ASHFORD – Call it the ultimate show-and-tell project.

Above the clouds Wednesday morning, Seattle Seahawks coach Jim Mora proudly showed off one of the crown jewels of the Northwest as he and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell ascended Mount Rainier.

“To have our commissioner come out and enjoy the beauty of our state means a lot to me, because I’m proud of this state,” Mora said. “I’m proud of Mount Rainier. I love looking at it.”

Goodell and Mora were part of a group led by world-renowned mountain climbers Peter Whittaker and Ed Viesturs that successfully reached the summit, and hours later celebrated the feat with – what else? – Rainier beer and pizza at a base camp near Ashford.

Eight of the nine non-guides in the group made it to the top of Rainier, with one climber having to turn back because of an elbow injury.

“It was a really great climb for a great cause,” Whittaker said. “And fun to do it on a Northwest icon like Mount Rainier.”

The group participated in the event as part of a fund-raiser for the United Way, with Seahawks CEO Tod Leiweke convincing Goodell to accept the challenge. And Goodell appeared to come through the climb reasonably well, saying the climb to the summit was more challenging than he thought it would be.

“You really have to be prepared for this,” Goodell said. “And it really tests your will. It tested my will quite a few times.”

With the picturesque, majestic mountain as their backdrop, Mora and Goodell – two men who, combined, have been involved in the NFL for more than 50 years – got a chance to get better acquainted during the three-day hike.

“I love Jim,” Goodell said. “He’s one of those passionate guys who when he sets his mind on doing something he does it and he does it well. And he loves the Pacific Northwest, as you know. And he was very proud or Rainier, and he’s very proud of this region and the people.

“So it meant a lot to him what we were doing.”

Goodell said he and Mora spent a sleepless night before the early Wednesday ascent looking at the mountain, and that they also went to dinner together before traveling to the mountain.

Goodell said he had never attempted any type of mountaineering before but now has a newfound respect for the skill after climbing Rainier.

“There’s some fear involved,” said the commissioner. “You’re out there in the middle of this mountain and it’s pitch black, and you’re out there with 12 people or so, and you have flashlights on your helmet. You’re looking off the side of the mountain, and literally, if you make one misstep, you’re going down. So there was a fair amount of fear involved with it, too.”

Mora said the climb was an opportunity for the two men to bond, along with bringing some national attention to the Seahawks.

Mora joked about talking to Goodell about changing the kickoff times for the 10 a.m. games on the East Coast that the Seahawks have struggled to win during the past couple of years.

Mora said watching Goodell struggle through and succeed in completing the climb up Rainier showed the characteristics that help make Goodell a successful head of the league.

“He’s no-nonsense,” Mora said. “I think he’s fair. I think he’s thoughtful about the issues that affect our league. And then, after watching him perform for a couple days out there, because I think there is a carryover, you learn about a man, how he handles adversity and how he handles challenges.

“And to watch him handle these things, you think, ‘Yeah, this is the right guy. This is the guy I want running the league that I work in.’ ”

In great physical condition himself, Mora seemed ready for more after completing the climb.

“Yeah, I’m in good shape,” quipped Mora

So how tough was it for the ultra-fit Mora?

“It was perfect,” he said.

Eric Williams: 253-597-8437

Eric.williams@thenewstribune.com

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