Getty Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider.
The Seattle Seahawks are looking to retool their roster after the departures of quarterback Russell Wilson and linebacker Bobby Wagner. General manager John Schneider will also be looking to fill a vacancy within the front office after a major departure.
Seattle’s Senior Executive Advisor to the General Manager, Alonzo Highsmith, will be stepping down from his role to pursue an opportunity with his alma mater. Brady Henderson from ESPN.com reported that Highsmith will take over as the General Manager of Football Operations for the Miami Hurricanes.
The move leaves the Seahawks with an opening within their front office, but with plenty of time to make a corresponding move to fill the vacancy in the coming months.
Alonzo Highsmith’s Football Career
Highsmith had worked for the Seahawks for the past two seasons, but his experience as a front office staffer spans more than two decades. He spent nearly 20 years with the Green Bay Packers scouting department from 1998 to 2017 before joining the Cleveland Browns as their Vice President of Personnel for two seasons.
It was in Green Bay where Highsmith developed a relationship with Schneider. The Seahawks general manager worked as a scout for the Packers from 1993 to 1996, then as a personal aide to the GM and Director of Football Operations from 2002 until 2009.
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Before working in NFL front offices, Highsmith was a decorated player on the field, particularly during his college days. The 57-year-old was a star fullback for the Hurricanes from 1983 to 1986 and was a freshman when he scored a touchdown and rushed for 50 yards in the Orange Bowl against Nebraska that helped clinch the team’s national title.
Highsmith finished his college career with 1,873 rushing yards, 977 receiving yards, 25 total touchdowns, and an average of 4.8 yards per rushing attempt. His dominance in the backfield helped Highsmith get into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame.
The Hurricanes fullback was selected third overall by the Houston Oilers in the 1987 NFL Draft. He played six NFL seasons for the Oilers, Dallas Cowboys, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers before coming a professional boxer, posting a 27-1-2 record in the ring.
Other Seahawks Scouts to Recently Leave
Excluding Seattle’s Super Bowl victory, one of Schneider’s biggest accomplishments as the Seahawks general manager has been having members of his staff go off to advance their careers elsewhere. Highsmith joins a respectable list of Seahawks scouts to leave over the past few seasons.
The Carolina Panthers have scooped up a pair of former Seahawks scouts. Scott Fitterer was Seattle’s Vice President of Football Operations in 2020 and had worked with the team since 2001, then took over as Carolina’s general manager in 2021. He was joined by another former Seahawks scout in Dan Morgan, who joined Fitterer’s staff with the Panthers as the assistant general manager.
Ed Dodds is another former Seahawks scout who could become a GM in the near future. Dodds worked in Seattle from 2007 through 2016 before joining the Indianapolis Colts, where he is now the assistant GM. Dodds was a highly sought-after GM candidate this past offseason, interviewing with teams including the Las Vegas Raiders and Chicago Bears.