The “12s” in Seattle are the fans of the Seattle Seahawks, considered an extra player on the field because of how loud and passionate they are during games.

What “12s” Means in Seattle

In American football, only eleven players from each team are on the field at a time, so the fans are symbolically called the “12th” player, or “12s.” Their noise and energy are seen as giving the Seahawks a real competitive edge, especially at home games.

The term “12s” is the modern branding of what used to be called the “12th man,” a phrase that originally came from Texas A&M University but was later phased out by the Seahawks in favor of “12s” after licensing issues.

How the 12s Show Up in the City

All around Seattle, you’ll see the number 12 as a symbol of team pride:

  • 12 flags flying from houses, bars, boats, and office buildings, especially during big games and playoff runs.
  • A large 12 flag raised at Lumen Field before home games as a pre-kickoff ritual honoring fans.
  • The number 12 displayed on landmarks in big seasons, like the Space Needle or even painted and hung on buildings across the region.

During key moments—like playoff games or the Seahawks’ Super Bowl run—those 12s are known for record-breaking stadium noise that can cause false starts and communication problems for opposing offenses.

A Bit of History Behind the 12s

  • In 1984, the Seahawks retired jersey number 12 in honor of their fans, permanently taking it out of circulation for players and officially enshrining supporters as part of the team’s identity.
  • Over the years, crowd noise at Seattle home games twice set Guinness World Records for loudest crowd at a sporting event, reinforcing the idea that the 12s truly affect what happens on the field.
  • A researcher later pointed out how the number 12 kept popping up around Seattle’s Super Bowl XLVIII season, even noting that the city was exactly 12 × 12 × 12 months old the year the 12s broke the crowd-noise record, which has become part of local lore.

Why People Talk About the 12s So Much

For locals and fans online, “the 12s” isn’t just a nickname; it’s a shorthand for Seattle’s football culture and community spirit:

  • It signals a loud, unified fanbase that sees itself as part of every down played at Lumen Field.
  • It shows up in forum discussions, social media posts, and game promos where phrases like “Let’s get loud, 12s” are used to rally fans.
  • It’s a point of regional identity, similar to how other teams have their own fan traditions (like Terrible Towels in Pittsburgh), but centered around the number 12 as a shared badge.

Quick HTML Table Summary

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<table>
  <tr>
    <th>Aspect</th>
    <th>What It Means</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Who are the 12s?</td>
    <td>Fans of the Seattle Seahawks, treated as the symbolic 12th player on the field.[web:3][web:5][web:7]</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Origin of the idea</td>
    <td>Football has 11 players per side, so the crowd is the extra (12th) player through noise and support.[web:5]</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Key tradition</td>
    <td>The Seahawks retired jersey number 12 in 1984 to honor their fans.[web:7]</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>City presence</td>
    <td>12 flags and the number 12 on buildings, landmarks, and at Lumen Field, especially during playoffs.[web:3][web:5][web:7]</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Reputation</td>
    <td>Known for extremely loud home crowds that have twice set world records for stadium noise.[web:5]</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Name change</td>
    <td>Shifted from “12th Man” to “12s” after Texas A&M’s prior claim to the “12th Man” phrase.[web:3][web:5]</td>
  </tr>
</table>

TL;DR: In Seattle, “the 12s” are the Seahawks’ fanbase, celebrated as an extra player whose passion, noise, and citywide displays of the number 12 are woven into the team’s identity.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.