The History of the 12th Man: Seattle vs. A&M

In honor of today December 12^th, 2012, (12/12/12) it is only appropriate to recognize the history of the 12^th man. Defined as simply “a term for the fans within the stadium of a football game”, the 12^th man means a lot more than that in places like College Station, Texas and Seattle, Washington.

At Texas A&M, the 12^th man is almost more important than the players itself. The term was introduced to College Station in 1922, when A&M didn’t have enough players to take the field for a game so E. King Gill, a student and former football player was called from the stands to sit on the bench and fill a roster spot for the Aggies. Since then, Texas A&M has embraced the term to the fullest. A statue of Gill stands outside Kyle Field along with a banner wrapping around the inside of the stadium reading, “Home of the 12^th Man”. To this day, the number 12 jersey is not worn by a player on the A&M roster but is the school’s top selling jersey, ahead of Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel’s number 2 jersey. A&M argues that rather than representing simply the fans, the 12^th man is a representation of a student body, something more meaningful than just being a fan.

In Seattle, the Seahawks have adopted the 12^th man as a term of their own as well. The franchise, which started in 1976, used the title to describe their “loud, sold out crowds”. On December 15^th, 1984, Seahawks president Mike McCormack retired jersey number 12. On November 27^th, 2005, the Seahawks, who were undefeated at home that season, gained the edge in a win over the New York Giants thanks to the 12^th man. It is said that 12th man caused 11 false start penalties and 3 missed field goals in a key win that eventually led to a Seahawks Super Bowl appearance later in the season. The game ball was dedicated to the 12^th man and now sits in a trophy case in the Wells Fargo Club luxury section at CentuaryLink field. Seattle, which is known for having the loudest fans in the NFL, raises the 12^th man flag before every game as a symbol of the importance of its fans.

To this day, Seattle and College Station argue who the keeper of the real 12^th man. In January of 2006 Texas A&M filed a lawsuit against the Seahawks to protect their trademark of the 12^th man title. Upon agreement, Texas A&M licensed the Seahawks to use the 12^th man title in exchange for financial compensation and public acknowledgement by the NFL to Texas A&M’s ownership of the phrase. With this being said, who has the rightful claim to the term “12^th man”, Seattle or College Station? Comment below and share your opinion on this ongoing argument.