User:Angrymansr/Sandbox/Shaun Alexander

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Shaun Edward Alexander (born August 30, 1977 in Florence, Kentucky) is an American football player in the National Football League. He currently is the starting running back for the Seattle Seahawks.

[edit] Early years

After a standout career at Boone County High School in his hometown, Alexander won the Kentucky "Mr. Football" Award ^[1], an honor given to the top high school player in the state. He set records of 3,166 rushing yards and 54 touchdowns for his high school team. He also attended R.A. Jones Middle School.^[2]

[edit] College career

Shaun Alexander on the cover of NCAA Football 2001.

Alexander accepted a scholarship offer from the University of Alabama. Alexander wasted little time in showing his prowess on the football field at the collegiate level. As a freshman in 1996, he ran for 291 yards, an Alabama single-game rushing record, and four touchdowns against LSU in Tiger Stadium. After deciding against declaring for the NFL Draft after his junior year in 1998, Alexander returned to Tuscaloosa and had a banner season. He was initially given Heisman consideration, but a sprained ankle in a game against Tennessee ended his chances of that. Nevertheless, Alexander still played a key role in leading the Tide to the SEC Championship in 1999, with his game-winning 25-yard (23 m) touchdown run against the third-ranked Florida in Gainesville, and also his dominating fourth quarter performance against in-state foe Auburn in the Iron Bowl. Alexander still holds the Alabama rushing record with 3,565 yards (3,260 m) in four seasons.

[edit] NFL career

Alexander was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks with the 19th pick of the 2000 NFL Draft. ^[3] The Seahawks acquired this pick by trading Joey Galloway to the Dallas Cowboys. Alexander played in all 16 games his rookie year but saw limited action behind starter Ricky Watters. His fame rose the following year. In a game played on November 11, 2001 against the Oakland Raiders, he rushed for a franchise record 266 yards (243 m) on 35 carries. In 2001, he led the NFL in rushing touchdowns with 14 and was tied for second with Terrell Owens with 16 total touchdowns.

In 2002, he started all 16 games en route to an NFC leading (and franchise record) 16 rushing touchdowns, four of which came in the first half of Seattle's September 29, 2002 game against the Minnesota Vikings where he also caught a touchdown pass. The five touchdowns in that half set an NFL record.

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 to Honolulu for the annual Pro 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 the New York Jets' Curtis Martin by a single yard. After being passed over for a late game rushing attempt during his team's victory over the Atlanta Falcons, Alexander accused his coach Mike Holmgren of "stabbing him in the back" by denying Alexander an opportunity to win the rushing title. Alexander retracted his comments the following day, and expressed support for his coach.

[edit] 2005 season

Alexander had a great deal of success in the 2005 season. In the first game, he rushed for 73 yards (67 m). Other highlights include an 88-yard (80 m) touchdown run against the Arizona Cardinals on November 6, 2005, and rushing for 165 yards (151 m) against the St. Louis Rams on November 13, 2005. Also, he had two 4 touchdown games, against Arizona on September 25, 2005, and against the Houston Texans on October 16, 2005. He led the NFL in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, Pro Bowl votes, and points.

During the 2005 season he 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 TDs in only 10 games (Steve Van Buren had 18 in 1945). This feat eventually led to him breaking Priest Holmes record of 27 total touchdowns set in 2002, and his 27 rushing touchdowns also tied Holmes for the most in a single season.

On December 11th, 2005, in Seattle's NFC West-clinching victory over the San Francisco 49ers, Alexander ran for his 9th 100-yard (91 m) rushing game of the year, breaking Chris Warren's franchise record of eight 100-yard (91 m) games. In the process he also set a more significant NFL record, running for 100 yards (91 m) against divisional opponents in nine straight games, a record previously held by Walter Payton. On December 18th, 2005, visiting the Tennessee Titans, gaining 1,600 yards (1,500 m) for the 2nd consecutive season, Alexander ran for a Seahawks franchise record 10th 100-yard (91 m) rushing game, also scoring his 24th rushing touchdown of the year, and 86th rushing TD of his career, tying him with Priest Holmes at 12th on the all-time rushing touchdown leader list. [1] Perhaps even more substantial is this: his 96th career touchdown moved him into an 18th place tie with Randy Moss and Eric Dickerson on the all-time touchdown leader list [2], having already bumped Priest Holmes (94 TDs) into 21st. Alexander became the first Seahawk player to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

On January 1, 2006, in a game versus the Green Bay Packers, Alexander set the record for touchdowns in a season, 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 yards (1,720 m). In 2005, he joined Emmitt Smith, Priest Holmes, and Marshall Faulk as the only running backs to record consecutive seasons of 20 or more touchdowns.

Four days later, on January 5, he was awarded with the 2005 NFL MVP Award, becoming the first Seahawk to win the MVP award in franchise history. He beat out New York Giants running back Tiki Barber and Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning who 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 named Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year. He received 34 votes of a panel of 50 NFL sportwriters and broadcasters. He was also named the FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Year. At the ESPY Awards Alexander received two awards, Best Record Breaking Performance and Best NFL Player.

In the 2006 Divisional playoff game against the Washington Redskins Alexander suffered a concussion early on and had to watch the rest of the game, a Seahawks win, from the sidelines. However, in the NFC Championship Game against the Carolina Panthers he had 34 carries for 132 yards (121 m) and two touchdowns.

During the Seahawks Super Bowl run, Alexander's success was feted by "Dustin Blatnik and the 12th Man Band" in the song "Sweet Shaun Alexander," a parody to the popular Lynyrd Skynyrd song "Sweet Home Alabama." Shaun Alexander and the Seahawks lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XL on February 5th, 2006. Alexander was the leading rusher of the game with 95 yards (87 m) in a losing effort. He suffered a sprained ankle towards the end of the game which kept him from playing in the Pro Bowl. At the end of the season, he was selected to be the cover athlete of Madden NFL 2007 making him the first player to appear on the covers of both EA Sports football titles. Alexander previously appeared on the cover of NCAA Football 2001.

[edit] 2006 season

In March of 2006 Alexander signed an 8-year $62 million contract to remain a part of the Seattle Seahawks organization, becoming the highest paid running back in NFL history at the time of the signing.^[4]

Alexander fractured the 4th metatarsal in his left foot in Week 3 of the season, keeping the fabled Madden curse alive. He returned to action on November 19, 2006 against the San Francisco 49ers. On December 10, in a loss to the Arizona Cardinals, he broke Barry Sanders' record for most consecutive games with a run of 10 or more yards.

Alexander's final regular season statistics for 2006 were 896 yards (819 m) rushing on 252 attempts, a 3.6-yard (3.3 m) per carry with seven rushing touchdowns in 10 games.

[edit] 2007 season

During Week 1's game against Tampa Bay, Alexander sustained a fractured left wrist. Alexander assured coaches and the press that he would still continue to play. Although Alexander decided to play despite his injury, his performance suffered. 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 by Leonard Weaver. Injuries plagued Alexander again during Week 9, where he twisted both his knee and ankle. In the final game of the regular season, Alexander became the eighth player in NFL history to score 100 career rushing touchdowns.

Alexander's final regular season statistics for 2007 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.

Alexander recorded only 20 yards on 9 carries and scored a TD on a one-yard run in Seattle's playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers on January 12, 2008.

[edit] Shaun Alexander Foundation

Before being drafted, Alexander created a private foundation named The Shaun Alexander Family Foundation with his older brother Durran. Between 2000 and 2002, Alexander donated $155,000 USD of his own money into the charity and then considerably less until 2005. In 2005, the foundation was converted to a public charity and re-named the Shaun Alexander Foundation ^[5]. According to the foundations mission statement, their goal is to empower young men through education, athletics, character programs, and leadership training: inspiring them to reach their full potential as the mentors and role models for the next generation^[6].

[edit] Successes

The Shaun Alexander has many partners with whom they team. In 2005, Alexander delivered a grant of $7,500 to one of its partners America's Foundation for Chess^[7]. Alexander has also teamed with Sprint Nextel on a regular basis, holding a chess tournament for 150 children second and third graders. The winner of the trip wins an all-expense paid trip to Hawaii for four to see the Pro Bowl^[8].

[edit] Difficulties

Alexander's successes, have not been without some difficulty. In 2004, Alexander's foundation held a golf tournament that netted a loss of $395.^[9] The next year Alexander's company Main Street, LLC paid $1.8 million to buy the community center from the YMCA in his hometown of Florence, Kentucky with the intent of renovating and reopening the facility.^[10]Today that community center is vacant, unkempt, and for sale after being cited for code violations.^[11]

[edit] Personal

Alexander married Valerie Alexander (née Boyd) in April of 2002 after a two-year courtship. Together, the couple have three daughters: Heaven, Trinity and Eden.^[12] A born-again Christian,^[13] Alexander and his wife are very outspoken about their faith and are regular attendees at Tacoma's Christian Faith Center. Alexander believes strongly in Jesus Christ and also shows strong faith.^[14] A firm supporter of abstinence and sexual purity, Alexander and Valerie were both virgins when they married. While Alexander had discussed his feelings on the issue publicly for quite some time, it was also revealed in his book Touchdown Alexander.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Seahawks.com Player Bio
• Shaun Alexander Statistics