Third-generation Seahawks fan Alex Knapp had never won anything before he got the call on his cellphone at work one day, from a number he didn't recognize. When the voice on the line told him he was the winner of the Seahawks Road Warrior Sweepstakes – round-trip airfare, hotel accommodations and two game tickets to every Seahawks road game this season, courtesy of Delta Air Lines – he thought it must be a joke.
"It was kind of shocking. I wasn't 100 percent sure it was real at first," said Knapp, 27, who works as a financial analyst in Seattle. "Most of the time, I don't answer my cellphone from a number I don't know. I think I was expecting a call – I was just not expecting that by any means."
Knapp had entered the contest after being prompted by the Seahawks app on his phone, then didn't give it another thought until he received the call. The first people he told after digesting the news were his parents.
"I've been a Seahawks fan my whole life," Knapp said. "Both my grandma and grandpa have had season tickets, I think, since the Seahawks came into town."
Knapp typically tries to make it to one road game per season. This year, he'll attend all eight, traveling to Los Angeles, New York, Arizona, New Orleans, New England, Tampa Bay, Green Bay and San Francisco. He'll take his mom to Arizona and his dad to Green Bay, with friends filling out the rest of the schedule.
"I'm most looking forward to Green Bay. That's a big bucket list item for most football fans," Knapp said. "My dad and I discussed trying to go last year when they played in Lambeau. So I'm taking my dad to that one."
To prepare for his cross-country travels as the Ultimate Road Warrior, Knapp is considering a fourth jersey to add to his collection, which already includes Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor and Marshawn Lynch. He's a defense-first guy, so the next one will probably be Michael Bennett. He's also in the market for an extra-warm coat to take to Green Bay in December.
Other than CenturyLink Field, Knapp has attended NFL games at MetLife Stadium – for Super Bowl 48 – and the University of Phoenix Stadium.
"I'm a really big fan of atmospheres at games," he said. "I'm really excited to travel and experience the atmospheres at different games.
"One of my goals is to travel to all of the stadiums, so this checks off a lot of them."
Delta Air Lanes, the official airline and charter partner of the Seahawks, is also offering Knapp and fellow 12s a new program to earn miles, merchandise, and exclusive perks for simply being a fan. Sports fans can learn more about the 12status program by heading to www.seahawks.com/12status.
