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Marshawn Lynch says thank you to Seattle Seahawks fans in heartwarming, full-page ad

By The Sports Xchange
Former Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch points to the crowd. File photo by Jim Bryant/UPI
Former Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch points to the crowd. File photo by Jim Bryant/UPI | License Photo

Running back Marshawn Lynch is sending a thank you to his former team before resuming his career with the Oakland Raiders.

Lynch took out a full-page ad in Sunday's Seattle Times to thank the Seattle Seahawks' fans and owner Paul Allen for their support during his tenure in the Pacific Northwest.

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The 31-year-old Lynch, who is coming out of retirement to play with his hometown Raiders following a trade with the Seahawks, paid tribute to the Seattle organization and its fans in the ad, which was tweeted by Seattle Times publisher Frank Blethen on Saturday.

"What a class act," Blethen wrote on the posting featuring two large photos and Lynch's nickname -- "Beast Mode" -- emblazoned in capital letters.

One photo was accompanied by a "Thank you Paul Allen" while the other was topped by "Thank you 12s" -- a reference to the raucous fans at CenturyLink Field who gave rise to the "12th Man" moniker.

Reports surfaced several weeks ago that Lynch was seeking reinstatement to the NFL and that he and his representatives were in negotiations with the Raiders.

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The Seahawks owned Lynch's rights, so the two sides needed to work out a deal before Lynch could become a member of the Raiders.

Lynch retired from the NFL and Seahawks after the 2015 season. He had been on the reserve/retired list since May 2016.

The five-time Pro Bowl selection racked up six 1,000-yard seasons in his career and rushed for 9,112 yards and 74 touchdowns in nine seasons with the Buffalo Bills and Seahawks.

Lynch topped 1,200 yards in four consecutive seasons for Seattle from 2011-14 before being hindered by injuries in 2015. He played in only seven games and recorded 417 yards and three touchdowns in his last season.

After attending Oakland Technical High School, Lynch played three seasons at California (2004-06), leaving ranked second in school history with 3,230 rushing yards in 35 games.

In 2005 and 2006, he posted consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons and was named the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year in 2006.

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