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Brady Henderson
Kenny Easley, former hard-hitting Seattle Seahawks The safety and Pro Football Hall of Fame member died Friday evening. He was 66 years old.
Easley spent his entire seven-year career with Seattle. He made five Pro Bowls, earned first-team All-Pro honors three times and was named AFC Defensive Player of the Year in 1984. Nicknamed “The Enforcer” for his physical style of play, Easley was a member of the 1980s All-Decade Team and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Seahawks legend Kenny Easley,” the team said. said in a statement“Kenny embodied what it means to be a Seahawk through his leadership, toughness, intensity and fearlessness, His intimidating nature and athletic grace made him one of the best players of all-time,”
The Seahawks took Easley fourth overall. UCLA In seven seasons, he recorded 32 interceptions – including a league-high 10 in 1984 – and returned three for touchdowns.
“Kenny Easley would have been a premier safety in any era,” Hall of Fame president and CEO Jim Porter said in a statement. “When he was enshrined in 2017, he took his rightful place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and embraced his football immortality. Kenny had excellent ball skills, but make no mistake: His greatest strengths were his fearlessness and intensity. If you had the ball as an opposing offensive player, he was going to hit you hard – and you were going to feel it for a while.”
The Seahawks changed the avatar on their
Easley’s career ended after the 1987 season due to serious kidney disease, forcing him to retire at the age of 28. He sued the Seahawks, alleging that large doses of ibuprofen prescribed by the team damaged his kidneys, and that the team allowed him to play his final season without telling him about the issue. Both parties settled outside the court.
Former Seahawks owner Paul Allen, who purchased the team in 1997, contacted Easley in 2002 to facilitate a reconciliation. The team inducted Easley into its Ring of Honor later that year. Last season, the Seahawks named Easley among the 50 greatest players in franchise history.
“As a man of faith, Kenny will always be remembered as a beloved member of the Seahawks family and his legacy will live on as an inspiration to fans around the world,” the Seahawks said. “We offer our sincere condolences to his wife Gail and children Kendrick, Gabrielle and Giordana.”
