Savage Words: South Dakota-to-Seattle connection ... again

What’s up with all the South Dakotans ending up in Seattle?

When I was named the Director of Public Relations for the Seattle SuperSonics in 2007, I knew at the very least I was headed a long way from home. My assistant in Seattle, Kurt Fedders, was a fellow Sioux Falls Lincoln grad. We were childhood acquaintances who grew up in the Hilltop neighborhood on the east side of the city.

By absolutely no means am I saying that Kurt and I had any influence on the Seattle sports scene, although we both took a beating from the media when the team announced they were moving to Oklahoma City to become the Thunder in 2009.

But, I thought it was cool, and a little strange, that two kids from Sioux Falls ended up in Seattle, heading up the PR efforts for the Sonics.

But for as interesting as that was for me, Kurt and I certainly didn’t set the South Dakota-to-Seattle trend.

In the 1976 NFL Expansion Draft, Sioux Falls Lincoln’s Neil Graff was selected by the Seattle Seahawks. Graff played for the Patriots in Sioux Falls in 1968 before heading to the University of Wisconsin, only to end up in Seattle.

Amy Mickelson was a 1986 Brookings graduate and then played four years at the University of Washington, nestled on Union Bay on the shores of Lake Washington in Seattle. She helped lead the Huskies to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances.

In April of 2019, Mitchell native and South Dakota State grad Macy Miller was the 36th pick in the WNBA draft by the Seattle Storm. She was waived before the start of the season, but still played in two preseason games in Seattle.

Then in November of 2021, Milbank native and current Alabama head football coach Kalen DeBoer was named head coach at the University of Washington, another South Dakotan setting up shop on Lake Washington in the center of Seattle. In 2023, DeBoer led the Huskies to the CFP National Championship game.

And then last week, Pierre’s Grey Zabel was picked 18th overall by the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL Draft. The North Dakota State grad helped lead the Bison to last season’s FCS national championship, and by the sounds of it, the Seahawks are enamored with the South Dakota native.

“I like how he finishes the blocks, then finding his targets down the field in space,” said new Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald. “He’s a really great athlete, how he moves.”

With the 18th pick, Zabel became the first South Dakotan to be selected in the NFL’s first round since Parkston’s Riley Reiff was selected 23rd overall by the Detroit Lions in 2012.

So last week was no doubt a proud moment for any South Dakotan watching the NFL Draft when Zabel went in the first round.

Brandon Valley head coach Matt Christensen said he watched Zabel many times during his high school career at Pierre. Although the Govs and Lynx never hooked up during Zabel’s career, Christensen said he watched plenty of film on the 6-foot-6, 305-pound offensive tackle.

“I saw him go and I was fired up about it,” Christensen said when Zabel was selected live on ESPN Thursday night. “There’s a ton of pride, extremely cool. We have to have pride in our state. He’s just gigantic and made every block he had to make with the Bison.”

Zabel also played first base on Pierre’s baseball team, an imposing figure as opponents tried to run out a hit. 

Seth Hestness, Zabel’s offensive line coach at North Dakota State once said Zabel was a complete athlete, and the best ping pong player he’s ever seen.

If Seattle ever gets a professional ping pong team, look out. Zabel is destined to be there.

Until then, the Pierre native has given South Dakotans another reason to tune in on Sundays.

From Pierre, to North Dakota State, and now Seattle, of course, good luck Grey. We’ll all be watching from South Dakota.