JERSEY CITY, N.J. -- Seattle's nasty secondary -- aka the "Legion of Boom" -- has an opportunity Sunday to go down in Super Bowl lore.
Right up there on the shelf alongside Baltimore's vicious defense of 2000 and Chicago's mauling 46 front that led to glory in 1985, this Seahawks team will be remembered years from now for its collection of ultra-talented defensive backs.
Earl Thomas, the Seattle Seahawks' All-Pro safety, reminded us Sunday night that the "LOB" wasn't formed in a vacuum.
"It just started off as guys just wanting to be the best," he said. "We always talked about how we wanted to change, not only the team, but Seattle."
Safeties don't get the attention afforded to brash, trash-talking cornerbacks. Instead, Thomas comes across as the quiet leader of this group, with most of his work unfolding offscreen -- his toils lost to the viewer unless you dial up the silent, ghostly All-22.
A full view of the field reveals a player with elite closing speed and nearly flawless instincts. One reason Seattle's cornerbacks are rarely exposed is that Thomas -- unlike a surprising number of NFL safeties -- is almost always in the right place.
His five interceptions and 100 tackles this season made him the first safety to reach both totals in the same campaign since Sammy Knight did it with the New Orleans Saints back in 2002. Safeties are required to make an endless stream of correct choices on every down, and Thomas has been nearly flawless this season.
We've raved about him before on the podcast as the premier player at his position, but asked Sunday night if he's on a path to equal the feats of Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu, Thomas acknowledged that something is missing.
"You always look at guys who have had success in this league," he said. "And those guys were definitely the best at their position, and they have championships under their belt. So, definitely when my legacy is done, I want some championships."
His first shot comes Sunday.
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