Dan Doornink
No. 35, 33
Position:Running back
Personal information
Born: (1956-02-01) February 1, 1956 (age 68)
Yakima, Washington, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:210 lb (95 kg)
Career information
High school:Wapato (WA)
College:Washington State
NFL draft:1978 / Round: 7 / Pick: 174
Career history
Career NFL statistics
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Daniel Glenn Doornink (born February 1, 1956) is a former professional American football running back in the National Football League who played one season for the New York Giants and seven seasons for the Seattle Seahawks.[1]

Born in Yakima, Washington, Doornink graduated from Wapato High School in 1974 and played college football at Washington State University in Pullman. He was selected in the seventh round of the 1978 NFL Draft by the Giants, then was traded to the Seahawks in August 1979 for a draft choice.[2][3]

Seahawks fans gave him the nicknames of "Dr. Dan" for his medical career, and "Mr. Third Down" for his knack of frequently picking up a first down for the team on third down when given the ball via run or pass. He ran for 123 yards on 27 carries for the Seahawks in a wild-card playoff win over the Los Angeles Raiders on December 22, 1984 in the Kingdome in Seattle. After a series of injuries in 1985, Doornink was released by the Seahawks in August 1986.[4][5]

Doornink earned his M.D. at the University of Washington in Seattle and practiced internal medicine as a physician in Yakima. He and his wife, Sharon, have four children, Heidi, Danielle, Tyler, and Grace. Prior to the Seahawks 2007 preseason game on August 25 against the Minnesota Vikings at Qwest Field in Seattle, he raised the 12th Man flag.

In August 2021, Doornink was hospitalized for COVID-19. Although vaccinated, he has an autoimmune blood disorder which makes him more susceptible to complications. Doornink was placed on a ventilator and then removed from it when his breathing improved.[6] After being released from the hospital, he needed months of recovery.[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ Wickwire, Bob (January 12, 2015). "Chat Rewind: Former Seahawks running back Dan Doornink". The Seattle Times. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
  2. ^ "Ax falls hard on NFL stars". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. August 22, 1979. p. 19.
  3. ^ Brown, Butch (October 13, 1979). "Seahawks can move ball". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). p. 13.
  4. ^ "Doornink and Simpson cut". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. August 19, 1986. p. B1.
  5. ^ "The Seattle Seahawks Monday released fullback Dan Doornink". UPI. (archives). August 18, 1986. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
  6. ^ Tracy, Gerald (August 1, 2021). "Former Seattle Seahawk turned doctor fighting COVID-19 in ICU". KOMO. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
  7. ^ Jude, Adam (December 24, 2021). "'Truly a miracle': Ex-Seahawk Dan Doornink's family grateful after he nearly died from COVID-19 battle". Seattle Times. Retrieved December 27, 2021.

External links

New York Giants 1978 NFL draft selections
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