Shaun Alexander had one of the highest peaks in football in the 2000s, winning the NFL MVP in 2005. He was one of only four running backs to win the MVP in this millennium.
He is the only player to grace the Madden NFL and NCAA Football video game covers. Alexander was selected to be the face of Madden NFL 2007 and was also on the cover of the 2001 NCAA Football game as a member of the University of Alabama.
Alexander will appear at the 2025 NFL Draft on April 25 to announce one of the Seattle Seahawks’ Day 2 picks.
Shaun Alexander’s College Career
After being named an All-American in high school in Kentucky, Alexander received offers from Michigan, Alabama, and Notre Dame. He ultimately chose Alabama.
As a redshirt freshman, he set a school record with 291 rushing yards in a game against LSU. He followed that breakout with a quiet sophomore year, running for just 415 yards on 90 carries.
He improved in 1998 with 1,178 yards, but it was the 1999 season when Alexander took off. He rushed for 1,383 and 19 touchdowns, and the Alabama Crimson Tide finished 10-3.
He still ranks third all-time in school history in rushing yards and fourth in rushing touchdowns.
Alexander’s NFL Career
The Seattle Seahawks selected Alexander with the 19th overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft. From 2001 to 2005, he put together one of the best five-year stretches in NFL history, rushing for over 1,000 yards and at least 14 touchdowns each season.
His 2005 season was the peak. Alexander ran for 1,880 yards and 27 touchdowns on 370 carries. The 27 rushing scores are still the second-most in a single season, behind LaDainian Tomlinson’s 28 in 2006. The Seahawks finished 13-3, clinched the NFC’s No. 1 seed, and made it to Super Bowl XL, where they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Seattle rewarded him with a then-record contract for a running back. But he broke his left foot in Week 3 of the 2006 season. He played in 10 games that year but was never quite the same. The following season, he fractured his wrist and suffered sprains in both his knee and ankle. The Seahawks released him after the 2007 season, just two years after his MVP run.
He signed with Washington in 2008 but played only four games and didn’t regain his form. He retired shortly after.
Alexander still holds the Seahawks’ franchise records for rushing yards and touchdowns. He is also tied for ninth all-time in NFL history in rushing touchdowns.
