It was an early morning for many Washingtonians around the western part of the state as the Seattle Seahawks hosted their Super Bowl champion parade on Feb. 11.
Following their 29-13 win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX, the Seahawks took to Lumen Field for speeches and a trophy presentation. It is just the second such parade for Seattle’s NFL franchise, and for those who attended the first parade back in 2014, this time around was busier, longer and, most importantly, warmer.
According to Seattle officials, up to 1 million people flocked to the International District and lined up down Fourth Avenue, awaiting a glimpse of their championship winning organization.
Fans took to the streets as early 5:30 a.m., largely before the crowd-control stanchions were in place. Fans flocked to the curbs separating the bike lane from the road as they brought chairs, snacks and warm beverages to wake up along with the city of Seattle.
Around 11:15 a.m., the team’s buses left Lumen Field and embarked on Fourth and Washington to Cedar — over a mile and a half.
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald held the NFC Championship trophy for the parade. Jody Allen, the acting chair of the Seahawks, had her own personal Humvee at the front of the pack. Macdonald, some Seahawks dignitaries and the coaching staffs were all in vehicles provided by the Washington National Guard.
There were no major problems with a crowd of this magnitude either. There were reports of a couple of scuffles closer to the back end of the parade, but the majority of the attendees were full of the Seahawk spirit.
Zach Charbonnet and AJ Barner laugh during the Super Bowl parade. Photos by Ben Ray / Sound Publishing
Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III poses with fans. Photos by Ben Ray / Sound Publishing
Jaxon Smith-Njigba points to his ring finger as he awaits his Super Bowl ring. Photos by Ben Ray / Sound Publishing
Seahawks defensive lineman Leonard Williams holds up a championship belt. Photos by Ben Ray / Sound Publishing
A 12th man flag waves in the wind. Photos by Ben Ray / Sound Publishing
