Dan Doornink, a star running back at Washington State University and an NFL player, died at age 70, the Seattle Seahawks said Sunday. He spent eight seasons in the league, seven of them in Seattle, while also earning a medical degree at the University of Washington. The team remembered him as one of the favorites of its early years, both on and off the field.
The Seahawks came to Seattle in 1976, giving the city its own team in the United States’ top professional football league. Over time, the club became an important part of the region’s sporting life, and its fans became known for their loud support in the stadium.
With the Seahawks, Doornink rushed for 1,530 yards and scored 14 touchdowns in 92 regular-season games. His most memorable performance for fans came in a 1984 playoff game: in a victory over reigning Super Bowl champions the Los Angeles Raiders, he gained 126 yards. The team relied on the running game for nearly the entire contest, and Doornink carried the ball 29 times.
Former teammates recalled other key moments, too. Doornink helped the Seahawks preserve a playoff lead against Miami by recovering a fumble on the kickoff. In a 1983 game against Kansas City, he caught a 27-yard touchdown pass after reading the defense and changing his route. He was valuable not only as a runner but also as a receiver, gaining 1,940 receiving yards over his Seattle career.
Doornink grew up in Yakima and played for Wapato High School, whose field was later named in his honor. He was from the Yakima Valley, an agricultural region in the central part of the state known for its orchards, vineyards and hop production. The region differs markedly from densely populated coastal Seattle, with its drier climate and close ties to agriculture.
At Washington State University, in Pullman in the eastern part of the state, Doornink initially played quarterback, but switched to running back after teammates were injured. He led the team in rushing yards in the 1976 and 1977 seasons, and was inducted into the university’s Hall of Fame in 1986.
After finishing his NFL career, Doornink earned a medical degree from the University of Washington in Seattle, then returned to his hometown of Yakima and worked as a general practitioner for many years. He kept practicing and playing while studying, earning the nicknames “Dr. Dan” and simply “Doctor.” He said it was difficult to balance football and his studies, and that he had to get by on little sleep.
Despite attending the University of Washington, Doornink remained loyal to the Cougars, Washington State University’s team. The Cougars and the Huskies, representing two different university communities and parts of the state, have long been rivals. That rivalry is especially prominent in the annual Apple Cup football game.
In 2021, Doornink revealed that he had suffered a severe case of COVID-19 complicated by a rare blood disorder. He spent 23 days in intensive care, was on a ventilator for five days and lost 38 pounds—about 17 kilograms. He later recovered and returned to golf and training.
Based on: Dan Doornink, former Seahawks and Washington State running back, dies