SEATTLE — When the Seattle Seahawks take the field this Sunday for the first home game against the Los Angeles Rams, they plan to honor their number one fan who passed away earlier this year.
Her name was Patti Hammond, but the 12s knew her as something else. She was Mama Blue to every single Seahawks fan, player and staff member.
Mama Blue's seat can be found in Section 125, Row A, Seat 11.
"They put here right where the Seahawks run out of the tunnel and she said there’s not a set on the 50-yard line that would have been better," Hammond's daughter Dee Waddell said.
Mama Blue was the ultimate 12 and sitting in her seat makes Waddell feel her presence again.
"There’s probably about 10,000 memories, sitting in these seats. All great. Win or lose, Mom didn’t care. We never left these seats until the last second ticked off the clock," Waddell said.
Mama Blue always had on her famous wig, head to toe in Seahawks gear and she was always smiling.
"What an honor to sit with her," Waddell shared. "It was Mama Blue all the way to her last breath."
Mama Blue's final game was last season’s home opener when the Seahawks faced the Denver Broncos and their former Quarterback Russell Wilson.
She tried to make it to more games but her health made it difficult.
Mama Blue was battling pancreatic cancer.
"They did chemo and radiation and she just took it on like a trooper. When I wheeled her in for oncology to do her radiation, she said okay kids I'm here for my training today," Waddell said with a smile.
At one point, she was given four months to live.
"She said no cancer, not this time and she made it over two years with that attitude," Waddell said.
Some of her final Sundays on earth were spent cheering on her Seahawks.
Some of her final moments were shared with Seahawks Vice President of Outreach and External Affairs Mike Flood.
Mama Blue passed away on March 4, 2023.
"She wasn’t done living. What a woman, what a life," Waddell said.
The Seahawks immediately shared a tribute online and messages started flooding in. Support and love were in abundance for Mama Blue’s family.
"The amount of love. I’m so thankful and grateful and it’s really helped in the journey. I'm so thankful for her," Waddell said through tears.
When the Seahawk gets ready to take flight on Sunday, the entire team will have an angel flying with them.
"I'll be sitting here in these seats and when those Seahawks come running out of the tunnel, I know Mama Blue will be running out with them," Waddell said.