The Seattle Seahawks are honoring the 10-year anniversary of their Super Bowl XLVIII championship. So naturally, there’s only one person who should be raising the 12th Man Flag today:
Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Smith.
Buy Seahawks TicketsThe MVP will get us started today. @MalcSmitty is raising today's 12 Flag! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/uJkxZDBMVF
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) September 24, 2023
Malcolm Smith was a quality contributor on the famed 2013 Legion of Boom defense, playing in all 16 games and accounting for 54 total tackles. But where Smith played his way into Seattle sports immortality was how he played down the stretch.
Smith ended Week 15 and 16 with an interception in both games, and continued his ball-hawking streak into the playoffs. Smith was the one to catch Richard Sherman’s infamous tip of 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s ill-fated pass, an interception to seal the victory. Little did he know that would be only the second greatest interception of his career.
The Seahawks were facing the single greatest offense in NFL history in Peyton Manning’s Denver Broncos. But Smith and the Legion of Boom reminded everyone why the phrase “defense wins championships” rings true to this day.
Smith tallied 10 total tackles, recovered a fumble, and intercepted a Manning wobbler, only to return it 69 yards to break open Super Bowl XLVIII with a 22-0 lead for the Seahawks.
When linebacker Bobby Wagner made his return in Week 1, it was the loudest roar for a single player I have heard at Lumen Field. But when Malcolm Smith walks onto the south end zone platform to raise the flag, I predict a similarly loud ovation.
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