Not long before Marshawn Lynch made a lot of noise on the field for Seattle, there was Shaun Alexander.
Alexander, a three-time Pro Bowler who helped take the Seahawks to Super Bowl XL during his 2005 NFL MVP season, thinks it's just fine for "Beast Mode" to stay in silent mode off the field.
"When you went to school and there’s a kid who was quiet, you could leave the kid alone, talk about him or try to talk to him," Alexander told Sporting News. “You look at Marshawn, he just likes to talk to his inner circle, his buddies. He doesn’t want to get into the circus that can easily happen when you make plays like he does. All of a sudden, you can say one thing and it can be blown out of proportion."
“He’s just being real with himself that ‘I can’t get into all that’, because sometimes he might need a filter. He would rather mind his own business, play football and do what he needs to do and pretty much stay out of it. I like guys who know who they are, and know their strengths and their weaknesses."
Given there are plenty of other Seahawks who speak their mind for the reigning Super Bowl champs — see cornerback Richard Sherman and wide receiver Doug Baldwin — Alexander doesn't see the need for Lynch to get out of his comfort zone, when he's already pleasing who's most important — his teammates.
"At the end of the day, if he’s a great speaker but just an average or OK football player, then he’s working somewhere else.” Alexander said. "Seattle has done a great job of understanding what’s important. All the players get it, and he gets it. Just because it seems odd, it kind of creates its own little monster.”
Beyond Super Bowl XLIX against New England next Sunday, there are questions about Lynch's future in Seattle, given he'll turn 29 in April, inching closer to the time when such workhorse backs face sharp decline. For Alexander, the volume caught up to him in '06, playing only more NFL season with the Seahawks in '07.
Just like with him then, Alexander thinks it's something that shouldn't be crossing Lynch's mind.
“You’re just trying to compete. You’re not even looking for when the tires wear off," Alexander said.
"When a running back’s banged up, he’s going to still figure out how to get the ball, make a run, score a touchdown and win the game. When your body can’t do that anymore, you’re not thinking about that the body can’t do it. It’s still, 'let me figure out how to adjust to make this thing work'. You rarely see a running back who says ‘this was good, I’m out of here.’ They’re going to ride until the tires fall off.”
Alexander, who once undressed defenses with his own explosive runs and gaudy touchdown totals, understands and appreciates everything unique about Lynch producing similar results.
“It’s crazy, crazy position," Alexander said. "We’re literally the guy who wants to touch the ball and have 11 other people trying to kill him. You have to think and be a little different, and the great ones are special in their own different way, and that’s also what makes the position awesome.”
Shaun Alexander is one of the ambassadors for Verizon's #WhosGonnaWin campaign. Fans can vote via Twitter and Facebook to represent their preferred team's colors for Super Bowl XLIX and check out the live updates on WhosGonnaWin.com. You can also go to the website and use Google Street View to decorate houses and other landmarks in those colors.
