SPORTS FBN-PANTHERS-SEAHAWKS 7 CH

Former Aggie Wagner deserves raise

Aggie fans have recently enjoyed seeing several Utah State football players find a place in the National Football League, but none is due for a bigger payday than Seahawks starting middle linebacker Bobby Wagner.

Wagner’s been a star ever since Seattle drafted him in the second round in 2012. During his first year in the league he racked up 140 tackles, establishing himself as a foundational piece of what would soon become the league’s most tenacious defense.

Sure, Richard Sherman and the so-called Legion of Boom draw most of the media attention — cornerbacks and safeties tend to be flashier positions, after all. It takes a special kind of player to stand out on a defense with Seattle’s talent, and yet, Wagner deserves any credit thrown his way and then some.

Wagner was key to the Seahawks’ Super Bowl win last year against Denver, responsible for directing the pressure toward Peyton Manning and the most prolific offense in league history. He acts essentially as the quarterback of the defense, calling out the necessary adjustments for his teammates before the ball is snapped.

His absence from the field for five games this season due to a torn ligament in his foot exposed a glaring truth about his importance to the Seahawks’ defense. Without him, Seattle’s run defense suffered so much that games normally won with relative ease suddenly came down to the wire.

Kansas City and St. Louis both topped Seattle in tight games that probably shouldn’t have even been close, but without its defensive signal-caller, the Seahawks appeared painfully mortal. Seattle was 6-4, on the outside looking into the NFC playoff picture.

Upon Wagner’s return to the starting lineup, the Seahawks rocketed to the first seed in the NFC while holding opponents under a total of 40 points over their final six games. They earned a first-round bye before knocking Carolina out of the playoffs and face off Sunday against Green Bay for a chance to make it to the Super Bowl for the second year in a row.

Realistically, the Aggie alum can expect a deal worth $8 million per year after the 2015 season ends. There are several teams in the league that are just one Bobby Wagner short of being a contender. Seattle has a massive deal with Russell Wilson coming down the pipe, but Wagner should command the next highest priority. He’s the type of player that can anchor a defense, earn a franchise tag, and appear on the cover of Madden. That’s a heck of a way for Utah State University to be represented at the highest level.

— Logan Jones is a junior majoring in journalism and communication. He spends most of his time trying to single-handedly vote Damian Lillard into the NBA all-star game and is very much looking forward to the Seahawks vs. Patriots Super Bowl next month.