Kenny Easley, NFL Hall of Famer and UCLA standout, dies at 66
Former Seattle Seahawks guard and UCLA star Kenny Easley, nicknamed “The Enforcer” because of his violent strikes, has died, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced Saturday. He was 66 years old.
Easley died Friday evening, his family told The Hall, which did not provide a cause of death.
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Easley is one of four players in franchise history – alongside Steve Largent, Cortez Kennedy and Walter Jones – to spend his entire career with the Seahawks and be named to the Hall of Fame. He was inducted in 2017 and his number 45 was retired by the Seahawks that season.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Seahawks legend Kenny Easley,” the Seahawks said in a statement. “Kenny embodied what it meant to be a Seahawk through his leadership, tenacity, intensity and fearlessness. His intimidating nature and athletic grace made him one of the best players of all time.”
The Chesapeake, Virginia native was a five-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro during his seven seasons in Seattle. The Seahawks took Easley out of UCLA with the fourth overall pick in 1981.
His best season came in 1984, when Easley led the NFL with 10 interceptions and was named defensive player of the year by the Associated Press. He was the first player in franchise history to be named Defensive Player of the Year, for a team that forced a franchise record 63 turnovers that season.
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However, Easley’s departure from the Seahawks was marred by controversy. He was traded after the 1987 season, in part because of kidney disease that shortened his NFL career. He was traded to the Cardinals and failed his physical. He never downplayed another and believed the high doses of painkillers he took as a player were the cause of his kidney problems.
Easley believed the Seahawks knew about his kidney problem and did not disclose it to him. The Seahawks and Easley began to reconcile in 2002 when Paul Allen was the team’s owner, which coincided with Easley’s induction into the ring of honor that fall.
Easley finished his career with 32 interceptions, which ranks fourth in franchise history, along with 11 fumble recoveries, nine forced fumbles and eight sacks.
At UCLA, Easley played free safety under coach Terry Donahue from 1977 to 1980. He made an immediate impact for the Bruins, joining the starting lineup as a true freshman and ultimately becoming the first player in Pac-10 history to earn four first-team All-Conference honors.
He was only the second player in program history to be voted a three-time consensus All-American.
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Easley still holds the UCLA school record with 19 career interceptions, including 13 in his first two seasons. He ranks fifth on UCLA’s all-time list of tackles with 374, with his 93 stops in 1977 representing the most by a Bruin true freshman.
Easley totaled 105 tackles during the 1980 campaign, after which he finished ninth in Heisman Trophy voting. He also returned punts during his time at UCLA.
His No. 5 jersey was retired by the university and in 1991 he was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame. At UCLA, Easley also played junior college basketball for the Bruins, leading to his selection by the Chicago Bulls in the 10th round of the 1981 NBA draft, although he never played.
He is survived by his wife, Gail, and their three children: his son, Kendrick, and his daughters Gabrielle Manhertz and Giordanna.
