Dan Doornink has died at the age of 70, bringing to a close the story of a former Seattle Seahawks running back whose seven seasons in Seattle included one of the franchise’s most memorable playoff performances.
Doornink was drafted by The New York Giants in 1978 before being traded to the Seattle Seahawks in 1979. From there, he carved out a seven-season run in Seattle, finishing with 105 games, 1,836 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns.
Best known for his playoff performance
The Seahawks point to 1984 as the game that defined much of his football legacy. In the Wild Card game against the Los Angeles Raiders at the Kingdome, Doornink rushed for 123 yards in a performance that stood out in a franchise history still being built.
That mattered because the 1983 season had already marked a milestone for the Seahawks: their first trip to the playoffs. In that context, Doornink’s contribution became part of the club’s early postseason identity, the kind of reliable running that gave Seattle something concrete to build around.
A second career in medicine
Doornink’s life after football was just as notable in a different way. He later became a physician in Yakima, moving from the physical demands of the NFL to a career in medicine as a Doctor of Medicine.
For Seattle supporters, he remains part of the early fabric of the franchise: a player who arrived from the New York Giants, gave the Seahawks seven seasons, delivered a defining playoff day, and then went on to serve his community away from the game.
