Ted Gatz, playing for the Nettleton-Baldwin Lumber Company team in the 1946 160lb League convinced the Rainier Beach Athletic Club to support forming a team for the 1947 season.  At 21-years old, Ted raised $800, bought 11 helmets and orderd uniforms from Vancouver, British Columbia.  The Ramblers were entered into the 160lb league and the ground work for the Seattle Ramblers was laid.

LeRoy "Lee" Gamble was a champion QB with Queen Anne (1947), at Centralia College, and again with the Ramblers.  Don Sprinkle, a former Renton Ram standout became head coach of the Ramblers beginning a 15-year run as head man of the Ramblers franchise.  The two years in the 175lb league were dominant as the Ramblers went 18-0-2, setting records for most consecutive shut-out victories and most points scored in a game (91) while claiming the league championship or a share in both seasons.  The Hawaii Alohas came to the mainland for the Queen City Bowl which the Ramblers won 33-0.

The following year, the team became the legendary Seattle Ramblers and moved into the unrestricted "big" division of semi-pro football taking on collegiate, military, and the best-of-the-best Northwest semi-pro teams.  The team was a regional favorite for hosting charity games for worthy causes throughout the 1950's.  The initial introduction to the big league was a rough 0-3 start in 1950, but Seattle came back to win 4-in-a-row including a repeat as Queen City Bowl champions over the Butte Buzzies of Montana.  A trip to San Jose to play in the Salvation Army Charity Bowl Game evened the season at 4-4 with a 20-0 loss to the Packers.

The 1951 team made major strides with upgrades across the roster with the only loss during the season coming against the University of Washington junior varsity squad 12-7.  The San Jose Packers, now backed by Wieland Brewery made the return trip to Seattle for the Queen City Bowl and for the 3rd Consecutive year, the Ramblers retained their title winning 14-7 and avenging the end of season loss to San Jose in 1950.  A week later, former college stars from around Washington joined forces for the March of Dimes Benefit Game defeating the Ramblers 25-0

Don Sprinkle became the 3rd recipient of the Charles E. Sullivan award for outstanding contributions to sports in the Seattle area in March, 1952.  That season would mark a break-out for the Ramblers as they posted a 10-game undefeated season, fourth Queen Bowl win, while playing three benefit games.  The Ramblers victory over Everett Junior College was the Trojans only loss of the 1950 season.  Ken Spooner's blocked punt for a safety was the difference in the Dec, 7, 1952 game with the College All-Stars to win the Queen City Bowl.

The "Muscle Bowl" was a popular event at Tacoma's Lincoln Stadium when popular professional wrestlers took on the Ramblers and also brought a "ringer" in NFL Legend Bronko Nagurski.  Former Boeing Aero Mechanics star Frank Stojack suited for the wrestlers as well.  Watch News Clip

A unique twist to the 1953 matchup with the Vancouver Cubs involved playing Canadian rules in the first half and US rules in the second half.  Frank Mataya scored Seattle's lone TD and the conversion pass failed halting the Ramblers win streak at 13 on the road at Whitworth College.  The Korean War was escalating and semi-pro teams were disbanding, so the season was primarily the Ramblers playing college teams and military teams.  The Queen City Bowl win streak came to a halt when California's juggernaut Fort Ord Warriors came to town and took the trophy 28-0.  The Ramblers would share the Independent Northwest Circuit "title" with Fort Lewis on the heels of a tie in the Thanksgiving game.  Seattle held a one-point victory earlier in the season, however the Vancouver Cubs scored a one-point win over the Ramblers after losing to the 4x4s completing a round-robin of wins and losses by the three teams.  Following the 1953 finale, the Ramblers entertained the idea of forming a league with Canadian teams in Victoria, Vancouver, Penticton, and Kamloops played under purely Canadian rules.  Don Higgs, Oak Bay Whitney coach welcomed the idea being toyed with by Don Sprinkle and Victoria Navy team manager D.T. Dawson.

Seattle would repeat as 1954 Muscle Bowl champs over the Pro Wrestlers, but could not overcome the power of Fort Lewis' bolstered squad of former big college stars enlisted for the Korean War.  The 4x4s would win all three match ups including the Queen City Bowl game to end the season.

Seattle would play only one semi-pro game in 1955 as the Vancouver Cubs came to town for the Queen City Bowl.  The game was played under Canadian rules, but the Ramblers reclaimed the title 11-5.  Seattle would defeat the collegiate teams on the schedule, but suffered a beating at the hands of arguably the strongest team on the West Coast in Fort Ord 59-13 for the only loss on the season.

The 1956 and 1957 seasons would feature the Ramblers becoming "Road Warriors" as all 19-games would be played as away games.  With the return of many veteran players from the Korean War, the roster was again on the rise and Seattle posted 14 wins.  The 9-1 season of 1957 featured wins over five collegiate teams.

1958 was another highly succesful 8-2 season the losses coming at the hands of California's Hamilton Air Force Defenders on the road in week 2 and the Shrine Charity Game against the Northwest College All-Stars 19-14.  Five games during the season were designated benefit and bowl games.

During the 1959 game with Humboldt State, a TD and extra point were scored after the final gun due to a penalty.  Seattle lost 14-13. to start the season 0-2 in California.  The Ramblers returned to the Northwest and reeled of seven straight victories over college teams and Fort Lewis to finish 7-2

1960 would bring another undefeated season as the Ramblers avenged the losses in California and dominated the new semi-pro teams from Spokane to finish 9-0.  A 13-game winning streak would be halted in California once again by the Hamilton Air Force Defenders 13-6.  Seattle would not lose again until going back to California and losing 29-28 to the University of Santa Clara.  This 1961 team would finish 9-2 and had not lost to a Northwest team in 25-games, semi-pro, college or military.  Of six losses from 1958 to 1961, five came on road trips to California, the other was a 5-point loss to the College All-Stars from across the Northwest.

1962 saw much change as many long time Ramblers retired from play.  Tom Gibbons, Don Allen, Len Randall, Nat Davis, Jim Harris and Ron Thoreson had all spent at least 6-years with the team, Gibbons having spent 14-seasons as a tackle.  Coach Sprinkle was also running a campaign for King County Sheriff and the process was exhausting.  The loss of many veterans, and the rise of new semi-pro teams in Edmonds and Tacoma was spreading out the new talent as well.  The Ramblers suffered their first losing season since 1953.

1963 was crushing to the Seattle Ramblers.  Don Sprinkle had been elected King County Sheriff, which was expected to take time away from operating and coaching the Ramblers, but more shockingly, Sprinkle died of a sudden heart attack on August 9th less than a month from kickoff in the North Pacific League.  Bill Castrow would take up the reigns of coaching and the team struggled to a 4-6 finish to the season.  Marty Wyatt, Joe Jones, Jerry Cail and Ray Jackson carried most of the offensive load, especially in a 19-14 win over Portland.

The Edmonds Warriors were the new power in the region and many former Ramblers were coaxed away.  Without their friend and mentor Coach Sprinkle at the helm, the loyalty they once had melted away as players chased a winner with an up and coming franchise that would make a bid to be in the Continental Football League, a soon-to-be-rival of the NFL.   The Ramblers managed just two wins during the 1964 season in the opening three weeks, losing the remainder of their eight games to North Pacific League rivals.  The team would shut down after that.

In 1990, Rambler alumns Monty Holmes and Dale Lamb would form the Pacific Northwest Football Hall of Fame as a way to honor their Rambler teammates, later included foes, collegiate, high school and NFL stars from the Washington and Oregon regions.  A plaque hung in the old Kingdome of inductees for many years.

The Ramblers were the #1 semi-pro team in the Northwest throughout the 1950's compiling a 107-46-3 record from 1948-1964.

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