The strength of three: The 30 greatest trios in NFL history
By Ian Cummings
Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor. Seattle Seahawks. Legion of Boom . 28. player. 36.
It was Marshawn Lynch who brought the Beast Quake to life in 2011, but that would not be the last tremor spawned by the Seattle Seahawks.
2011 was the start of an era in the Pacific Northwest; an era founded by a defense that triggered a seismic wave with every hit and every tackle. A defense that changed the definition of the word “physicality” in football. A defense that was feared like no other. A defense, aptly named…
The Legion of Boom.
Like every great defense, the Legion of Boom had a fearsome core. The defensive line was imposing. At linebacker, Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright grew to become giants. But the heart of the Legion rested in the secondary, where defensive backs Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, and Kam Chancellor made opposing quarterbacks consider other lines of work.
Sherman was the cornerback; the one who sat on the island and relished the duel. He stole receivers’ souls on the football field with his length and aggression and then spat it back at them with an earned and arrogant pride. Thomas was the center fielder, bringing speed and precision to hawk over the middle of the field when signal-callers refused to throw Sherman’s way.
Chancellor was the muscle. On a defense with Sherman and Thomas, a case could be made that he was the scariest of them all. Chancellor threw all of his 6-foot-3, 225-pound frame across the field, with relentless force and power. He brought the Boom to the Legion, cementing himself as one of the hardest hitters in NFL history.
The Legion of Boom lived up to its name and it has the hardware to prove it. In the unit’s prime, the Seahawks went 46-18 overall. They boasted a playoff record of 7-3 and went to two Super Bowls, winning Super Bowl XLVIII against the Denver Broncos. In a 43-8 drubbing of future Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning’s team, the Legion of Boom cemented its legacy.
Now, the Legion has disbanded. Chancellor retired in 2018, Thomas is now with the Baltimore Ravens and Sherman now mans the island for the San Francisco 49ers, in the twilight of his career.
But even now, the quakes still whisper, in pockets of time, and each quake is a tribute to the Legion and the mark it left. In an era where defenses are dying, the Legion of Boom was one sharp, reckless breath of life.