SEATTLE, WA – OCTOBER 1: Former Seahawks player and NFL Hall of Fame member Kenny Easley acknowledges the crowd as his number is retired during halftime between the Seattle Seahawks and Indianapolis Colts at CenturyLink Field on October 1, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
Sunday was a special day for the Seattle Seahawks and their fans. Not only because they took down the Indianapolis Colts, but also because they retired the number of legendary safety, Kenny Easley.
To commemorate the event, the Seahawks looked to have a custom Snapchat filter created. Specific to CenturyLink Field, the filter gives attending fans a creative way to share their experience across social media.
The Washington Capitals similarly used a Snapchat filter to celebrate star Alexander Ovechkin’s 1,000th point scored. The Seahawks added their own twist.
For help designing the filter the Seahawks turned to longtime fan, Rafael Calonzo Jr. “In 1981, I won 2nd place in an NFL poster contest for Sears,” Calonzo told seahawks.com. “My little brother won 1st in his age bracket, the prize for which was a full-sized NFL football. I was super jealous. You could say my whole art career has been trying to win that football.”
Calonzo, who has worked as an illustrator and animator his whole life, began the design process by thinking of other Seahawks legends whose names hang in the rafters. The only trouble was creating a design that wouldn’t get in the way of what a user was photographing.
Calonzo hopes the filter teaches fans about the early years of Seahawks football, before the likes of Russell Wilson, Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor.
Sunday’s Snapchat filter won’t be the last Calonzo design Seahawks fans see in 2017. Another will be used for the Oct. 29 game against the Houston Texans.
