By CASEY OLSON

The Mirror

Federal Way High School graduate Bob Ferguson’s days are over as the general manager of the Seattle Seahawks.

Ferguson resigned Tuesday to make way for newly hired president Tim Ruskell, who served as the Atlanta Falcons assistant general manager last year.

“As the Seahawks transition to new football leadership I have decided it is also the right time for me to leave the organization,” Ferguson said on the Seahawks' Web site. “I have agreed to consult with the Seahawks through the draft and will support Will Lewis (Seattle’s pro personnel director) and his team in ensuring we finish off this process by finding the Seahawks the best possible players.”

Ferguson was hired as the football team’s general manager, replacing Mike Holmgren, following the 2003 season and guided the Seahawks to the NFL Playoffs in both his seasons.

Ferguson moved to Federal Way in 1955 when his father, Spike, opened a dentist’s office in Auburn. He went on to Mirror Lake Elementary School, Lakota Junior High and eventually graduated from Federal Way in 1968.

Following his days with the Eagles, Ferguson went on to letter three times and earn All-Pac-8 honors following his junior and senior seasons as a linebacker at the University of Washington, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in radio/television communications.

Ferguson’s resignation Tuesday was actually the second time he has left the Seahawks organization. Following his 1973 graduation from the University of Washington, Seattle gave Ferguson his first job in the NFL in the personnel department. After five years with the Seahawks, Ferguson worked for the Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos and the Arizona Cardinals, where he was the general manager until taking over the Seahawks on Feb. 10, 2003.

“On behalf of (Seahawks owner Paul) Allen and the entire Seahawks family, we’d like to extend our thanks to Bob for his patience during this transition,” Seahawks Chief Executive Officer Tod Leiweke said Tuesday. “We are appreciative of the work he’s done over the last two years.”

The Seahawks have made several personnel moves in the last couple weeks, signing tackle Walter Jones and quarterback Matt Hasselbeck to long-term contracts, putting the franchise tag on running back Shaun Alexander and hiring Ruskell, among other things.

Sports editor Casey Olson: 925-5565, sports@fedwaymirror.com

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