Seattle Seahawks’ Kenny Easley Makes the Hall of Fame
And then there were four. On Saturday former Seattle Seahawks defensive back, Kenny Easley, learned that he will be inducted into the National Football League Hall of Fame. In doing so Easley joins three previously-enshrined former Seahawks – Cortez Kennedy, Steve Largent and Walter Jones – as the fourth career Seahawk to be inducted.
Easley was elected by the Senior Committee, a nine-member unit of the larger general selection group that is in charge of selecting former players into the Hall. Easley was able to be selected by the Senior Committee as he was not inducted during the 20 years he had a chance to be selected as a modern player and since Easley’s career ended at least 25 years ago.
Easley was not the heaviest player on the field but used every inch of his six-foot-three inch and 206-pound frame to impose his will on the game. Easley became The Enforcer, a moniker since taken by Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor in honor of Easley, and receivers feared his speed and punishing tackles.
Even other players at his position recognized Easley’s greatness. Hall of Famer, and possibly the best safety to ever play, Ronnie Lott, said in 2014, “(Easley) was the best player to play the safety position, ever. “
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Easley’s career was shortened by kidney disease that was later attributed to excessive use of ibuprofen caused by the pain that Easley played through. More recently, Easley had triple-bypass heart surgery but will be well enough to make an appearance at today’s Super Bowl when the N.F.L. officially announces the 2017 inductees prior to kickoff.
After hearing the news on Saturday Easley said, “I’m enormously grateful for this opportunity. To be reconsidered after 20 years, I’m glad it happened now, because I feel that if it had happened in 1997, I wouldn’t be as grateful as I am right now at age 58 for this to happen. So that means a great deal that it happened to me now.”
While there are only four former Seahawks that are now inductees in the Hall of Fame, some of the players on the current roster may also join them one day expounding on Seattle’s influence in N.F.L. history. Players like Earl Thomas, Richard Sherman and Chancellor have a decent chance to of joining Easley in the Hall.
That foursome would make quite an amazing Hall of Fame Legion of Boom.
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