October 15, 2024 • 39 mins
Seahawks Legend Sam McCullum joins Steve Raible and Jim Zorn, two of his former teammates, to share stories from his NFL journey. Today’s show: Sam McCullum’s journey to Seattle (02:35), Sam’s pass routes (07:07), memories that stand out (11:18), best moment (19:48), differences in nutrition between then and now (26:32), player fund (28:55), and being grateful for all the support along the way (36:18).
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
You're listening to Seahawks Stories, teaking you behind the scenes
with your favorite Seahawks.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Set back to Bey and Zorn, who's back to pass
as time looks for the left sideline, throws a bomb
down there, he's got.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
A man in front. He makes to grab a travel
It's a thirty down of the twenty. They'll never get him.
He scores touch.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Out Seahawks powered by Seahawks dot Com and Zorn laid
it in perfectly a Rabel who goes in to score
on an eighty yard pass and run play.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Now, here's your host, the voice of the Seahawks, Steve
Raebol and Seahawks legend Jim Zorn. Oh Zee, I know
you get tired of hearing that. I know you'd rather
have somebody else catching the football. Well today we do.
By the way, it's our first time back here on
Seahawks Stories this season, so good to be back with
(00:45):
you again.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
It's great to see you, Steve, and you look wonderful
and now everybody knows you look wonderful.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Well, that's right. This is our first time with the actual,
the actual video thing going here.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
Now.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
I did a lot of video. I was on camera
lot a lot, and I can tell yes, and a
lot of people thought, wow, what a waste of a
good camera, But still that was the case. But now
we have it here, we're on video and I got
to look up at this monter. Oh, he's up there
with us. Now it's our turn to get a chance
to say hi to our one of our favorite people.
(01:19):
From going back to nineteen seventy six, Sam McCollum was
one of my heroes on this football team, not only
because he was my teammate, but because he taught me
a lot about how to be a professional and how
to be a football player. And I know you appreciated
him because he caught Dartner everything that got anywhere close
to him. And usually for big plays, big games.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Touchdowns, when Jerry Rome had to read, he would say,
can I want you to read the free safety? And
if the free safety hangs, throw the deep post. And
it was to Sam on the deep post. And we
did that often, you know, even with play action. And
I think Sam also was on the backside comeback. We
(02:02):
completed a lot of comebacks as I as I remember,
because he was on the single receiver side.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Well, let's welcome him in. Sam McCullum nineteen seventy six
with the Seahawks through eighty two, and boy, it's great
to have you with us. Sam, It's great to see
you as always.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
Great guys.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
It's good to be here finally at the opportunity to
time sick up our time, so I'm glad it could
work out for all of us.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
It's good to see your guns.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
Yeah it is.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Hey, Sam, how did you? I cannot remember this, and
I think everybody would like to hear this. I would
how did you get to the Seahawks because I can't
remember what the situation was coming here for you.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Well, the expansion draft, which happened in the spring of
seventy six. I was with the Vikings at the time
and the head coach hap to be a gun Jack
peterra and I was with him for two years in Minnesota,
so we came to an expansion draft. I was one
of the names that me so I put up with
expansion because I'd had a really.
Speaker 4 (03:02):
Tough nineteen seventy five season in Minnesota.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
I hurt my knee and hurt my hand, and I
missed half the season with injuries, and so when it
came time for the expansion, they unprotected me and Jack
Peter's one of the guys that I knew from being
on the field for two years, and so he brought
me to Seattle with expansion draft with the hopes that
I'd bring the culture from Minnesota with me as one
of the guys I had experienced it all.
Speaker 4 (03:23):
Those years with Budd Grant.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
So it worked out well, Sam, did you or was
it frustrating for you to go from Minnesota coming all
the way to Seattle or was that like a lift
for you? How did you feel about all that?
Speaker 4 (03:40):
Well?
Speaker 1 (03:41):
I felt great about it him because it was one
of the things that I lived. None people knew. I
lived for three years in Ferndale, Washington. My dad was
in the military, but Peach Charch Stake Park was a
military installation back in those days.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
So I spent my fifth, sixth, and seventh grade years
in Ferndale.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
So when I had a chance to come back here
with the expansion, I was pretty excited because I remember
having such great memories of growing up in north you know,
on northwestern Washington, and I remember the weather and plus
in Minnesota, we were still practicing outside and playing outside,
and I hated thea in December and January, We're on
that frozen tundra outside. It was below zero out there
(04:21):
for an hour and a half practicing and I just
never could get warm. So I was happy to come
to Seattle, and I knew they had a dome, so
I was very happy for that change and a new
opportunity because I knew in Minnesota there was a German
named Jim John Gilliman, Uther gim Nam Jim lash that
had been very well, you know, entrenched in the rules
there and I was a backup to them for those years.
(04:41):
So it gave me a chance for a new beginning
in Seattle. So I was quite happy to come out.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
You had eventually Ahmad Rashad went back there after he
started with the Seahawks there that that off season, and
Sam as I remember that first year, that rookie season
for me. You when you came to Seattle, you were
still working through that kneeee injury, because it took you
a little bit of time, as I remember, to kind
of get through training camp, get it feeling good. But
(05:06):
the thing that I remember most is that opening game
against the Cardinals in the Kingdom in nineteen seventy six.
I started that game, Don Klune started that game. You
never heard from either of us again after that because
Sam caught a couple of touchdowns and Steve caught a
couple of touchdowns and that was that. We were off
and running and we all sort of found our roles.
(05:27):
But do I remember that, right, Sam? That it was
you had to kind of get that knee back in
shape before you could really get out there, and then
once you did, man, you were there forever.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
Yeah, it was.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
It wasn't as slow as that. It was more just
accivating to something that was totally new at that time.
And coming out to Seattle was just so many changes.
I had met a woman who had to be my
who became my wife, Kathy, and I was even heard Minnesota,
which was hard and all those years with my you know,
being away from my parents as I did as on
the college in Montana, then all of a sudden, playing
(05:59):
in Minnesota in front of my parents and my younger
sisters and that was quite a great thing for me
to happen, and all of a sudden leaving him. Going
to Seattle, there was you know, good news, bad news deals.
So it was hard coming out. But yeah, the injury
that I had from the previous year was slight knee,
but it did not hand me as much as Jesse
the adjustment of being away again, because it was just
(06:19):
hard to go and leave everybody after four years of
Montana and then go out to Minnesota for those years
and all of a sudden got to walk away again.
Speaker 4 (06:26):
It was kind of hard at that point. So it
was hard getting used to that.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Well, you actually melded right into the team. You didn't
like him very much, did you, Steve take in your position?
Speaker 3 (06:38):
No, I listen all I had to do. There's a
reason why his nickname is Magic. As a matter of fact,
I think we gave him that nick week we voted
on it. But because he I don't know that you know,
as good a route runner as Steve is, Steve Larger
was and all in the Hall of Fame in a Land.
I don't know that I ever saw anybody run routes
the way Sam did. She's so smooth. In fact, he
(06:58):
wanted the nickname Silky. I think silk. We gave him Magic,
but I think he wanted silk. Anyway, he was that
one of the final I think it was one of
the finals. But Sam, you you did you were you
always able to run pass routes that way? Did you
always feel comfortable because you're you're like me six y
two something like that. It's tougher for a taller guy
to get to where you can get in and out
(07:18):
of your brakes, and I just always always admired you
for that. That golly, how does he do that.
Speaker 4 (07:27):
Well?
Speaker 1 (07:27):
I was lucky enough to have some pretty good guys
there with me to kind of especially Minnesota because Jim
lash was a receiver at the time. He's like sixty
five and here I am six two and watching him
run routes, and John Gillian was five to nine, but
he was just incredibly, incredibly fast, and so work with
those guys that I did was also helped.
Speaker 4 (07:44):
But going back for I was coach.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
A guy named Sonny Holland, who was an offensive lineman
on an All American, realized that I had the attention.
He brought a guy named Raymond Barry was at Arkansas
at the time to come in and work with me
on my route running on a great deal. And we
had another guy that was there as another quarterback I
got named Dennis Erickson, was also around my freshman year,
who was also helping as well. So I had some
(08:10):
really good mentors teaching me how to be a receiver
and how to run routes.
Speaker 4 (08:15):
And catch balls and so forth.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
They saw a lot of me that I didn't see
it myself because I assumed when I left high school
I was gonna be going to the military because my
dad did. He spent almost forty cent years in the military,
so and we all thought we're going to go to
the military. But these guys saw a lot and they're
the ones that encouraged me to really spend my time
and focus on getting better at these particular things.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
So it helped.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
But Jim lash was a really good role model for me,
and he was the guy that literally had six to
five could just run an amazing route, you know, and
he showed me how to do it. So it really
helped a great deal.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
So think about this. What I remember about Sam coming
in was what you know, And I think this was
something that Jerry always said. Jerry Rome our coach, and
he always said, you need to define your route, and
and having that word in my kind of embedded in
(09:10):
my brain. When a receiver defines his route, either at
his break point or right before it, uh then the
quarterback has a better chance of hit, you know, throwing
it correctly, do you know what I mean, where the
receiver can run underneath it, or the accuracy the quarterback
(09:31):
the quarterback might have. And I think Sam really did
a great job of defining his route, whether he was
coming out of his break on a on an en route,
a curl an out, a go route or that. You know,
and he's he's kind of ran that post route right
that we connected on several times. Defining your route. Uh,
(09:54):
that's how I think of Sam McCollum when he was
running round and he can kind of blur his legs too.
I mean for six two he could go, you know,
get down the field and get on that defender as
quick as any can.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
You can you still do that, Sam with with your legs?
Speaker 4 (10:12):
Yeah? Yeah, I probably hurt myself blurre. My legs have deafinitely.
You know.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
It's just like you know, those legs were just going
and uh, you know I I just thought that was out,
you know, it was outstanding. And then Jerry tried to
get Jerry Rome, our coach, tried to get you onto
the field and we started going three wide receivers, which
was kind of unheard of, uh in in the NFL
(10:44):
at that particular time. And then with a tight end
and you and Steve and Sam it was purple. Remember
Purple was with the tight end and Blue was with
just you three.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
Yeah, in an amazing how now. I mean, not only
is it is it commonplace, but you almost are always
that way. We were most of the time in two backs,
whether it's an eye formation or split backs, uh. And
then two wide receivers tight end or sometimes three wide receivers.
But we all had a chance, We all had our
opportunities out there. Sam, you know, kind of capsualize your
(11:20):
time with the Seahawks. What what are the memories that
you have of all of us, not only as teammates,
but your memories of this this group of guys that
helped build this franchise where it is now.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
Well, you know, the one thing that stands out all
the time is that we came from all different areas
in the country. We came from all different backgrounds, and
we meld it so amazingly. Well, we all had a
common focus and a common goal was to be successful.
But our focus was to be a team, and I
think that stood out And you know, what I said,
and when it came from Minnesota, but Tera wanted to
(11:55):
bring the culture with him because he had because Blake
Grahat had that culture. You know, no water and train camp.
It was just a mental thing there. He couldn't wear
gloves when it was cold outside. It's a mental thing.
He had an issue. He didn't need to be on
you all day about working out and doing things. You
should be a professional and want to do it yourself
because it's your job, it's your career. So he really
wanted that to come to Seattle. So when I was here,
(12:16):
he talked to me a lot about sharing the things
in Minnesota that we did. And it was amazing how
quickly so many of the guys picked up on it,
because there could have been this whole revolt about I
came from Dallas, or I came from Green Bay, or
I came from the Jets, whatever, and we don't do
it that way. But everybody here really wanted to make
this a successful franchise. So everybody came together and our
(12:37):
focus was very common. We had a very common focus
on how we're going to do things, you know, how
we're going to get it done. And yeah, there was
a lot of guys that came through that didn't make
it or didn't stand in a good stand for it,
but pretty much everyone bought into this issue really wanted
to have a common focus on common good And I
think that's part I remember the most because it was
just such a good thing. And that's why some of
(12:58):
the guys say, from l Ron Howard's and Paul Johnson,
the you know Don Testamon's doc few years ago, and
you know Country and all these guys are still connected today.
You know, Autrey Beeman is the guy that I stay.
I talked to Autrey, you know a Brie few weeks.
He's a guy that I remember from nineteen seventy five.
So everyone kind of melded, and that was a good
thing because I had a common focus on a common goal.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
It's pretty amazing. Very much of your offensive line still
keeps in touch. We're all kind of connected on an
email chain. Guys like Fig Newton and Tommy Lynch and
John Yarno and Artie Kune and Nick Bebout and you know, Sam,
you just you can't find personalities like that all the time.
(13:40):
And when you said melded together, that's what I started
to think that, Yeah, sometimes you have to have a
little give and take. But also we just happened to
have a group of guys that just it seemed to
work naturally for so many of those guys, And I
think that's one of the reasons, Jim, so many of
us have stayed in touch. Now do you realize this, Sam,
We've talked about it before all most fifty years. It'll
(14:01):
be fifty years next season. Our first training camp in
nineteen seventy six. I don't know what happened to you guys,
but I think I stayed young. You're our inspiration.
Speaker 4 (14:20):
What happened to all of us?
Speaker 1 (14:21):
Yeah, trust me, I do understand that because my wife
and I got married after our first season that was
in nineteen seventy seven, So I do know how Mom's
been doing this for a long time.
Speaker 4 (14:31):
Trust me.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
Hey, Sam, one thing that I remember too, as we
as you stated, you know, we worked together. You know,
we just came into work. We want to establish our
own traditions. And I didn't know that you had secretly
talked to Jack Petera about, you know, making sure this
all this culture was going to happen as far as
(14:55):
the vikings and bringing it to Seattle but what really worked.
One of the aspects that really worked was you Steve
and Steve Rabel never complained about getting getting the ball,
you know, throwing me the ball. Come on, I'm open.
It was just we came in, we got into the huddle,
(15:17):
I called the play and here we go and uh,
you know, some games they'd take Steve largent away. He
might catch two or three balls and you would catch
nine or ten and then rapes you know, did you Yeah,
he kind of, but but you.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
Know, what do you mean? I was very clear.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
I just thought you guys did a great job because
it really helped me to not have to try to
pick somebody out to make sure his feelings weren't get
hurt that he didn't he wasn't catching the ball. And
I think that you guys really believed. And part of
that might have been the culture that you were trying
(16:11):
to instill Sam and then the culture Jerry Rome, because
I don't think Jerry Rome ever said we have to
get the ball to this guy or that guy to me.
As we discussed the next series, he was talking about
plays and what the defense was giving us, and we
would try to we try to more than take.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
A Yeah, I think one of the things is we
didn't have any prima donnas. And I don't say that
that there that some teams have, but some teams do.
And you know, and now with the money they made,
we were all just a I think we all really
got along. We were all really good friends. We saw
each other outside of the football field as well, and
I think that helped. But Sam, we all kind of
(16:50):
we worked together. And part of it was we didn't
have our own coach. Jerry Rome coached the quarterbacks, was
the offensive coordinator and the receivers coach. So he'd just
tell us to go to the other field or go
down on the other side of the field, and you
guys do your drills and so I'm watching what Sam does,
I'm watching what Steve doesn't. And that's how I learned.
I don't know how that affected you, Sam, but it
(17:11):
was one of those things that I thought kind of helped.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
You know, it was hard, Jim said, we didn't really
have a chance to complain about not getting the balls.
Speaker 4 (17:20):
We didn't know who to complain too.
Speaker 3 (17:22):
That's why.
Speaker 4 (17:24):
We never coached.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
Because Jerry Rome was no worried about the offensive scheme,
you know, him working with Sam Pergroz and everybody else
about making sure we had the whole game plan in place.
So for so much of us, it was on us,
and it was on us to teach ourselves. And I
think that's why we mail as receiver group because you know,
we learned each other's positions. I mean, we learned all
the positions. You know with Steve what I ran, with
(17:48):
Steve ran which tight end. We had to learn all
the positions because that's how we kept kind of getting
ahead of the game in some respect because we did.
Speaker 4 (17:56):
We just couldn't focus our one position.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
Had learned all the positions, and so many times, you know,
we switched on the field, like Steve would come in,
we go three wives, I play inside, outside, large and
play inside.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
You know, we would be constant moving the entire time.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
So for us, we all opportunities based on what the
defense did to be successful because we were spend a
lot of time working with each other understand what each
other's did, and that helped us be successful because we're right,
we didn't have a coach. I think today when I
watched the sidelines of some of the games today, I'm
shocked at how many coaches they have. I mean, there's
a receiver coach for one side of the ball. On
(18:30):
the other side, there's a tight end, there's a running back,
there's a fullback coach, there's a quarterback coach.
Speaker 4 (18:35):
We had one.
Speaker 1 (18:35):
We had one person do that entire job and we
were still successful it. So we're very fortunate.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
I think when the Seahawks first started in seventy six,
I think we had ten coaches. It might have been eleven,
but I don't think.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
It was that many. We had three on offense, three
on defense, and Jack Well, we didn't we have didn't
We come intil like seventy eight or seventy nine as
special teams?
Speaker 2 (18:57):
Yeah, oh yeah, Andy McDonald, Sam Bags and Jerry Rome.
They did a ton of work.
Speaker 3 (19:03):
And Andy was a special chess coach for the first time.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
But we had Howard too, right.
Speaker 3 (19:07):
Howard came in after Sam left.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
So Sam was the offensive coordinator and not Sam McCollum,
but Sam Bagosian was the offensive coordinator and o line coach.
Speaker 3 (19:17):
Right, and then he went to the Raiders, actually went
to Houston I think first, then went to the Raiders
and finished out of his career there. So yeah, you
also knew exactly like you, Sam said, we didn't know
who to complain too, but you also had there's one voice.
First of all, there's Jack's voice. But then the next
voice down on everything offensively was as far as we
(19:39):
were all concerned, it was Jerry. As as far as
blocking was concerned. Then it became Howard uh and and
that was you know, that was all a good thing.
And then Andy with the with the running backs. Sam,
the best moment, What's what's the one moment that stands
out to you in our time here? Ah?
Speaker 1 (19:57):
Wow, you know it's I guess you got to figure
our first win. You know, we beat Tampa, and Tampa
on the very first win that we had was a
big win for us.
Speaker 4 (20:07):
I mean just getting that very first win.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
And it was my first time in Florida to say
the least, so I had never been there. So planing
a place where it was hot and human and really
having a first win, it was you know, it was fun.
I remember that just kind of like, wow, the very
first win in the franchise history would beat Tampa Bay.
Speaker 4 (20:23):
I mean, that was it was a big win.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
I mean, plus starting and catching the first touchdown on
the Seahawks, you know from Jimmy and stuff that we
caught the very first game as well some memories.
Speaker 4 (20:32):
It will be with me for ever forever.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
But partly my biggest memories, guys, is the friends.
Speaker 4 (20:36):
That we made.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
I mean, I tell people all the time, I said,
this is People ask me at the time, are you
sad you played too soon? The money is so big?
I said, no, I'm not. I had so much fun
playing a game when I played it. I couldn't imagine
not having done that. I really can't. I mean, it
was just so much fun. And these kids today in
college with this nil I mean the constant changing of schools,
(20:57):
I mean, there's they're not going to have.
Speaker 4 (20:59):
This long term friendships and long term.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
Can robberies like we have, because if you either got
to make new friends to start.
Speaker 4 (21:04):
Over, we didn't do that.
Speaker 1 (21:06):
We stayed and it was great to have a nucleus
of people. Like Steve said, we socialized off the field
and Jane when jim had joy, I think I saw
him the next week after we met Joey.
Speaker 4 (21:14):
And married Joey. I mean in Dave Brown and.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
Sherman Smith and all the guys were always together on
the field, that we became this little club and it
was just such a comforting place to be amongst these
guys all the time. And something I care with me
today because I tell people, you know, I was a
Seahawk at that time.
Speaker 4 (21:33):
It was so much fun to be a part of it.
It's tough to say anything different.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
Yeah, And I was excited that Jerry Rome was my
coach because he knew quarter you know, he had been
a quarterback for so many years, outstanding, and then he
utilized He looked at the talent that he had and
he's the one that put Sam over there. He moved
you there because you're of your speed, Steve, and then
(21:59):
Larger was on the other side because he was that
controlled route runner. But he knew what Steve could do
because he had him in college. And what was fun
is Havin Sherman back there, David Simms as the full back.
You know, you said it. We were two back and
he just utilized us all and we ran some really
(22:19):
tremendous stuff to get everybody the ball.
Speaker 3 (22:22):
We were talking, folks, those of you listening before we
got started here about all the new screens, big video
screens that the Seahawks have put in down near the
indoor facility and down by the locker room, and they
are replaying a lot of highlights going back to nineteen
seventy six. And I had a chance to stand and
just literally just watch for like fifteen minutes the other day.
(22:44):
And how many big plays. Not so many to me obviously,
but Sam and Jim and David Sims, since you brought that,
And as I remember, we played a game Sam in
Miami that was as hot and humid today as I
can ever remember. And David Simms one hand off into
the set, and he had had the year before that
(23:06):
a great season. He was going to be a star.
I mean, he could be a tailback, he could be
a full back, he could catch the ball. He was big,
went to Georgia, tex So he was like me, smart guy.
And and and one simple.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
Dive it was his career ended. It was a third
and one. We're in the middle of the field. I
handed him to the bike. I can still remember it. Yeah,
I just turned. It was forty dive. He came and
he just got he got the first down and just
got tackled.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
And he never got up. Yeah, he said, I can't
feel my legs.
Speaker 3 (23:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
And so we brought the the group in and he
had had after I think Monday when we had come back,
he had had this narrowing in his spine, and they
gave him the opportunity. Hey, you know, don't you know
you're risking a lot if you continue to play. And
he retired. And he was a big part. He was
(23:58):
just a rambling rollback that could run the ball. I
mean he could run like Sherman could run.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
Yeah, and Sam, we see it seemingly over and over again.
You work so hard to get to this position, to
make it into the National Football League, and something as
innocuous as a handoff inside and your career is over,
literally right then, it is. And you've been around now
with the NFLPA and for all the years since you've
(24:24):
been retired, so you've seen this and it is such
a blow to these young men as it was to
David back then. And it just happens. That's the nature
of this game now.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
And I think the agents today and the guys's advisors
are doing an amazing job of preparing his young kids
out there to think about post football and post career
because it can in so fast. You know, I'm a
player I'm a trustee for the player benefit, and I
see a lot of guys they played two or three
years or four years, who've planned on playing a lot longer,
(24:55):
but unfortunately entry into their careers and some of the
guys just weren't prepared for it day they are. And
that was one of the hardest thing for us, because
we saw you saw you saw about David Simms. We
talked about Cornell Western, We think about Smith. You know
that literally careers were they were so talented, but their
careers in it so fast and just.
Speaker 4 (25:13):
A flash, I mean, just really a flash.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
And it's unfortunate because that's the nature of the game
we play. We see it in soccer, I saw it
in basketball. You think about the Lynn Bias days and
all those guys. You know, it's just our bodies and
we just don't know how well they can handle such stress,
you know, day in and day out, and some can
and some can't.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
Sam And think about our weight room, Uh, when we
first started, about as big as a studio really and
maybe a little bigger. But I went down there before
I went I went down to our weight room or
the seat. I still call it my team, the weight
room downstairs that Ivan looks over. He's our strength coacher,
(25:56):
and oh my gosh, if you can't become strong and
fit and be ready to you know, with your with
your bod uh down there. Yeah, you don't deserve to
be around the NFL or anything like that. They've got
every modality that you can. Uh, we would be we
(26:16):
Oh man, if we could come in and work out
for free, we'd walk around and they'd be saying, rage,
look at those you could still play.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
Look at those seventy year olds. I just you know, now,
it's trying to just lift my medicine bottle, is what
I'm trying to I'm trying to do. Here's another thing
that's different. And I've I told some of the young
guys we were talking, we've talked on some of these trips,
and they you know, the nutrition they have. They have
a dining room here that's opened like almost twenty four
(26:45):
to seven, feeding coaches, feeding players. They're all, you know,
very focused on their diet. I said, you know what
our diet was. I said, every day a rookie had
to bring donuts. I said, we ate donuts every morning
for six years, because that's what the rookies had to
bring and sam the tradition of that. Listen, you know
you were rookie. I was a rookie. Once there was
(27:05):
somebody else a rookie bringing donuts, I was all for it.
Speaker 4 (27:08):
Yeah. It was to come out of your pocket. And
there was no flush fun, no take the money. It
came directly out of your pocket. For sure.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
When I forget forget lunches, we send someone out to
go to the delicate assessment to get the sandwiches between
our meetings and going out on the field.
Speaker 4 (27:25):
That's that was our food, was sending someone to get
the sandwiches.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
Day after my Seahawk time, I went to the Green
Bay Packers and we had to play half of our
games in Milwaukee, and we had to bust from green
Bay to Milwaukee. And before you got on the bus,
you had to tell the equipment guys whether you wanted
a big Mac and a filet o fish sandwich or
(27:49):
two filet o fish sandwiches.
Speaker 3 (27:51):
Or two big macs.
Speaker 2 (27:53):
That's what we ate on our lunch going to Milwaukee
to play an NFL game. And that the reason that
we're laughing about. I mean, what's so bad about a
filet o fish sandwich or two of them. But what
was interesting is that's not what guy.
Speaker 4 (28:08):
You know.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
Nutrition now is so much smarter and preparing guys. You're
exactly right, the nutrition is, and then sleep, and then
monitoring your your the power that you're putting, the extension
you're putting out. These guys have to walk around these
days with a GPS embedded on their shoulder pads at practice,
(28:31):
so we know how long, how far you've run, and
how hard you went during a play. It's amazing.
Speaker 3 (28:37):
Back in the old days, I remember Jack could tell
how far we'd run and how tough we ran because
we'd start falling down because you're, you know, from fatigue.
You just ran so you couldn't run anymore. So things
have changed a whole lot. Sam, you mentioned it as
we're you know, we're kind of running out of time here,
but you mentioned it. You've been working with the Player Fund.
Tell us a little bit about what that is, what
(28:59):
you do and how the players are being helped by it,
the former players are being helped by it.
Speaker 4 (29:07):
Well, it's it's a really big steroristy.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
But it started back I think with really the eighty
probably the eighty seven striket eighty two strike with a
little bit of but eighty seven strike where the players
are about gain control of some of their benefits, and
I mean their pension benefits, their insurance benefits, the disability benefits,
those things.
Speaker 4 (29:24):
And what is migrated tail is what we are today.
Speaker 1 (29:26):
And one of the trustees. There's three player trustees and
three owner trustees, and we manage the players for one
K plans. They're defined benefit plans, a Burt Bell plan
which you guys are part of. We manage the disability
programs of the disability programs, we managed annuity programs, and
we manage all their investments. And this is all done
because of collective bargaining and no cost of the players.
(29:47):
And what we see, what we try to maintain is
making sure the players that need help can get help.
And there's a lot of ways that happens, and whether
it be if a player has come up on some
really hard time because of injuries or disabilities or family
and they can reach out and there's ways to help.
Speaker 4 (30:04):
And so I think there's a player who's.
Speaker 1 (30:06):
My agent guy named Webster, who was a center for
the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Speaker 4 (30:11):
And he died.
Speaker 1 (30:14):
In his car on the streets of road Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
And it was a travesty beyond a travesty because he
had a lot of money built up in his different
accounts for him, like we do in our defined benefit
program or disability program, we had money available to us there.
His money was there, but he didn't know how to
access it. And when that happened, Roger Goodall came in,
(30:34):
who's coming in at the time as a new head
of the league, and he said, I don't ever want
that to happen again.
Speaker 4 (30:41):
And so there's been a whole bunch of emphasis placed.
Speaker 1 (30:43):
On player programs to help players post that time, and
it's really helped out.
Speaker 4 (30:48):
A great deal.
Speaker 1 (30:49):
And I see a lot of players out there and
their help. And there are guys unfortunately that have things
that are not related to football, because you know, we've
got als out there. We got guys with parks, and
guys of dementia and all of sudder. We get guys
with a number of other things because they're human. We're human,
we're part of the normal population. But those are things
that are not defined in any kind of a benefit
(31:10):
that as a result of playing NFL football. I mean,
maybe dementia is, but for the most part, these other
ones are not. But the players and the owners have
come to this understanding is that you're a former player,
you know your legends. Suppression goes, once a legend, always
a legend, and they want to make sure that all
players have a benefit, the benefit to be able to
live a life post football that's worthy of them. And
(31:31):
so we really work greatly with the owners of leading KD.
Blackburn owns the Cincinnati Bengals, and a guy named Spanish
John at owns with the San Diego Charters, and the
people in the jest.
Speaker 4 (31:41):
We work close it.
Speaker 1 (31:41):
And they really want to find a way to make
sure that all players have played the game have a
live a life that's really up to their standards.
Speaker 4 (31:49):
And I think that's the best part of what we do.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
I just say thank you, Sam for being available and
also caring, because you have to care about what you're doing,
and you have to care about others. You know, your
other oriented, uh with with what you do in those circumstances.
So uh, I know I've seen players get help and
you know there and this is going to be perpetuated
(32:14):
throughout throughout the NFL and throughout the years.
Speaker 4 (32:18):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (32:18):
And I tipped my hat to you, and you're in
the group that's managing all of that and cares about
it because you have to care. You can't just work
the numbers. You got to care as well. So a
way to go. I'm glad.
Speaker 4 (32:33):
One of the.
Speaker 1 (32:33):
Guys, one of the guys that taught us about Karen's
a guy named Richard Harris.
Speaker 4 (32:38):
You remember that name, Yeah, Richard. Richard died, but rich
is one of the guys.
Speaker 1 (32:44):
We used to call him Deaddy Richard Poppy rich And
he would always come up and ask to ask if
it was Handle's shoulder and really looking me out and said,
how you doing?
Speaker 4 (32:51):
Really, how are you doing? Tell me what do you need?
What can you do?
Speaker 1 (32:55):
He was always that guy that reached out and looked
at other players. I think Ken Hutcherson was any that
did the same exact things, talking to guys and reaching
out well beyond just how well did you play on Sunday?
Speaker 4 (33:07):
But how are you doing? Really?
Speaker 1 (33:09):
How are you doing? Talk to me, tell me how
you're doing it? And here they really care and that
that kind of stuck with me because I was able
to help guys when I played. They kind of carried over,
you know, with things and so they kind of showed
you that you can care a lot about somebody in
the situation and they're not having your brothers and sisters,
but they become your brothers and sisters because of what
(33:29):
you do and you share the same goal of being
successful in this world. And it helped me a lot
to really want to get involved in helping other players.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
Yeh, how did you ever think about coaching besides the
help that you've given for other players when you were
done playing, did you ever try to get on a staff?
And actually, do you know the influence you had from
other coaches and other players? Uh in your receiver skill?
Did you ever think about coaching as a career.
Speaker 4 (34:01):
I never did.
Speaker 1 (34:02):
I think in the end, I've been my entire life
had been spent my development life in the locker room
because having been a military brat, we moved all over
the country, you know, and I was in middle school,
we moved twice. In high school, we moved twice, so
it was always moving. So when it came time, I
moved from the Vikings to the Seahawks, back to the
Vikings and stayed in Seattle. So it's a constant move.
(34:23):
So by the time I was done. As Kye will
tell you, my wife will tell you. I didn't want
to go anywhere. I really didn't want to get into
this transition. And a very close friend of mine got
in try to talk to me again to become the coach,
and I said, I want nothing to do with I
really don't. I really want to find a situation where
I don't have to move and change. I want to
put down roots and I want to grow my family
and grow my community in the place that I want
(34:46):
to be.
Speaker 4 (34:46):
And see, I was really it. So I really never
got into.
Speaker 1 (34:48):
It because I knew that coaching evolves movement and constant movement,
constant change.
Speaker 4 (34:55):
And I just didn't want to I don't want to
go do that anymore. I really didn't.
Speaker 3 (34:58):
Yeah, well I've got them across from a guy who
did that, went off and coached all over the place,
and now he's back here in the Great Northwest with
all of us, and we're still talking Seahawks football. One
final quick story here, and that is and Sam again,
great football player, Amazing work that you do to help
(35:19):
former players today. What a lot of people probably didn't
know is that you were a very successful businessman here
in the Northwest owned your own businesses, and so you've
done that as well. When people ask me, what are
the things that you remember most about your playing days
aside from the collapse lung, and I tell him, you
(35:39):
know what, those guys who were closest to me then,
and this is almost fifty years ago. It's the Gym's,
it's the Sam's, it's Steve, it's Sam Adkins. It's the
guys we played with and their spouses. I mean, Sharon
and I can call on Jim and Joy or Kathy,
You and and Kathy and Sam and Steven Terry. I mean,
(36:04):
it's like you've never missed a beat. And those are
the things that are to me when I walk away
from this game finally, and they're probably gonna have to
drag me, kicking and screaming out of the booth. But
is just the fact that you know the absolute respect
that not only I have for you guys, but that
(36:24):
we have for our brides and for our families. And
we've been at this now, all of us, almost fifty years,
and it's just a great I think it says something
about the character of the people that were here early on.
And I'm just I'm just honored to be a little
part of all of that. And Sam, I don't know
if you have any final words, but I just want
(36:45):
to say thank you on behalf of all of us
who are not only you've been your teammate and your friend,
but who watched you play and who admired you from
Afar all those years. So thanks brother.
Speaker 4 (36:57):
Hey, guys, I appreciate it. And Steve, like you said,
I mean not just as about our spouses.
Speaker 1 (37:00):
We go back a very long way, so the respect
is there and I can say I pitch you guys.
I can remember you guys without having the name on
the helmets. How long did we live the first couple
of years.
Speaker 3 (37:16):
That's right, that's exactly right.
Speaker 1 (37:20):
I couldn't so I don't the name on the helmets
anymore to know my friends, and it's great, and I
was able to talk with you guys.
Speaker 4 (37:27):
It's always great to see you guys as I do.
And Jimmy, one of these you're going to sleep in
and come play with me in.
Speaker 1 (37:32):
Eight so I just don't play at I stayed.
Speaker 3 (37:39):
All right, Well we'll get out there.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
We'll get out there together, Sam, and I would imagine
that Kathy, Sam's wife, had no idea that Sam was
going to be involved with football as long as he has,
and now the NFL PA and then the other businesses.
Maybe she would have said, yeah, he's a businessman, but
to be involved with football, I know, joy goes, Oh
my gosh. You know, we've been married forty five years
(38:05):
and she had no idea and I probably had no
idea either that we were going to be involved with
football that long. But they haven't just come along for
the ride. They have been very important to our families
and to people surrounding our you know, anybody that comes
into our family's life, you know, Elsie Joyce far more
(38:28):
you know, important, and really she's the backbone of what
we're doing well.
Speaker 3 (38:34):
And as Yoda told me many years ago, I'll kick
my coverage when I married Sharon, so I have lived
by that all along. Sam, It's always great, my friend.
We will see you along the way, and I thank
all of you for listening today' z it's great to
get back with you, and we'll have another one of
these here in a few weeks, and again thanks everybody.
(38:55):
Go Hawks. We'll talk to you next time.
You're listening to Seahawks Stories, teaking you behind the scenes
with your favorite Seahawks.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Set back to Bey and Zorn, who's back to pass
as time looks for the left sideline, throws a bomb
down there, he's got.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
A man in front. He makes to grab a travel
It's a thirty down of the twenty. They'll never get him.
He scores touch.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Out Seahawks powered by Seahawks dot Com and Zorn laid
it in perfectly a Rabel who goes in to score
on an eighty yard pass and run play.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Now, here's your host, the voice of the Seahawks, Steve
Raebol and Seahawks legend Jim Zorn. Oh Zee, I know
you get tired of hearing that. I know you'd rather
have somebody else catching the football. Well today we do.
By the way, it's our first time back here on
Seahawks Stories this season, so good to be back with
(00:45):
you again.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
It's great to see you, Steve, and you look wonderful
and now everybody knows you look wonderful.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Well, that's right. This is our first time with the actual,
the actual video thing going here.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
Now.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
I did a lot of video. I was on camera
lot a lot, and I can tell yes, and a
lot of people thought, wow, what a waste of a
good camera, But still that was the case. But now
we have it here, we're on video and I got
to look up at this monter. Oh, he's up there
with us. Now it's our turn to get a chance
to say hi to our one of our favorite people.
(01:19):
From going back to nineteen seventy six, Sam McCollum was
one of my heroes on this football team, not only
because he was my teammate, but because he taught me
a lot about how to be a professional and how
to be a football player. And I know you appreciated
him because he caught Dartner everything that got anywhere close
to him. And usually for big plays, big games.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Touchdowns, when Jerry Rome had to read, he would say,
can I want you to read the free safety? And
if the free safety hangs, throw the deep post. And
it was to Sam on the deep post. And we
did that often, you know, even with play action. And
I think Sam also was on the backside comeback. We
(02:02):
completed a lot of comebacks as I as I remember,
because he was on the single receiver side.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Well, let's welcome him in. Sam McCullum nineteen seventy six
with the Seahawks through eighty two, and boy, it's great
to have you with us. Sam, It's great to see
you as always.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
Great guys.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
It's good to be here finally at the opportunity to
time sick up our time, so I'm glad it could
work out for all of us.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
It's good to see your guns.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
Yeah it is.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Hey, Sam, how did you? I cannot remember this, and
I think everybody would like to hear this. I would
how did you get to the Seahawks because I can't
remember what the situation was coming here for you.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Well, the expansion draft, which happened in the spring of
seventy six. I was with the Vikings at the time
and the head coach hap to be a gun Jack
peterra and I was with him for two years in Minnesota,
so we came to an expansion draft. I was one
of the names that me so I put up with
expansion because I'd had a really.
Speaker 4 (03:02):
Tough nineteen seventy five season in Minnesota.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
I hurt my knee and hurt my hand, and I
missed half the season with injuries, and so when it
came time for the expansion, they unprotected me and Jack
Peter's one of the guys that I knew from being
on the field for two years, and so he brought
me to Seattle with expansion draft with the hopes that
I'd bring the culture from Minnesota with me as one
of the guys I had experienced it all.
Speaker 4 (03:23):
Those years with Budd Grant.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
So it worked out well, Sam, did you or was
it frustrating for you to go from Minnesota coming all
the way to Seattle or was that like a lift
for you? How did you feel about all that?
Speaker 4 (03:40):
Well?
Speaker 1 (03:41):
I felt great about it him because it was one
of the things that I lived. None people knew. I
lived for three years in Ferndale, Washington. My dad was
in the military, but Peach Charch Stake Park was a
military installation back in those days.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
So I spent my fifth, sixth, and seventh grade years
in Ferndale.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
So when I had a chance to come back here
with the expansion, I was pretty excited because I remember
having such great memories of growing up in north you know,
on northwestern Washington, and I remember the weather and plus
in Minnesota, we were still practicing outside and playing outside,
and I hated thea in December and January, We're on
that frozen tundra outside. It was below zero out there
(04:21):
for an hour and a half practicing and I just
never could get warm. So I was happy to come
to Seattle, and I knew they had a dome, so
I was very happy for that change and a new
opportunity because I knew in Minnesota there was a German
named Jim John Gilliman, Uther gim Nam Jim lash that
had been very well, you know, entrenched in the rules
there and I was a backup to them for those years.
(04:41):
So it gave me a chance for a new beginning
in Seattle. So I was quite happy to come out.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
You had eventually Ahmad Rashad went back there after he
started with the Seahawks there that that off season, and
Sam as I remember that first year, that rookie season
for me. You when you came to Seattle, you were
still working through that kneeee injury, because it took you
a little bit of time, as I remember, to kind
of get through training camp, get it feeling good. But
(05:06):
the thing that I remember most is that opening game
against the Cardinals in the Kingdom in nineteen seventy six.
I started that game, Don Klune started that game. You
never heard from either of us again after that because
Sam caught a couple of touchdowns and Steve caught a
couple of touchdowns and that was that. We were off
and running and we all sort of found our roles.
(05:27):
But do I remember that, right, Sam? That it was
you had to kind of get that knee back in
shape before you could really get out there, and then
once you did, man, you were there forever.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
Yeah, it was.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
It wasn't as slow as that. It was more just
accivating to something that was totally new at that time.
And coming out to Seattle was just so many changes.
I had met a woman who had to be my
who became my wife, Kathy, and I was even heard Minnesota,
which was hard and all those years with my you know,
being away from my parents as I did as on
the college in Montana, then all of a sudden, playing
(05:59):
in Minnesota in front of my parents and my younger
sisters and that was quite a great thing for me
to happen, and all of a sudden leaving him. Going
to Seattle, there was you know, good news, bad news deals.
So it was hard coming out. But yeah, the injury
that I had from the previous year was slight knee,
but it did not hand me as much as Jesse
the adjustment of being away again, because it was just
(06:19):
hard to go and leave everybody after four years of
Montana and then go out to Minnesota for those years
and all of a sudden got to walk away again.
Speaker 4 (06:26):
It was kind of hard at that point. So it
was hard getting used to that.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Well, you actually melded right into the team. You didn't
like him very much, did you, Steve take in your position?
Speaker 3 (06:38):
No, I listen all I had to do. There's a
reason why his nickname is Magic. As a matter of fact,
I think we gave him that nick week we voted
on it. But because he I don't know that you know,
as good a route runner as Steve is, Steve Larger
was and all in the Hall of Fame in a Land.
I don't know that I ever saw anybody run routes
the way Sam did. She's so smooth. In fact, he
(06:58):
wanted the nickname Silky. I think silk. We gave him Magic,
but I think he wanted silk. Anyway, he was that
one of the final I think it was one of
the finals. But Sam, you you did you were you
always able to run pass routes that way? Did you
always feel comfortable because you're you're like me six y
two something like that. It's tougher for a taller guy
to get to where you can get in and out
(07:18):
of your brakes, and I just always always admired you
for that. That golly, how does he do that.
Speaker 4 (07:27):
Well?
Speaker 1 (07:27):
I was lucky enough to have some pretty good guys
there with me to kind of especially Minnesota because Jim
lash was a receiver at the time. He's like sixty
five and here I am six two and watching him
run routes, and John Gillian was five to nine, but
he was just incredibly, incredibly fast, and so work with
those guys that I did was also helped.
Speaker 4 (07:44):
But going back for I was coach.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
A guy named Sonny Holland, who was an offensive lineman
on an All American, realized that I had the attention.
He brought a guy named Raymond Barry was at Arkansas
at the time to come in and work with me
on my route running on a great deal. And we
had another guy that was there as another quarterback I
got named Dennis Erickson, was also around my freshman year,
who was also helping as well. So I had some
(08:10):
really good mentors teaching me how to be a receiver
and how to run routes.
Speaker 4 (08:15):
And catch balls and so forth.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
They saw a lot of me that I didn't see
it myself because I assumed when I left high school
I was gonna be going to the military because my
dad did. He spent almost forty cent years in the military,
so and we all thought we're going to go to
the military. But these guys saw a lot and they're
the ones that encouraged me to really spend my time
and focus on getting better at these particular things.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
So it helped.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
But Jim lash was a really good role model for me,
and he was the guy that literally had six to
five could just run an amazing route, you know, and
he showed me how to do it. So it really
helped a great deal.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
So think about this. What I remember about Sam coming
in was what you know, And I think this was
something that Jerry always said. Jerry Rome our coach, and
he always said, you need to define your route, and
and having that word in my kind of embedded in
(09:10):
my brain. When a receiver defines his route, either at
his break point or right before it, uh then the
quarterback has a better chance of hit, you know, throwing
it correctly, do you know what I mean, where the
receiver can run underneath it, or the accuracy the quarterback
(09:31):
the quarterback might have. And I think Sam really did
a great job of defining his route, whether he was
coming out of his break on a on an en route,
a curl an out, a go route or that. You know,
and he's he's kind of ran that post route right
that we connected on several times. Defining your route. Uh,
(09:54):
that's how I think of Sam McCollum when he was
running round and he can kind of blur his legs too.
I mean for six two he could go, you know,
get down the field and get on that defender as
quick as any can.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
You can you still do that, Sam with with your legs?
Speaker 4 (10:12):
Yeah? Yeah, I probably hurt myself blurre. My legs have deafinitely.
You know.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
It's just like you know, those legs were just going
and uh, you know I I just thought that was out,
you know, it was outstanding. And then Jerry tried to
get Jerry Rome, our coach, tried to get you onto
the field and we started going three wide receivers, which
was kind of unheard of, uh in in the NFL
(10:44):
at that particular time. And then with a tight end
and you and Steve and Sam it was purple. Remember
Purple was with the tight end and Blue was with
just you three.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
Yeah, in an amazing how now. I mean, not only
is it is it commonplace, but you almost are always
that way. We were most of the time in two backs,
whether it's an eye formation or split backs, uh. And
then two wide receivers tight end or sometimes three wide receivers.
But we all had a chance, We all had our
opportunities out there. Sam, you know, kind of capsualize your
(11:20):
time with the Seahawks. What what are the memories that
you have of all of us, not only as teammates,
but your memories of this this group of guys that
helped build this franchise where it is now.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
Well, you know, the one thing that stands out all
the time is that we came from all different areas
in the country. We came from all different backgrounds, and
we meld it so amazingly. Well, we all had a
common focus and a common goal was to be successful.
But our focus was to be a team, and I
think that stood out And you know, what I said,
and when it came from Minnesota, but Tera wanted to
(11:55):
bring the culture with him because he had because Blake
Grahat had that culture. You know, no water and train camp.
It was just a mental thing there. He couldn't wear
gloves when it was cold outside. It's a mental thing.
He had an issue. He didn't need to be on
you all day about working out and doing things. You
should be a professional and want to do it yourself
because it's your job, it's your career. So he really
wanted that to come to Seattle. So when I was here,
(12:16):
he talked to me a lot about sharing the things
in Minnesota that we did. And it was amazing how
quickly so many of the guys picked up on it,
because there could have been this whole revolt about I
came from Dallas, or I came from Green Bay, or
I came from the Jets, whatever, and we don't do
it that way. But everybody here really wanted to make
this a successful franchise. So everybody came together and our
(12:37):
focus was very common. We had a very common focus
on how we're going to do things, you know, how
we're going to get it done. And yeah, there was
a lot of guys that came through that didn't make
it or didn't stand in a good stand for it,
but pretty much everyone bought into this issue really wanted
to have a common focus on common good And I
think that's part I remember the most because it was
just such a good thing. And that's why some of
(12:58):
the guys say, from l Ron Howard's and Paul Johnson,
the you know Don Testamon's doc few years ago, and
you know Country and all these guys are still connected today.
You know, Autrey Beeman is the guy that I stay.
I talked to Autrey, you know a Brie few weeks.
He's a guy that I remember from nineteen seventy five.
So everyone kind of melded, and that was a good
thing because I had a common focus on a common goal.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
It's pretty amazing. Very much of your offensive line still
keeps in touch. We're all kind of connected on an
email chain. Guys like Fig Newton and Tommy Lynch and
John Yarno and Artie Kune and Nick Bebout and you know, Sam,
you just you can't find personalities like that all the time.
(13:40):
And when you said melded together, that's what I started
to think that, Yeah, sometimes you have to have a
little give and take. But also we just happened to
have a group of guys that just it seemed to
work naturally for so many of those guys, And I
think that's one of the reasons, Jim, so many of
us have stayed in touch. Now do you realize this, Sam,
We've talked about it before all most fifty years. It'll
(14:01):
be fifty years next season. Our first training camp in
nineteen seventy six. I don't know what happened to you guys,
but I think I stayed young. You're our inspiration.
Speaker 4 (14:20):
What happened to all of us?
Speaker 1 (14:21):
Yeah, trust me, I do understand that because my wife
and I got married after our first season that was
in nineteen seventy seven, So I do know how Mom's
been doing this for a long time.
Speaker 4 (14:31):
Trust me.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
Hey, Sam, one thing that I remember too, as we
as you stated, you know, we worked together. You know,
we just came into work. We want to establish our
own traditions. And I didn't know that you had secretly
talked to Jack Petera about, you know, making sure this
all this culture was going to happen as far as
(14:55):
the vikings and bringing it to Seattle but what really worked.
One of the aspects that really worked was you Steve
and Steve Rabel never complained about getting getting the ball,
you know, throwing me the ball. Come on, I'm open.
It was just we came in, we got into the huddle,
(15:17):
I called the play and here we go and uh,
you know, some games they'd take Steve largent away. He
might catch two or three balls and you would catch
nine or ten and then rapes you know, did you Yeah,
he kind of, but but you.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
Know, what do you mean? I was very clear.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
I just thought you guys did a great job because
it really helped me to not have to try to
pick somebody out to make sure his feelings weren't get
hurt that he didn't he wasn't catching the ball. And
I think that you guys really believed. And part of
that might have been the culture that you were trying
(16:11):
to instill Sam and then the culture Jerry Rome, because
I don't think Jerry Rome ever said we have to
get the ball to this guy or that guy to me.
As we discussed the next series, he was talking about
plays and what the defense was giving us, and we
would try to we try to more than take.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
A Yeah, I think one of the things is we
didn't have any prima donnas. And I don't say that
that there that some teams have, but some teams do.
And you know, and now with the money they made,
we were all just a I think we all really
got along. We were all really good friends. We saw
each other outside of the football field as well, and
I think that helped. But Sam, we all kind of
(16:50):
we worked together. And part of it was we didn't
have our own coach. Jerry Rome coached the quarterbacks, was
the offensive coordinator and the receivers coach. So he'd just
tell us to go to the other field or go
down on the other side of the field, and you
guys do your drills and so I'm watching what Sam does,
I'm watching what Steve doesn't. And that's how I learned.
I don't know how that affected you, Sam, but it
(17:11):
was one of those things that I thought kind of helped.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
You know, it was hard, Jim said, we didn't really
have a chance to complain about not getting the balls.
Speaker 4 (17:20):
We didn't know who to complain too.
Speaker 3 (17:22):
That's why.
Speaker 4 (17:24):
We never coached.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
Because Jerry Rome was no worried about the offensive scheme,
you know, him working with Sam Pergroz and everybody else
about making sure we had the whole game plan in place.
So for so much of us, it was on us,
and it was on us to teach ourselves. And I
think that's why we mail as receiver group because you know,
we learned each other's positions. I mean, we learned all
the positions. You know with Steve what I ran, with
(17:48):
Steve ran which tight end. We had to learn all
the positions because that's how we kept kind of getting
ahead of the game in some respect because we did.
Speaker 4 (17:56):
We just couldn't focus our one position.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
Had learned all the positions, and so many times, you know,
we switched on the field, like Steve would come in,
we go three wives, I play inside, outside, large and
play inside.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
You know, we would be constant moving the entire time.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
So for us, we all opportunities based on what the
defense did to be successful because we were spend a
lot of time working with each other understand what each
other's did, and that helped us be successful because we're right,
we didn't have a coach. I think today when I
watched the sidelines of some of the games today, I'm
shocked at how many coaches they have. I mean, there's
a receiver coach for one side of the ball. On
(18:30):
the other side, there's a tight end, there's a running back,
there's a fullback coach, there's a quarterback coach.
Speaker 4 (18:35):
We had one.
Speaker 1 (18:35):
We had one person do that entire job and we
were still successful it. So we're very fortunate.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
I think when the Seahawks first started in seventy six,
I think we had ten coaches. It might have been eleven,
but I don't think.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
It was that many. We had three on offense, three
on defense, and Jack Well, we didn't we have didn't
We come intil like seventy eight or seventy nine as
special teams?
Speaker 2 (18:57):
Yeah, oh yeah, Andy McDonald, Sam Bags and Jerry Rome.
They did a ton of work.
Speaker 3 (19:03):
And Andy was a special chess coach for the first time.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
But we had Howard too, right.
Speaker 3 (19:07):
Howard came in after Sam left.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
So Sam was the offensive coordinator and not Sam McCollum,
but Sam Bagosian was the offensive coordinator and o line coach.
Speaker 3 (19:17):
Right, and then he went to the Raiders, actually went
to Houston I think first, then went to the Raiders
and finished out of his career there. So yeah, you
also knew exactly like you, Sam said, we didn't know
who to complain too, but you also had there's one voice.
First of all, there's Jack's voice. But then the next
voice down on everything offensively was as far as we
(19:39):
were all concerned, it was Jerry. As as far as
blocking was concerned. Then it became Howard uh and and
that was you know, that was all a good thing.
And then Andy with the with the running backs. Sam,
the best moment, What's what's the one moment that stands
out to you in our time here? Ah?
Speaker 1 (19:57):
Wow, you know it's I guess you got to figure
our first win. You know, we beat Tampa, and Tampa
on the very first win that we had was a
big win for us.
Speaker 4 (20:07):
I mean just getting that very first win.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
And it was my first time in Florida to say
the least, so I had never been there. So planing
a place where it was hot and human and really
having a first win, it was you know, it was fun.
I remember that just kind of like, wow, the very
first win in the franchise history would beat Tampa Bay.
Speaker 4 (20:23):
I mean, that was it was a big win.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
I mean, plus starting and catching the first touchdown on
the Seahawks, you know from Jimmy and stuff that we
caught the very first game as well some memories.
Speaker 4 (20:32):
It will be with me for ever forever.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
But partly my biggest memories, guys, is the friends.
Speaker 4 (20:36):
That we made.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
I mean, I tell people all the time, I said,
this is People ask me at the time, are you
sad you played too soon? The money is so big?
I said, no, I'm not. I had so much fun
playing a game when I played it. I couldn't imagine
not having done that. I really can't. I mean, it
was just so much fun. And these kids today in
college with this nil I mean the constant changing of schools,
(20:57):
I mean, there's they're not going to have.
Speaker 4 (20:59):
This long term friendships and long term.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
Can robberies like we have, because if you either got
to make new friends to start.
Speaker 4 (21:04):
Over, we didn't do that.
Speaker 1 (21:06):
We stayed and it was great to have a nucleus
of people. Like Steve said, we socialized off the field
and Jane when jim had joy, I think I saw
him the next week after we met Joey.
Speaker 4 (21:14):
And married Joey. I mean in Dave Brown and.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
Sherman Smith and all the guys were always together on
the field, that we became this little club and it
was just such a comforting place to be amongst these
guys all the time. And something I care with me
today because I tell people, you know, I was a
Seahawk at that time.
Speaker 4 (21:33):
It was so much fun to be a part of it.
It's tough to say anything different.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
Yeah, And I was excited that Jerry Rome was my
coach because he knew quarter you know, he had been
a quarterback for so many years, outstanding, and then he
utilized He looked at the talent that he had and
he's the one that put Sam over there. He moved
you there because you're of your speed, Steve, and then
(21:59):
Larger was on the other side because he was that
controlled route runner. But he knew what Steve could do
because he had him in college. And what was fun
is Havin Sherman back there, David Simms as the full back.
You know, you said it. We were two back and
he just utilized us all and we ran some really
(22:19):
tremendous stuff to get everybody the ball.
Speaker 3 (22:22):
We were talking, folks, those of you listening before we
got started here about all the new screens, big video
screens that the Seahawks have put in down near the
indoor facility and down by the locker room, and they
are replaying a lot of highlights going back to nineteen
seventy six. And I had a chance to stand and
just literally just watch for like fifteen minutes the other day.
(22:44):
And how many big plays. Not so many to me obviously,
but Sam and Jim and David Sims, since you brought that,
And as I remember, we played a game Sam in
Miami that was as hot and humid today as I
can ever remember. And David Simms one hand off into
the set, and he had had the year before that
(23:06):
a great season. He was going to be a star.
I mean, he could be a tailback, he could be
a full back, he could catch the ball. He was big,
went to Georgia, tex So he was like me, smart guy.
And and and one simple.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
Dive it was his career ended. It was a third
and one. We're in the middle of the field. I
handed him to the bike. I can still remember it. Yeah,
I just turned. It was forty dive. He came and
he just got he got the first down and just
got tackled.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
And he never got up. Yeah, he said, I can't
feel my legs.
Speaker 3 (23:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
And so we brought the the group in and he
had had after I think Monday when we had come back,
he had had this narrowing in his spine, and they
gave him the opportunity. Hey, you know, don't you know
you're risking a lot if you continue to play. And
he retired. And he was a big part. He was
(23:58):
just a rambling rollback that could run the ball. I
mean he could run like Sherman could run.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
Yeah, and Sam, we see it seemingly over and over again.
You work so hard to get to this position, to
make it into the National Football League, and something as
innocuous as a handoff inside and your career is over,
literally right then, it is. And you've been around now
with the NFLPA and for all the years since you've
(24:24):
been retired, so you've seen this and it is such
a blow to these young men as it was to
David back then. And it just happens. That's the nature
of this game now.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
And I think the agents today and the guys's advisors
are doing an amazing job of preparing his young kids
out there to think about post football and post career
because it can in so fast. You know, I'm a
player I'm a trustee for the player benefit, and I
see a lot of guys they played two or three
years or four years, who've planned on playing a lot longer,
(24:55):
but unfortunately entry into their careers and some of the
guys just weren't prepared for it day they are. And
that was one of the hardest thing for us, because
we saw you saw you saw about David Simms. We
talked about Cornell Western, We think about Smith. You know
that literally careers were they were so talented, but their
careers in it so fast and just.
Speaker 4 (25:13):
A flash, I mean, just really a flash.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
And it's unfortunate because that's the nature of the game
we play. We see it in soccer, I saw it
in basketball. You think about the Lynn Bias days and
all those guys. You know, it's just our bodies and
we just don't know how well they can handle such stress,
you know, day in and day out, and some can
and some can't.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
Sam And think about our weight room, Uh, when we
first started, about as big as a studio really and
maybe a little bigger. But I went down there before
I went I went down to our weight room or
the seat. I still call it my team, the weight
room downstairs that Ivan looks over. He's our strength coacher,
(25:56):
and oh my gosh, if you can't become strong and
fit and be ready to you know, with your with
your bod uh down there. Yeah, you don't deserve to
be around the NFL or anything like that. They've got
every modality that you can. Uh, we would be we
(26:16):
Oh man, if we could come in and work out
for free, we'd walk around and they'd be saying, rage,
look at those you could still play.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
Look at those seventy year olds. I just you know, now,
it's trying to just lift my medicine bottle, is what
I'm trying to I'm trying to do. Here's another thing
that's different. And I've I told some of the young
guys we were talking, we've talked on some of these trips,
and they you know, the nutrition they have. They have
a dining room here that's opened like almost twenty four
(26:45):
to seven, feeding coaches, feeding players. They're all, you know,
very focused on their diet. I said, you know what
our diet was. I said, every day a rookie had
to bring donuts. I said, we ate donuts every morning
for six years, because that's what the rookies had to
bring and sam the tradition of that. Listen, you know
you were rookie. I was a rookie. Once there was
(27:05):
somebody else a rookie bringing donuts, I was all for it.
Speaker 4 (27:08):
Yeah. It was to come out of your pocket. And
there was no flush fun, no take the money. It
came directly out of your pocket. For sure.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
When I forget forget lunches, we send someone out to
go to the delicate assessment to get the sandwiches between
our meetings and going out on the field.
Speaker 4 (27:25):
That's that was our food, was sending someone to get
the sandwiches.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
Day after my Seahawk time, I went to the Green
Bay Packers and we had to play half of our
games in Milwaukee, and we had to bust from green
Bay to Milwaukee. And before you got on the bus,
you had to tell the equipment guys whether you wanted
a big Mac and a filet o fish sandwich or
(27:49):
two filet o fish sandwiches.
Speaker 3 (27:51):
Or two big macs.
Speaker 2 (27:53):
That's what we ate on our lunch going to Milwaukee
to play an NFL game. And that the reason that
we're laughing about. I mean, what's so bad about a
filet o fish sandwich or two of them. But what
was interesting is that's not what guy.
Speaker 4 (28:08):
You know.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
Nutrition now is so much smarter and preparing guys. You're
exactly right, the nutrition is, and then sleep, and then
monitoring your your the power that you're putting, the extension
you're putting out. These guys have to walk around these
days with a GPS embedded on their shoulder pads at practice,
(28:31):
so we know how long, how far you've run, and
how hard you went during a play. It's amazing.
Speaker 3 (28:37):
Back in the old days, I remember Jack could tell
how far we'd run and how tough we ran because
we'd start falling down because you're, you know, from fatigue.
You just ran so you couldn't run anymore. So things
have changed a whole lot. Sam, you mentioned it as
we're you know, we're kind of running out of time here,
but you mentioned it. You've been working with the Player Fund.
Tell us a little bit about what that is, what
(28:59):
you do and how the players are being helped by it,
the former players are being helped by it.
Speaker 4 (29:07):
Well, it's it's a really big steroristy.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
But it started back I think with really the eighty
probably the eighty seven striket eighty two strike with a
little bit of but eighty seven strike where the players
are about gain control of some of their benefits, and
I mean their pension benefits, their insurance benefits, the disability benefits,
those things.
Speaker 4 (29:24):
And what is migrated tail is what we are today.
Speaker 1 (29:26):
And one of the trustees. There's three player trustees and
three owner trustees, and we manage the players for one
K plans. They're defined benefit plans, a Burt Bell plan
which you guys are part of. We manage the disability
programs of the disability programs, we managed annuity programs, and
we manage all their investments. And this is all done
because of collective bargaining and no cost of the players.
(29:47):
And what we see, what we try to maintain is
making sure the players that need help can get help.
And there's a lot of ways that happens, and whether
it be if a player has come up on some
really hard time because of injuries or disabilities or family
and they can reach out and there's ways to help.
Speaker 4 (30:04):
And so I think there's a player who's.
Speaker 1 (30:06):
My agent guy named Webster, who was a center for
the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Speaker 4 (30:11):
And he died.
Speaker 1 (30:14):
In his car on the streets of road Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
And it was a travesty beyond a travesty because he
had a lot of money built up in his different
accounts for him, like we do in our defined benefit
program or disability program, we had money available to us there.
His money was there, but he didn't know how to
access it. And when that happened, Roger Goodall came in,
(30:34):
who's coming in at the time as a new head
of the league, and he said, I don't ever want
that to happen again.
Speaker 4 (30:41):
And so there's been a whole bunch of emphasis placed.
Speaker 1 (30:43):
On player programs to help players post that time, and
it's really helped out.
Speaker 4 (30:48):
A great deal.
Speaker 1 (30:49):
And I see a lot of players out there and
their help. And there are guys unfortunately that have things
that are not related to football, because you know, we've
got als out there. We got guys with parks, and
guys of dementia and all of sudder. We get guys
with a number of other things because they're human. We're human,
we're part of the normal population. But those are things
that are not defined in any kind of a benefit
(31:10):
that as a result of playing NFL football. I mean,
maybe dementia is, but for the most part, these other
ones are not. But the players and the owners have
come to this understanding is that you're a former player,
you know your legends. Suppression goes, once a legend, always
a legend, and they want to make sure that all
players have a benefit, the benefit to be able to
live a life post football that's worthy of them. And
(31:31):
so we really work greatly with the owners of leading KD.
Blackburn owns the Cincinnati Bengals, and a guy named Spanish
John at owns with the San Diego Charters, and the
people in the jest.
Speaker 4 (31:41):
We work close it.
Speaker 1 (31:41):
And they really want to find a way to make
sure that all players have played the game have a
live a life that's really up to their standards.
Speaker 4 (31:49):
And I think that's the best part of what we do.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
I just say thank you, Sam for being available and
also caring, because you have to care about what you're doing,
and you have to care about others. You know, your
other oriented, uh with with what you do in those circumstances.
So uh, I know I've seen players get help and
you know there and this is going to be perpetuated
(32:14):
throughout throughout the NFL and throughout the years.
Speaker 4 (32:18):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (32:18):
And I tipped my hat to you, and you're in
the group that's managing all of that and cares about
it because you have to care. You can't just work
the numbers. You got to care as well. So a
way to go. I'm glad.
Speaker 4 (32:33):
One of the.
Speaker 1 (32:33):
Guys, one of the guys that taught us about Karen's
a guy named Richard Harris.
Speaker 4 (32:38):
You remember that name, Yeah, Richard. Richard died, but rich
is one of the guys.
Speaker 1 (32:44):
We used to call him Deaddy Richard Poppy rich And
he would always come up and ask to ask if
it was Handle's shoulder and really looking me out and said,
how you doing?
Speaker 4 (32:51):
Really, how are you doing? Tell me what do you need?
What can you do?
Speaker 1 (32:55):
He was always that guy that reached out and looked
at other players. I think Ken Hutcherson was any that
did the same exact things, talking to guys and reaching
out well beyond just how well did you play on Sunday?
Speaker 4 (33:07):
But how are you doing? Really?
Speaker 1 (33:09):
How are you doing? Talk to me, tell me how
you're doing it? And here they really care and that
that kind of stuck with me because I was able
to help guys when I played. They kind of carried over,
you know, with things and so they kind of showed
you that you can care a lot about somebody in
the situation and they're not having your brothers and sisters,
but they become your brothers and sisters because of what
(33:29):
you do and you share the same goal of being
successful in this world. And it helped me a lot
to really want to get involved in helping other players.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
Yeh, how did you ever think about coaching besides the
help that you've given for other players when you were
done playing, did you ever try to get on a staff?
And actually, do you know the influence you had from
other coaches and other players? Uh in your receiver skill?
Did you ever think about coaching as a career.
Speaker 4 (34:01):
I never did.
Speaker 1 (34:02):
I think in the end, I've been my entire life
had been spent my development life in the locker room
because having been a military brat, we moved all over
the country, you know, and I was in middle school,
we moved twice. In high school, we moved twice, so
it was always moving. So when it came time, I
moved from the Vikings to the Seahawks, back to the
Vikings and stayed in Seattle. So it's a constant move.
(34:23):
So by the time I was done. As Kye will
tell you, my wife will tell you. I didn't want
to go anywhere. I really didn't want to get into
this transition. And a very close friend of mine got
in try to talk to me again to become the coach,
and I said, I want nothing to do with I
really don't. I really want to find a situation where
I don't have to move and change. I want to
put down roots and I want to grow my family
and grow my community in the place that I want
(34:46):
to be.
Speaker 4 (34:46):
And see, I was really it. So I really never
got into.
Speaker 1 (34:48):
It because I knew that coaching evolves movement and constant movement,
constant change.
Speaker 4 (34:55):
And I just didn't want to I don't want to
go do that anymore. I really didn't.
Speaker 3 (34:58):
Yeah, well I've got them across from a guy who
did that, went off and coached all over the place,
and now he's back here in the Great Northwest with
all of us, and we're still talking Seahawks football. One
final quick story here, and that is and Sam again,
great football player, Amazing work that you do to help
(35:19):
former players today. What a lot of people probably didn't
know is that you were a very successful businessman here
in the Northwest owned your own businesses, and so you've
done that as well. When people ask me, what are
the things that you remember most about your playing days
aside from the collapse lung, and I tell him, you
(35:39):
know what, those guys who were closest to me then,
and this is almost fifty years ago. It's the Gym's,
it's the Sam's, it's Steve, it's Sam Adkins. It's the
guys we played with and their spouses. I mean, Sharon
and I can call on Jim and Joy or Kathy,
You and and Kathy and Sam and Steven Terry. I mean,
(36:04):
it's like you've never missed a beat. And those are
the things that are to me when I walk away
from this game finally, and they're probably gonna have to
drag me, kicking and screaming out of the booth. But
is just the fact that you know the absolute respect
that not only I have for you guys, but that
(36:24):
we have for our brides and for our families. And
we've been at this now, all of us, almost fifty years,
and it's just a great I think it says something
about the character of the people that were here early on.
And I'm just I'm just honored to be a little
part of all of that. And Sam, I don't know
if you have any final words, but I just want
(36:45):
to say thank you on behalf of all of us
who are not only you've been your teammate and your friend,
but who watched you play and who admired you from
Afar all those years. So thanks brother.
Speaker 4 (36:57):
Hey, guys, I appreciate it. And Steve, like you said,
I mean not just as about our spouses.
Speaker 1 (37:00):
We go back a very long way, so the respect
is there and I can say I pitch you guys.
I can remember you guys without having the name on
the helmets. How long did we live the first couple
of years.
Speaker 3 (37:16):
That's right, that's exactly right.
Speaker 1 (37:20):
I couldn't so I don't the name on the helmets
anymore to know my friends, and it's great, and I
was able to talk with you guys.
Speaker 4 (37:27):
It's always great to see you guys as I do.
And Jimmy, one of these you're going to sleep in
and come play with me in.
Speaker 1 (37:32):
Eight so I just don't play at I stayed.
Speaker 3 (37:39):
All right, Well we'll get out there.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
We'll get out there together, Sam, and I would imagine
that Kathy, Sam's wife, had no idea that Sam was
going to be involved with football as long as he has,
and now the NFL PA and then the other businesses.
Maybe she would have said, yeah, he's a businessman, but
to be involved with football, I know, joy goes, Oh
my gosh. You know, we've been married forty five years
(38:05):
and she had no idea and I probably had no
idea either that we were going to be involved with
football that long. But they haven't just come along for
the ride. They have been very important to our families
and to people surrounding our you know, anybody that comes
into our family's life, you know, Elsie Joyce far more
(38:28):
you know, important, and really she's the backbone of what
we're doing well.
Speaker 3 (38:34):
And as Yoda told me many years ago, I'll kick
my coverage when I married Sharon, so I have lived
by that all along. Sam, It's always great, my friend.
We will see you along the way, and I thank
all of you for listening today' z it's great to
get back with you, and we'll have another one of
these here in a few weeks, and again thanks everybody.
(38:55):
Go Hawks. We'll talk to you next time.
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