Vancouver Island Super Fan Captains Seahawks’ Super Bowl Mission

UPDATE: The Seattle Seahawks are set to make their fourth Super Bowl appearance on February 11, 2024, and among the fans in attendance will be Wallace Watts, a dedicated super fan from Vancouver Island. Watts is on a mission not just to cheer for his team but to share his Indigenous heritage and raise awareness about crucial community issues.

Growing up on the Tseshaht First Nation in Port Alberni, Watts experienced the devastating effects of the Residential School system. “Unfortunately, a lot of people turn to drugs and alcohol, and most of the people that I know have died of alcohol,” he reflects. At just 15 years old, after watching a James Bond movie, he was inspired to leave his reservation and explore the world.

“I went down to the grass strip and I started flying planes at 15,” Watts recalls. By the age of 25, he became one of the first Indigenous pilots hired by United Airlines, eventually rising to the rank of captain with millions of kilometers flown.

In an emotional account, Watts shares, “I walked in with my pilot’s uniform, and everyone stopped to stare at me.” He faced skepticism but pushed through barriers, stating, “I don’t open doors, I kick doors down.”

Watts’ journey took a thrilling turn when a coworker gifted him tickets to a Seattle Seahawks game. “I just loved the vibe; the kingdom is so loud, and people were excited,” he says, quickly becoming a devoted fan. After the Seahawks’ Super Bowl victory in 2014, he discovered a profound connection between his team and his Indigenous roots: the Seahawks logo was inspired by a Kwakwaka’wakw mask in the 1970s.

“So I started asking, ‘Do you know where the Seahawks logo came from?’ Nobody knew it came from my tribe on Vancouver Island,” he explains. This revelation transformed him into “Captain Seahawk,” igniting a passion to educate the world about the logo’s origins. “I got a mission 12 years ago, and I started, and now probably five million people around the world know where the Seahawks logo came from.”

As the Super Bowl approaches, Captain Seahawk is also channeling his energy into philanthropy. He is raising $50,000 for Ben’s Fund, a charity dedicated to supporting families of individuals on the autism spectrum in Washington State. “I’m raising $50,000,” he affirms, emphasizing the importance of giving back to the community.

Watts’ story is one of resilience and pride, intertwining sports with cultural identity and social responsibility. As the Seahawks gear up for the big game, his mission underscores the importance of representation and community engagement, making him a beacon of hope and inspiration for many.

Stay tuned for more updates as the Super Bowl unfolds and watch for Captain Seahawk’s ongoing efforts to uplift his community. This is a story not just about sports, but about heritage, resilience, and giving back—one game at a time.