Timeline | Shaun Alexander's Seahawks career

"When Shaun was available, we were targeting him all the way," Holmgren said the day of that draft. "And it worked out for us."

"This offense is going to be nice," Alexander said. "It fits me. It's perfect for me. They throw to the running backs. They do a number of things that are kind of similar to what we did at Alabama. We didn't pass like they do here, but there's a lot of things that are similar."

Oct. 2, 2000: Alexander started his first NFL game in a split backfield with Ricky Watters. He gained 74 yards on 11 carries and scored his first NFL touchdown, a 7-yard run in the first half.

"People got a glimpse of what he is and what he could be in this business," Holmgren said. "It was a big play in the football game but I was encouraged by what I saw."

— Oct. 7, 2001: Alexander started with starter Ricky Watters out because of a shoulder injury. Alexander rushed for 176 yards and two touchdowns in a 24-15 victory over Jacksonville.

— Nov. 11, 2001: Alexander shined in a game under the lights, rushing for 266 and three touchdowns against Oakland. It was the largest single-game rushing total in franchise history and No. 4 in league history at the time.

"I don't know if that was Alexander or Jim Brown," said Jon Gruden, then the Raiders coach. "If you're asking me, he's good."

— Sept. 29, 2002: Alexander turned in another glowing prime-time performance, He rushed for 139 yards and four touchdowns and caught three passes, including an 80-yard touchdown reception.

"He's a touchdown machine," quarterback Trent Dilfer said. "And we need to get the ball in his hands — that's what we need to do to be successful."

— Dec. 29, 2002: Alexander scored his 16th rushing touchdown of the season in San Diego, breaking the franchise record he shared with Chris Warren.

— Sept. 21, 2003: Alexander missed a start for the first time in 34 games, attending the birth of his first child, Heaven. He arrived in time to play in the second quarter of a game against St. Louis.

— Dec. 27, 2003: Rushed for 84 yards in the regular-season finale in San Francisco, finishing with a career-high 1,435 yards rushing in the regular season.

— Jan. 27, 2004: Alexander chosen to his first Pro Bowl, selected as a replacement for the injured Deuce McAllister. It was the first of three consecutive Pro Bowl selections for Alexander.

— Nov. 21, 2004: Alexander's rushing touchdown in Miami was the 56th of his career, passing Curt Warner for first in franchise history.

— Dec. 26, 2004: Gained 154 yards yards against Arizona, breaking the franchise's single-season rushing record set by Chris Warren.

— Jan. 2, 2005: Alexander gained 80 yards in a season-ending victory over Atlanta, but wound up 1 yard behind Curtis Martin in the race for the rushing title. That 1 yard was the same length of a quarterback sneak by Matt Hasselbeck for a fourth-quarter touchdown.

"We were going to win anyway, we were on the freaking goal line, and I got stabbed in the back," Alexander said in the locker room afterward.

Alexander apologized for those comments the next day.

— Feb. 22, 2005: Alexander designated Seattle's franchise player after the Seahawks reached long-term contract agreements with left tackle Walter Jones and quarterback Matt Hasselbeck.

— July 26, 2005: Alexander signed a one-year contract for $6.32 million, equal to the amount of the one-year tender required for a running back designated the franchise player. The contract included the caveat Alexander could not be named Seattle's franchise player again, meaning he would be an unrestricted free agent if a long-term deal was not agreed to.

— Oct. 16, 2005: Rushed for four touchdowns against Houston, becoming the second player in NFL history to rush for four touchdowns in a game twice in the same season. Jim Taylor rushed for four TDs in two games in 1962.

— Oct. 23, 2005: Became the franchise's career-leading rusher, his 63 yards against Dallas pushing him past Chris Warren's Seahawks total of 6,706.

— Jan. 1, 2006: Alexander's 1-yard touchdown run in the first half in Green Bay broke Priest Holmes' NFL record for touchdowns in a single season with 28. Alexander rushed for 27 of those scores, and caught one TD pass.

— Jan. 5, 2006: Alexander named the NFL's MVP by the Associated Press after he received 19 of 50 first-place votes. He became the first Seahawk ever to win the award. Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning finished second in voting.

"All the guys, they all say it just like I want them to say it. That we won the MVP," Alexander said. "And we have."

— March 6, 2006: Alexander re-signed with Seattle, agreeing to an eight-year contract worth $62 million. His signing bonus was $11.5 million.

— August 2006: Madden 07 video game ships out, featuring Alexander on the cover, a spot that just so happened to be occupied by a number of athletes who suffered injuries or sub-par seasons after getting the cover spot.

— Oct. 1, 2006: Alexander missed Seattle's game in Chicago after tests discovered a cracked bone in his foot. It's the first game Alexander missed because of injury in seven NFL seasons.

— Nov. 19, 2006: Alexander returned to play in San Francisco after missing 10 games because of the foot injury.

— Nov. 27, 2006: Rushed for 201 yards on a snowy night against Green Bay, carrying the Seahawks to a victory with the second largest single-game rushing performance of his NFL career.

— Sept. 9, 2007: His 105 yards rushing against Tampa Bay proved pivotal in Seattle's season-opening victory. He suffered an injury to his left wrist in the game, wearing a protective cast the next week. It's later diagnosed as a cracked bone.

— Sept. 23, 2007: Alexander gained 100 yards against Cincinnati, his second triple-digit rushing performance in three games and his final one for the season.

— Nov. 4, 2007: Alexander suffered a sprained knee during an overtime loss in Cleveland, which kept him out the next three games.

— Dec. 30, 2007: He scored the 100th rushing touchdown of his Seahawks career in the regular-season finale in Atlanta.