Shaun Alexander
A running back whose record-shattering 2005 season powered the Seattle Seahawks to their first Super Bowl appearance and earned him NFL MVP honors.
Born 1977 (age 49)·American football player·Birthday: August 30·Generation X
Biography
Shaun Alexander arrived in the NFL with a quiet confidence and a nose for the end zone that would soon become historic. Drafted by the Seattle Seahawks, he quickly established himself as a workhorse back with a unique blend of patience and explosive power. His career crescendoed in 2005 with a season for the ages: he broke the NFL single-season record for touchdowns, scoring 28 times, and led the league in rushing. That year, he was named the league's Most Valuable Player, becoming the face of a Seahawks offense that stormed to Super Bowl XL. Alexander's running style, often described as deceptively smooth, belied a fierce competitiveness. Though injuries later slowed his pace, his peak years in Seattle cemented him as one of the most productive backs of his generation and a beloved figure in the Pacific Northwest, where his number 37 remains iconic.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Shaun was born in 1977, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Shaun Was Born
The biggest hits of 1977
#1 Movie
Star Wars
Best Picture
Annie Hall
#1 TV Show
Happy Days
Shaun's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1977Born
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1982Started school
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1990Became a teenager
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1993Could drive
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1995Could vote
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
1998Turned 21
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2007Turned 30
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 40
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 49 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Named the NFL Most Valuable Player for the 2005 season.
- Set the since-broken NFL single-season record with 28 touchdowns in 2005.
- Led the Seattle Seahawks to their first Super Bowl appearance (Super Bowl XL) in 2006.
- Was selected to three Pro Bowls (2003, 2004, 2005) and named a First-Team All-Pro in 2005.
- Rushed for over 100 touchdowns in his career, ranking among the all-time leaders upon his retirement.
Did You Know?
He was nicknamed "The Alexander the Great" and "Shaun of the End Zone" during his playing days.
In college at Alabama, he broke the school's career rushing touchdown record previously held by Bobby Humphrey.
He is a devout Christian and has been very open about his faith throughout his career.
He published a children's book titled "The Little Giant" in 2006.
“I just want to be remembered as a guy who, when he played the game, he played it right, and he gave everything he had.”
