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Legion of Boom (Seattle Seahawks)

Legion of Boom
AbbreviationL.O.B.
Formation2011–2018
MembersRichard Sherman
Earl Thomas
Kam Chancellor
Brandon Browner
Byron Maxwell
Bobby Wagner
Jeremy Lane
Walter Thurmond
Key people
Pete Carroll (head coach)
Kris Richard (coach)
Dan Quinn (coach)
Gus Bradley (coach)
Parent organization
Seattle Seahawks

The Legion of Boom (LOB) was the Seattle Seahawks secondary in the 2010s.[1][2][3][4][5] The original group that was nicknamed the Legion of Boom consisted of the starters in the Seahawks defensive backfield: Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor, Brandon Browner, Walter Thurmond and Byron Maxwell.

Over time, the nickname grew to encompass the Seahawks defense as a whole, including prominent players such as Bobby Wagner, K. J. Wright, Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril, Malcolm Smith, Brandon Mebane, Frank Clark, Chris Clemons and Bruce Irvin. Other eventual starting members of the secondary included Jeremy Lane, DeShawn Shead, Tharold Simon, Marcus Burley, Bradley McDougald, Shaquill Griffin and Justin Coleman.

During the Legion of Boom era, the Seahawks amassed six consecutive winning seasons, three division titles, two NFC championships, and a Super Bowl victory. They made the playoffs in five consecutive seasons (winning at least one game each appearance) and finished with five consecutive 10+ win seasons, a feat the franchise had never achieved in a consecutive season prior. They also appeared in back-to-back Super Bowls, winning once to secure the franchise's first ever championship.

During the 2012 to 2015 seasons, the Seahawks led the league in scoring defense, allowing the fewest points scored each year for four years straight. The only other team to accomplish this feat were the Cleveland Browns of the 1950s.[6] The 2013 defense led the league in fewest points allowed (231), fewest yards allowed (4,378), and most takeaways (39), the first team to lead all three categories since the 1985 Chicago Bears.[7] The 2013 unit is widely regarded as one of the best single-season defenses of all time.

Pete Carroll, with the help of defensive coordinators Gus Bradley and Dan Quinn and defensive backs coach Kris Richard, popularized the trend of Cover 1 and Cover 3 defensive schemes during the LOB era. The defensive schemes they ran were fairly simple and relied on the athleticism and talent of the members of the secondary. During pregame warmups the players would often chant "Who's got my back? I got your back!" and "We all we got, we all we need!" The team's dominant, physical defensive play and blowout victories, particularly during the 2012 and 2013 seasons, made the defense feared amongst the league.

Some point out that the Legion of Boom forced the NFL to change certain defensive rules[8] and that it changed what other teams look for when scouting talent at defensive back positions. The hard hitting, ruthless, tackling skills of strong safety Kam Chancellor and the sideline-to-sideline, quick and maneuverable nature of free safety Earl Thomas made them one of the most memorable safety duos in NFL history.[9][10] Richard Sherman was largely known for his loud trash talking and his highly intelligent ability to read offenses and force interceptions. Toward the latter part of Sherman's tenure with the franchise, many teams would avoid throwing to his side of the field entirely, in fear that Sherman may cause an interception.[11] Byron Maxwell had the ability to punch out footballs and force fumbles in a manner similar to cornerback Charles Tillman's signature "Peanut Punch".[12]

  1. ^ "'An amazing 10 years': Introducing The Seattle Times' 2010s Seahawks all-decade team". The Seattle Times. 2020-01-03. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
  2. ^ Smith, Corbin K. "Seahawks 2010s All-Decade Team: Offensive Skill Players". Sports Illustrated Seattle Seahawks News, Analysis and More. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
  3. ^ Dugar, Michael-Shawn. "The 2010s: Seattle Seahawks all-decade team boasts household names, heavy hitters". The Athletic. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
  4. ^ Jones, Kaelen (2021-01-06). "The Timeline of the Legion of Boom's Rise and Fall—and How the Seahawks Are Still Primed to Compete". The Ringer. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
  5. ^ P-I, Ben Arthur, Seattle (2019-07-08). "2013 Seattle Seahawks ranked top team of decade". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved 2022-06-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ "Seattle Seahawks defense leads NFL in fewest points allowed for 4th year in row". seattletimes.com. January 3, 2016. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  7. ^ Mayer, Larry (4 February 2014). "Comparing Seahawks to '85 Bears". Chicago Bears. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 5 February 2014.
  8. ^ Jenks, Jayson (6 August 2014). "New NFL rules could impact Seahawks' style of play". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  9. ^ Blount, Terry (16 January 2015). "Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor have an 'odd couple' bond". ESPN. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  10. ^ Wharton, Ian (23 July 2014). "10 Most Talented Safety Tandems in the NFL". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  11. ^ Corbett, Jim (17 January 2015). "Richard Sherman prepared for Packers to avoid him again". USA Today. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  12. ^ Henderson, Brady (28 December 2017). "Seahawks' Byron Maxwell has mastered the 'Peanut Punch'". ESPN. Retrieved 12 November 2019.

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