INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Dominating opposing offenses at the height of the best years in Seattlle Seahawks franchise history, which included a pair of Super Bowl appearances, the star-studded "Legion of Boom" headlined one of the greatest defenses ever seen in the NFL for nearly a decade.
With vocal shutdown cornerback Richard Sherman, ball-hawking center fielder Earl Thomas, and enforcer Kam Chancellor working in tandem and providing on-field - and in many cases off-field - fireworks, there may not be a team in league history that featured a more talented, charismatic secondary. Not surprisingly, with the trio emerging among the biggest stars in the game for a Super Bowl champion, youngsters all over the world dreamed to be just like their idols.
Even six years after the renowned unit last played in a game together in Seattle, while Thomas has been in the limelight for all the wrong reasons as of late, Sherman and Chancellor remain inspirations for the next generation of NFL players. That couldn't have been more evident during Thursday's interviews at the annual scouting combine, as numerous cornerback and safety prospects referenced members of the "Legion of Boom" while fielding questions at the podium.
After a decorated collegiate career at Boise State that culminated with a Senior Bowl invite, JL Skinner looks the part of a Chancellor-style safety. In Mobile, he measured in at 6-4 and weighed 211 pounds, easily standing out as the biggest defensive back at the all-star showcase.
On the field, aside from being an imposing figure sporting No. 0 on the blue turf in Boise, Skinner resembles Chancellor's game in many ways as well. Using his size to his advantage playing in the box, he consistently dished out big hits against Mountain West foes and relishes contact. He also exhibited underrated ball skills and a penchant for creating turnovers, picking off six passes and recovering a trio of fumbles in his final two seasons with the Broncos.
"I like to look at taller defensive backs and Kam kind of inspired me to play the way I am, how physical I am, and do the things I do on the field," Skinner said, also referencing former Bengals safety George Iloka. "So Chancellor is the biggest inspiration I try to model my game after."
Ushering in a new prototype at strong safety after being selected by the Seahawks in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft, Chancellor became a household name for his bone-jarring tackles and unrivaled physicality. Always stepping up his game in the clutch, he delivered highlight reel hits on Broncos receiver Demaryius Thomas and recorded an interception in Super Bowl XLVIII. One year later, to help get back to the big game, he returned a pick against Cam Newton back to the house for six points.
Since Chancellor retired due to a neck injury after the 2017 season, NFL teams have tried - and failed - to find the next "Bam Bam." A truly unique talent at 6-3, 231, who could intercept a pass on one play and knock an offensive lineman on his backside to make a tackle against the run on the next snap, others have tried to emulate him without the immense success at the next level.
Though he's not quite as big as Chancellor, Skinner hopes to buck that trend, playing a bit more versatile strong safety to match today's game with the same physicality and toughness that made his idol a legend. In a dream scenario come April's draft, he would love to fill the same role No. 31 famously held in Seattle for eight seasons.
"I'd love it," Skinner said of the prospect of playing for the Seahawks. "I'd love stepping into that role. I've seen him dominate for years in Seattle, so I want to be able to make an impact just like he did too."
Far from the only prospect to mention one of the esteemed "Legion of Boom" members on Thursday, Skinner wasn't alone among the safety group who revered Chancellor. Offering a wide array of players he built his own game after, even while testing with cornerbacks in Indianapolis this week, Alabama standout Brian Branch also cited Chancellor's physical presence and mentality as an inspiration.
Meanwhile, now more than a year removed from his last snaps in the league, Sherman remains the aspired archetype for tall, lengthy cornerbacks. Growing up in Indianapolis before playing at Iowa as well as Kansas State, 6-3 prospect Juju Brents watched Seattle's superstar cornerback attentively, admiring how he carried himself both on and off the field and paying close attention to his technique.
After watching current Seahawks cornerback Tariq Woolen light it up in Indianapolis a year ago before turning in a Pro Bowl rookie season, Brents believes he has more to gain this week than most prospects during testing and interviews because of his rare size and length. Aiming to exceed expectations in regard to his speed and quickness, he's hopeful to follow the footsteps of Sherman and Woolen and write his own NFL success story.
"I definitely want to put on a show for all the coaches and the GMs," Brent said. "It's definitely going to be a show for sure... For guys to see me firsthand, being a taller guy, a lot of people don't know about my lateral quickness and things of that nature. In the different drills and everything, I'll be able to showcase that. It's a big day for me."
While Brents has revered Sherman from afar, Georgia cornerback prospect Kelee Ringo has a more intimate relationship with the perennial All-Pro due to his Pacific Northwest ties. A native of nearby Tacoma, he told reporters on Thursday that he's been working with the Seahawks legend in the Seattle area this offseason and picking his brain during pre-draft training.
"He slows the game down," Ringo said of Sherman, saying he has provided advice for him to see the game from a greater point of view. "He makes things look a lot easier with how smart he is, specifically on seeing what is going to happen to him, what an offensive coordinator wants to do to him every game."
While it has been more than half a decade since the "Legion of Boom" last roamed the secondary together at then-named CenturyLink Field, the legends who formed that vaunted group haven't been forgotten. Instead, as evidenced by comments from Skinner, Brents, Ringo, and others in Indy, they remain on the Mount Rushmore of defensive backs that every young player aspires to pattern themselves after.
When the time comes for Sherman, Chancellor, and Thomas to be considered for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the near future, such an illustration paints a clear and vivid picture on the lasting impact they had on the sport of football. Even with their playing days over, they will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
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