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Sports Seriously
Break out the walkmans, choker necklaces and combat boots because the ’90s are back!
The Seattle Seahawks revealed their highly-anticipated throwback uniforms on Wednesday with a nostalgic video featuring rookie wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Although the former Ohio State standout was born in 2002, he perfectly embodies a character reminiscent of Will Smith’s Fresh Prince. He rolls out of bed (at 12:12, of course) fully clothed in the royal blue and apple green uniform, puts headphones on to listen to a walkman, waves to his mom washing dishes in a kitchen full of wooden cupboards, takes a bite of an Eggo waffle and checks in on his friends strumming guitars before putting on his silver helmet and walking out to the field.
Smith-Njigba’s room is filled with ’90s references, including posters of Seattle sports stars Ken Griffey Jr. of the Seattle Mariners and Gary Payton of the Seattle Supersonics, a Nintendo 64, Mariah Carey’s “#1s” album and a sign pointing to the Kingdome.
Seahawks equipment manager Erik Kennedy said that the throwback uniforms have been a long time coming.
“There’s been a lot of interest from the players for a while now; they’ve wanted the throwbacks,” he said on the team’s website. “It’s been discussed for at least the last 10 years. Guys have always liked the silver helmet with royal blue.”
“I love you guys!!!” cornerback Quandre Diggs wrote on Twitter after the uniform’s reveal.
“Oh yeah, baby, we looking good,” quarterback Geno Smith said in a video wearing the new threads.
After outlawing alternate helmets for nearly a decade, the NFL allowed teams to use them again last year. Once having the green light for an alternate helmet, Kennedy got to work. He used a helmet that belonged to Hall of Famer Cortez Kennedy for reference when collaborating with Pete Mauhar, the president of Gemini Racing in Wisconsin, to get the shade of silver just right.
The colors, oversized Seahawks logo and numbers are homages to the vintage uniforms, which were worn by the team from their debut in 1976 to their rebranding in 2002. There’s even a patch on the inside of the collar paying tribute to the Kingdome, where the team played until it was demolished in 2000 to make way for Lumen Field.
“This building was terrible and special at the same time,” vice president of marketing and brand Jeff Richards said.
Even though the uniforms spanned three decades of franchise history, executives chose to focus the marketing around the 1990s because of the era’s impact on the future of the team. The 1990s saw key players like Kennedy, Eugene Robinson, John L. Williams and Chris Warren. Paul Allen bought the team in 1997, keeping them in Seattle. Super Bowl-winning coach Mike Holmgren joined the Seahawks in 1999 and led them to their first playoff berth in 11 years.
The ’90s were also important for the city as grunge music rose to prominence and Starbucks and Microsoft bulldozed their way into the American lexicon.
The Seahawks join the Minnesota Vikings, Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in unveiling throwback uniforms for the 2023 season. The Philadelphia Eagles have also teased that they will feature a vintage kelly green look.
