Seattle, WA- Former Seattle Seahawk Kenny Easley has had an Illustrious career, that was capped off by being inducted into the Pro-Football Hall of Fame this past August. He was selected fourth by the Seattle Seahawks in the 1981 draft two spot behind fellow future Hall of Famer and Superbowl Champion Lawrence “LT” Taylor. Following a standout collegiate career at The University of California Los Angeles, Easley recorded 19 interceptions, three Consensus All-America awards from 1978 -1980.
During his first year with the Seattle Seahawks, Kenny Easley came in and made a name for himself, earning the 1981 American Football Conference Defensive Rookie of Year award. After recording three interceptions totaling 155 yards, including an 82-yard return for a touchdown. He would add four fumble recoveries. Earning himself the nickname “The Enforcer”. After two years removed from winning the AFC Defensive Rookie of the year award, he would get the AFC Defensive Player of the Year award by recording seven interceptions and have 106 return yards with three sacks. The following year he earned the Associated Press NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1984 while leading the league in takeaways with 10 interceptions and two touchdowns. Easley would go on and receive First -Team All-Pro Honors in four straight seasons 1982-1985.
During Easley’s career, he would be voted to 5 Pro-Bowls and was selected to the 1980s All-Decade Team and Seahawks Ring of Honor. Kenny Easley would retire in 1988 due to being diagnosed with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome, which is a severe kidney disease, causing him walk away from the game he loved.
The 2017 hall of fame inductee recently sat down with Landon Buford, an Editor with The Hype Magazine and discussed his thoughts on if a Defensive Player would ever win the Heisman Trophy? Here is what Easley had to say, “I think Lawrence Taylor should have won the Heisman Trophy winner, but they gave it to a running back named George Rodgers out of the University of South Carolina. “Lawrence Taylor was the best football player in the land barring none and I’ll say it again barring none. Lawrence Taylor was the best college football player in the land and should have won the Heisman Trophy and if he shouldn’t have won it then Mike Singletary. Who was probably the second-best football player in the land and if he shouldn’t have won it I think I should have won it because I was a three-time Defensive All- American. If I wasn’t the pick to win it, then Ronnie Lott should have won the Heisman Trophy. If you look at our draft class and examine how many numbers one picks and then go look at the all-decade team of the 80s. Finally, research the Pro Football Hall of Fame. If none of those players in our draft class didn’t win the award that no one on defensive, in my opinion, will ever win it. If there was such a thing as the NFL’s version of the Original Dream Team the 1981 draft class was it.”
The 1981 NFL drafted featured seven Hall of Famers “Rickey Jackson, Howie Long, Ronnie Lott, Russ Grimm, Lawrence Taylor, Kenny Easley, and Mike Singletary.
