.7	25	323	12.9	51	4	29.4
Career	41	701	3,433	4.9	73	40	83.7	61	792	13.0	51	8	19.3

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables

Height	Weight	40-yard dash
5 ft11+7⁄8in (1.83 m)	218 lb (99 kg)	4.58 s
All values fromNFL Combine

Seattle Seahawks

2000–2004

Alexander was selected by theSeattle Seahawkson April 15 in the2000 NFL draftin the first round with the 19th overall pick.The Seahawks acquired the pick in the draft following a trade that sent wide receiverJoey Gallowayto theDallas Cowboys.In hisrookieseason, Alexander saw limited action behind starterRicky Watters,rushing 64 times for just 313 yards and two touchdowns.

In Alexander's second season in the NFL, he became the Seahawks' featured running back, following injuries and eventual retirement of Watters. Alexander rushed 309 times for 1,318 yards and 14 touchdowns, only behindMarshall Faulkfor total touchdowns.The offensive line was led byPro BowlerWalter Jonesand rookieSteve Hutchinson.OnESPN Sunday Night Footballon November 11, 2001, versusAFC WestrivalOakland RaidersatHusky Stadiumin Seattle, Alexander rushed for a franchise-record 266 yards on 35 carries, including an 88-yard run to the endzone.He was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week after his performance against the Raiders.Following the season,Fox Sports Nethired him to do a variety show calledShaun Alexander Live,aimed to poke fun at Alexander's lack of recognition despite his on-field accomplishments, but it was short-lived.

In 2002, Alexander started all 16 games en route to anNFCleading (and franchise record) 16 rushing touchdowns, four of which came in the first half of Seattle's September 29, 2002, game against theMinnesota Vikingsin only the second regular-season game ever at Seahawks Stadium in Seattle.He also caught an 80-yard touchdown pass in the first half.The five touchdowns in that half set an NFL record. This was another ESPN Sunday Night Football game, enhancing Alexander's reputation for performing phenomenally well in high-profile, prime time nationally televised games.

2003 was another productive year for Alexander. He rushed his way to a career-high of 1,435 rushing yards and scored 16 touchdowns.Seattle also made its first playoff appearance since 2000. Alexander's success in the 2003 season earned him his first trip toHonolulufor the annualPro Bowl.

In 2004, Alexander remained one of the key components of Seattle's offense. He finished second in the NFL in rushing yards (with 1,696) to theNew York Jets'Curtis Martinby a single yard.After being passed over for a late-game rushing attempt during his team's victory over theAtlanta Falcons,Alexander accused his coachMike Holmgrenof "stabbing him in the back" by denying him an opportunity to win the rushing title.Alexander retracted his comments the following day and expressed support for his coach.

2005 season

Alexander had a great deal of success in the2005 season.In the season opener against theJacksonville Jaguars,he rushed for 73 yards. Other highlights include an 88-yard touchdown run against theArizona Cardinalson November 6, 2005, and rushing for 165 yards against theSt. Louis Ramson November 13, 2005. Also, he had two 4 touchdown games, against Arizona on September 25, 2005, and against theHouston Texanson October 16, 2005. He led the NFL in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns,Pro Bowlvotes, and points.

During the 2005 season, Alexander broke the franchise record for the most rushing yards in the Seattle Seahawks' history. On November 13, 2005, scoring 3 touchdowns, Alexander became the first running back in NFL history to record 15 or more touchdowns in five consecutive seasons. On November 20, 2005, in San Francisco, Alexander became the first player in NFL history to score 19 rushing or receiving touchdowns in only 10 games (Steve Van Burenhad 18 in 1945). This feat eventually led to him breakingPriest Holmesrecord of 27 total touchdowns set in 2003, and his 27 rushing touchdowns also tied Holmes for the most in a single season (the record was broken a year later byLaDainian Tomlinson).

On December 11, 2005, in Seattle'sNFC West-clinching victory over theSan Francisco 49ers,Alexander had his ninth 100–yard rushing game of the year, breakingChris Warren's franchise record of eight 100–yard games. In the process he also set a more significant NFL record, running for 100 yards against divisional opponents in nine straight games, a record previously held byWalter Payton.On December 18, 2005, in a game against theTennessee Titans,Alexander passed the 1,600-yard mark for the second consecutive season, had a Seahawks franchise record 10th 100-yard rushing game, and scored his 24th rushing touchdown of the year (as well as the 86th of his career, tying him with Priest Holmes at 12th on the all-time rushing touchdown leader list).Perhaps more substantial is that his 96th career touchdown moved him into an 18th place tie withRandy MossandEric Dickersonon the all-time touchdown leader list,having already bumped Priest Holmes (94 TDs) into 21st. Alexander also became the first Seahawks player to appear on the cover ofSports Illustrated.

On January 1, 2006, in a game versus theGreen Bay Packers,Alexander set the single-season touchdown record at 28, and tied Priest Holmes's record of 27 rushing touchdowns in a season. Alexander also won his first NFL rushing title with 1,880 rushing yards, while leading the NFC for the second consecutive year. In 2005, he joinedEmmitt Smith,Priest Holmes,andMarshall Faulkas the only running backs to record consecutive seasons of 20 or more touchdowns. Combined with quarterbackMatt Hasselbeck,Alexander aided the Seahawks in producing the league's top ranked offense, and the team scoring title.

Four days later, on January 5, he was awarded the 2005NFL MVP Award,becoming the first Seahawk to win the MVP award. He beat outNew York Giantsrunning backTiki BarberandIndianapolis ColtsquarterbackPeyton Manningwho had won the award the previous two years. Alexander garnered 19 out of a possible 50 votes. A day after receiving the MVP award, Alexander was namedAssociated Press Offensive Player of the Year.He received 34 votes of a panel of 50 NFL sportswriters and broadcasters. He was also named theFedExGroundNFLPlayer of the Year. At theESPY AwardsAlexander received two awards, Best Record Breaking Performance and Best NFL Player.

In the Divisional playoff game against theWashington Redskins,Alexander suffered aconcussionearly on and had to watch the Seahawks win. However, in theNFC Championship Gameagainst theCarolina Panthershe had 34 carries for 132 yards and two touchdowns, which was easily the best playoff performance of his career.

The Seahawks lost to thePittsburgh SteelersinSuper Bowl XLon February 5, 2006. Alexander was, however, the leading rusher of the game with 95 yards.At the end of the season, he was selected to be the cover athlete ofMadden NFL 2007.Alexander was the first player to be featured on both the covers ofMadden NFLandNCAA Football(the latter on2001). He was also the only one with this accomplishment up untilLarry Fitzgeraldwas selected to appear onMadden NFL 10,though Fitzgerald was sharing a cover with the Steelers'Troy Polamalu.

Alexander's MVP season was celebrated musically by Dustin Blatnik and the 12th Man Band in the song "Sweet Shaun Alexander", a parody ofLynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama"."Sweet Shaun "was widely aired in the Seattle area in the weeks leading up to Super Bowl XL, plus national play on ESPN Radio and other outlets. The song was decried in SportsIllustratedmagazine, calling this parody "the sacrilege with cheese".

2006 season

In March 2006, Alexander signed an eight-year,$62 million contract ($15.1 million of which was guaranteed and $15 million to be paid in the first year of the contract) to remain with the Seattle Seahawks organization,becoming the highest paid running back in NFL history at the time.However, the Seahawks All-Pro offensive guardSteve Hutchinsonleft to go to the Minnesota Vikings several weeks later due to free agency,weakening an offensive line that had been a large part of Alexander's 2005 productivity.

Alexander broke his left foot in Week 3 of the season, effectively continuing theMadden Curse.However, in the same game, Alexander set a team record while scoring his 102nd touchdown of his career, breaking Steve Largent's record.He returned to action on November 19 against theSan Francisco 49ers,rushing 17 times for 37 yards.In a November 27 game on ESPN'sMonday Night Footballagainst the Packers, Alexander carried the ball a team record 40 times for 201 yards in a game that featured snow for the first time at Qwest Field.Alexander's performance was a return to MVP form and yet another prime-time showcase for Alexander, who was still playing with the broken foot. In a December 10 loss to theArizona Cardinals,Alexander brokeBarry Sanders's record for most consecutive games with a run of 10 or more yards.

Alexander finished the 2006 season with 252 rushing attempts for 896 yards and seven touchdowns in ten games.In the Divisional Round against the Chicago Bears, Alexander had 26 carries for 108 yards and two touchdowns in the 27–24 loss.

2007 season

During Week 1's game againstTampa Bay,Alexander sustained a fractured left wrist. He indicated that the injury was not major and that he would continue to play, but his performance took a noticeable turn for the worse. During Week 5, Alexander's lead blocker,Mack Strong,was injured with a herniated disk in his neck, forcing him to retire; he was replaced byLeonard Weaver.This left Alexander even more exposed and as a result, injuries continued to plague him. In Week 9, he sprained both his knee and ankle. Even so, in the final game of the regular season, Alexander was able to become the eighth player inNFLhistory to score 100 rushing touchdowns.

Alexander's final regular season statistics for the 2007 season were 716 yards rushing on 207 attempts, a 3.5–yard per carry with four touchdowns in 10 games. He added 14 receptions for 76 yards and a touchdown to his rushing totals.After a January 12, 2008, playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers in which Alexander recorded only 20 yards on 9 carries and scored just one touchdown, the Seahawks opted to cut Alexander from the team on April 22, 2008.

Washington Redskins

After his release, Alexander visited several teams including theCincinnati Bengals,Detroit Lions,andNew Orleans Saints,but was not able to come to terms on a contract until he visited theWashington Redskins.On October 14, 2008, the team signed Alexanderto fill the void left when back-up running backLadell Bettswent down with a knee injury.However, the Redskins released Alexander on November 25, 2008, after he logged only 11 carries in four games and averaged 2.2 yards per carry.

NFL career statistics

Legend
	APNFL MVP&OPOTY
	Led the league
Bold	Career high

Regular season

Year	Team	Games		Rushing					Receiving					Fumbles
		GP	GS	Att	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Rec	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Fum	Lost
2000	SEA	16	1	64	313	4.9	50	2	5	41	8.2	18	0	2	2
2001	SEA	16	12	309	1,318	4.3	88	14	44	343	7.8	28	2	4	4
2002	SEA	16	16	295	1,175	4.0	58	16	59	460	7.8	80	2	3	1
2003	SEA	16	15	326	1,435	4.4	55	14	42	295	7.0	22	2	4	3
2004	SEA	16	16	353	1,696	4.8	44	16	23	170	7.4	24	4	5	3
2005	SEA	16	16	370	1,880	5.1	88	27	15	78	5.2	9	1	5	1
2006	SEA	10	10	252	896	3.6	33	7	12	48	4.0	14	0	6	3
2007	SEA	13	10	207	716	3.5	25	4	14	76	5.4	18	1	2	0
2008	WAS	4	0	11	24	2.2	8	0	1	9	9.0	9	0	0	0
Career		123	96	2,187	9,453	4.3	88	100	215	1,520	7.1	80	12	31	17

Legacy

Alexander with U.S. RepresentativeRobert Aderholtin 2017

Alexander is one of 25 players with 100 career touchdowns, ranking 17th as of 2024 and he is one of nine with 100 rushing touchdowns. However, he has not been inducted into thePro Football Hall of Fame,where he has not even been selected as a semifinalist since being first eligible in 2014. Two of the teammates who blocked for him on the offensive line,Walter JonesandSteve Hutchinson,are inductees.

In 2016, Alexander was inducted into The Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame.

Personal life

Alexander married Valerie Alexander (née Boyd) in April 2002 after a two-year courtship. Together, the couple have 12 living children.The couple had another child who died unexpectedly at two months of age.Alexander has an older brother by one year named Durran who serves as executive director of the Shaun Alexander Foundation.

See also

• List of NCAA major college football yearly scoring leaders

Further reading

• Alexander, Shaun; The Walk: Clear Direction and Spiritual Power for Your Life (2010). WaterBrook
• Alexander, Shaun; Cecil Murphey (2006).Touchdown Alexander: My Story of Faith, Football, and Pursuing the Dream.Harvest House.ISBN0-7369-1937-6.
• Smithwick, John (2007).Meet Shaun Alexander: Football's Top Running Back.Powerkids Press.ISBN978-1-4042-3635-6.
• Scott, Richard;Jay Barker(2004).Legends of Alabama Football.Sports Publishing LLC.ISBN1-58261-277-3.

External links

• Official website
• Career statistics and player information fromNFL·ESPN·CBS Sports·Yahoo! Sports·SI·Pro Football Reference