If you're like me, you've read Sports Illustrated over the years and have always wondered what it would be like to have a Seahawks player on the cover of SI.

Well, wonder no more.

Shaun Alexander is the first Seahawks player to be featured prominently on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Just two weeks ago, Bobby Engram was on the cover of SI, but was placed with a group of wide receivers from the 1996 NFL Draft class.

The Seahawks have been featured on the cover of SI before. Of course, they were only featured when Marcus Allen and John Elway were on the cover. I know some of you remember last year's NFL preview issue, where the Seahawks were listed as one of the four teams to fear. Or how about last October, when the Patriots knocked off the Seahawks to enhance their winning streak to 20 games?

As you can see, the Seahawks don't have a glorious history with Sports Illustrated. With success, however, things are about to change. It's important to remember that we shouldn't be wishing for the Seahawks to not be on the cover of SI. Don't worry about the SI jinx. It doesn't always come to fruition. Surely the SI jinx hasn't hurt the Patriots the last couple of seasons.

I do know who Shaun Alexander is, though.

He's the best running back in football. Better than LaDainian Tomlinson. Better than Tiki Barber. Better than Edgerrin James. Alexander is playing in Egypt, so the rest of the country doesn't recognize how good he really is, hence the headline "DO YOU KNOW HIS NAME?"

Don't blame SI writer Nunyo Demasio for the headline. Writers don't make the headlines, folks. Trust me on this one, I should know. I'm a writer myself. Yes, this is the same Nunyo Demasio who wrote for the Seattle Times. I haven't had a chance to read this issue yet, because I'm back in southeast Arkansas for the next couple of weeks. So, for the next couple of weeks, there will be a bundle of Sports Illustrateds sitting in my mailbox up at Arkansas State University. Go figure, the week I leave ASU for the break, a Seahawk is on the cover.

America will find out who Shaun Alexander is in the next two months.

Fortunately, we already know who he is.

The best running back in football.