Getty Seattle Seahawks Richard Sherman, Pete Carroll, and Russell Wilson in 2014.
After the news broke that Pete Carroll was out as head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, his current and former players gathered for a dinner in honor of their boss, friend, and mentor. This dinner included former Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and retired cornerback Richard Sherman, who haven’t been on good terms for years. However, as Carroll was leaving the restaurant the two former Seattle stars gave their coach credit for something no one thought would ever happen.
Pete Carroll’s Goodbye Dinner at Richard Sherman’s Restaurant
Legendary coach Pete Carroll leaves the Seahawks head coaching job as the franchise’s winningest coach and as the only one to bring a Super Bowl to Seattle. As such, many of the men who played for him wanted to get together to celebrate his time with the team and his accomplishments.
The gathering took place on Wednesday, Jan. 10, at Legion, a restaurant in Bellevue, Washington owned by former “Legion of Boom” members Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor, according to Seattle Refined.
The big surprise at the party was Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson flying in to see Carroll and his former teammates. The Super Bowl-winning QB tweeted pictures from the dinner showing him and Carroll, along with many of the Seahawks who were there.
Grateful for you! Fun Celebrating you tonight and all the memories! @PeteCarroll
Wilson’s inclusion at this event was surprising for several reasons, not the least of which is the fact that the QB and the “Legion of Boom” have publically fallen out over the years. However, according to Carroll, this dinner may have been the first step on the road to burying the hatchet.
Carroll’s Dinner Got Russell Wilson and Sherman Talking Again
There is no love lost between Russell Wilson and his Super Bowl-winning defensive teammates, and the most publically critical of the quarterback has been Richard Sherman.
At the end of the Pete Carroll celebration, though, the two started talking again, according to their former head coach on Seattle Sports radio.
“I’m walking out the door at the end of it, and we’re getting ready to go, and Richard and Russell are standing in the doorway,” Carroll told host Mike Salk. “And they both look at me and said, ‘Look what had to happen for you to get us two talking to one another and having fun?’”
Apparently it took Pete Carroll to get Russell Wilson and this ex-LOB member talking again at his goodbye party last night. Here’s Pete’s story about it. Listen to the entire interview with Pete tomorrow from 8-9am to hear a whole lot more about why he is out and what comes next
This is big news in the Wilson-Sherman-LOB drama that has been going on for years now.
Wilson vs. the “Legion of Boom”
On February 2, 2014, as the confetti fell on the Seahawks, it looked like Russell Wilson and the “Legion of Boom” were a perfect pairing. However, just 364 days later, as Wilson threw an interception to New England Patriots CB Malcolm Butler on the goal line, things started to fall apart.
That play started a public rift between Carroll, Wilson, and the defense. Much of this has been documented on “The Richard Sherman’s Podcast” during episodes with Pete Carroll and the CB’s former defensive teammates like KJ Wright.
The Seahawks defense believed that Wilson got preferential treatment from Carroll and that he wasn’t held to the same accountability level as Sherman and his defensive teammates. Over the years, several former Seahawks have taken shots at Wilson, although none have the national media platform that Sherman, now a pre-game analyst for Amazon Prime Video, does.
As with many feuds, time heals all wounds. And with the entire “Legion of Boom” now out of the game and Wilson struggling in what seems like his final days with the Broncos, it seems like all parties may be ready to start moving on.
As Wilson and Sherman said, though, it’s too bad it took Carroll losing his job to start the healing process.