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The era of Marshawn Lynch as a Seattle Seahawks running back ended a while back, and a new era is about to be underway, with Lynch going to his hometown team following the Raiders' trade for Beast Mode.

Marshawn is extremely hyped up about going to Oakland, putting on the silver and black and playing for the team he grew up watching. But that doesn't mean he isn't grateful for his time with Seattle.

In fact, Lynch is so appreciative of the people in Seattle -- the 12s, if you will -- that he took a full page ad out in the Seattle Times to thank the fans who supported him.

It's easy to forget now, but Lynch wasn't always a lock to become this Seahawks legend. He was originally drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He had initial success, but the team wasn't pleased with him on or off the field and ultimately decided to ship him to Seattle.

Lynch fit in perfectly with what John Schneider and Pete Carroll wanted to do -- establish a power-running game -- and provided plenty of memorable moments in the great Northwest, including the legendary Beast Quake run against the Saints in the playoffs and a Super Bowl victory. 

He'll move to Oakland from Seattle but he'll remain forever thankful for the fans and organization who supported him and helped take his career to another level.