Dave Krieg made his mark in the NFL with the Seahawks, as he played the first 12 seasons of his 19-year career in Seattle. His story was a unique and memorable one, as he made the roster as an undrafted rookie free agent out of defunct Milton College. He was given a tryout with the team in 1980 and eventually claimed the role of regular starter.  

Krieg caught on with the ‘Hawks as a third-string quarterback and soon became the backup to Jim Zorn. In his first pro start in 1981, he led the Seahawks to a 27-23 win over the New York Jets, throwing a game-winning 57-yard TD pass to Steve Largent.  

In 1983, Krieg was elevated to the starting role at midseason, starting eight games. He then took the Seahawks on a ride to the first playoff berth in franchise history. In the opening round of the AFC playoffs, he passed for 200 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions in the Seahawks’ first playoff win, a 31-7 rout of Denver.  

In the following playoff game, Krieg engineered the ‘Hawks to their biggest upset win in team history, as they toppled the Dolphins at Miami, 27-20. With Krieg leading the way, the Seahawks reached a conference championship game for the first time.  

In 1984, Krieg took the reins of a pass-first offense and guided the Seahawks to a then-franchise record of 12 wins. He passed for 3,671 yards and 32 touchdowns and piloted the team to an AFC Wild Card win for the second-consecutive year.  

In 1986, Krieg was named the AFC Player of the Month for December. He was also at the forefront of another franchise first, guiding the ‘Hawks to their first-ever AFC West championship in 1988. He passed for 410 yards and four TDs in the regular season finale at the Los Angeles Raiders as the Seahawks won the division.

“We’ve been one of the five teams in the last six years that have never had a losing season, and he’s been the guy,” former Seahawks head coach Chuck Knox told the Los Angeles Times in 1989. “He’s a winner, a competitor, and he’s getting the job done.”  

Krieg provided one of the most exciting finishes in team lore in 1990, when he escaped a potential eighth sack by Derrick Thomas to gun a game-winning 25-yard TD pass to Paul Skansi as time expired. He was a two-time captain, a three-time Pro Bowler, and joined the Seahawks Ring of Honor in 2004. He has the third-most passing yards (26,132) and second-most TD passes (195) in team history.