Paul G. Allen saved football in Seattle. So, it is only fitting that his name will now be permanently placed with those of other legendary figures in franchise history.

Prior to Thursday's game, Allen will be inducted into the Seahawks Ring of Honor, a fitting tribute to the man who led the Seahawks to new heights when he bought the team in 1997. To honor her late brother, Seahawks Chair Jody Allen will raise the 12 Flag prior to kickoff.

"The Seahawks and the 12s are part of what makes Seattle such an exciting city and fantastic community, and the community and the fans were at the forefront of Paul's mind when he purchased the Seahawks," said Jody Allen. "This Ring of Honor induction celebrates Paul's legacy and the impact he made on not only the Seahawks organization, but the entire Pacific Northwest. It is fitting that he is the 12th member of the Ring of Honor. He was the proudest 12 of all."

Said Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, "It's the most obvious, fitting honor there could be. He was a great Seahawk and a great Pacific Northwesterner. He has been everything, and he continues to factor into the community, and he will forever. We all should appreciate and hold gratitude for all of the things he stood for. I'm most grateful for being a part of his world."

Added Seahawks general manager John Schneider, "This is a most deserving honor for Mr. Allen, who saved the Seahawks and founded our franchise's culture of success over the last two-plus decades. His induction into the Ring of Honor will be a tribute to the legacy he left the Seahawks and the entire Pacific Northwest. We're all blessed to help carry on his legacy"

Allen, who passed away last October due to complications of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, will be the 12th member of the Ring of Honor, joining Steve Largent, Jim Zorn, Dave Brown, Pete Gross, Curt Warner, Jacob Green, Kenny Easley, Dave Krieg, Chuck Knox, Cortez Kennedy, and Walter Jones. Members of the Ring of Honor, or representatives, will participate in the ceremony, which will begin at 4:50 p.m.

Under Allen's guidance, the Seahawks achieved new levels of success over the past two decades, first under head coach Mike Holmgren, who was one of Allen's most important early hires, and then under Carroll and Schneider, who Allen brought together in 2010.

Prior to Allen purchasing the team, the Seahawks had eight winning seasons, won 10 or more games twice, earned four playoff berths, won their division once and advanced to one AFC championship game. Since Allen bought the team, the Seahawks have reached the postseason 13 times, won nine division titles, enjoyed nine seasons with 10 or more wins, played in three Super Bowls, winning Super Bowl XLVIII to bring the Lombardi Trophy to Seattle for the first time.

"It was an honor," Carroll said of working for Allen. "It was a great experience. He was a great competitor, he wanted to win in the worst way and battled to always continue to find a way. He was a big problem solver; he always was at his best when he was solving problems, so he was always a great help.