The Seattle Seahawks are called “12” (or “the 12s”) because their fans are treated as the 12th player on the field, giving the team an extra boost beyond the 11 players allowed in the game at any time.

Quick Scoop: Why “12”?

  • In football, only 11 players per team can be on the field, so Seahawks fans are honored as the “12th” player because of their loud, game-changing support.
  • In 1984, the Seahawks retired jersey number 12 specifically for their fans, something usually only done for legendary players.
  • Over time, the number 12 became a symbol of Seattle’s fan identity—flags, jerseys, and banners with “12” are everywhere on game day.

From “12th Man” to “12s”

  • The original nickname was “12th Man,” a phrase that actually started at Texas A&M University back in 1922 and was later trademarked by them.
  • The Seahawks used “12th Man” for years under a licensing agreement with Texas A&M, but that deal expired in 2016.
  • To avoid legal issues and create something more uniquely theirs, the team shifted to calling their fans simply the “12s.”

How the 12s Show Up on Game Day

  • The 12s are famous for how loud they get; crowd noise in Seattle has caused false starts, burned timeouts, and communication problems for opposing teams.
  • The noise at Seahawks games has twice broken Guinness World Records for loudest crowd at a sporting event, topping 130+ decibels.
  • Their celebrations during Marshawn Lynch’s “Beast Quake” run in 2011 were so intense they registered as a small earthquake on local seismic equipment.

Traditions Around the Number 12

  • The team raises a giant “12” flag before each home game, usually by a former player, local celebrity, or notable fan, as a way to “wake up” the stadium.
  • No active Seahawk wears the number 12, since it’s permanently retired in honor of the fanbase.
  • Around Seattle, you’ll see the number 12 on buildings, in windows, and on cars during the season—it’s become part of the city’s identity.

Mini forum-style take: what “being a 12” means

“Being a 12 isn’t just about yelling on third down. It’s sticking with this team through bad seasons, heartbreak losses, and rebuilding years, and still showing up loud every Sunday.”

Fans on forums usually say “being a 12” means:

  • Total loyalty to the Seahawks, win or lose.
  • Knowing the team’s history, big moments, and legends—and teaching them to new fans.
  • Bringing energy: painting faces, waving flags, and staying loud the entire game, not just on big plays.

TL;DR

They’re called “12” because Seahawks fans are treated as the 12th player on the field, honored by a retired No. 12 jersey and traditions like the 12 flag; the name evolved from “12th Man” (licensed from Texas A&M) into the unique and legally cleaner “12s” that you see and hear today.

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