Kenny Easley: Sanity Prevails With Election of Seahawks’ Former Safety
By Paul Taylor
Seattle Seahawks’ former strong safety Kenny Easley finally gets his thoroughly deserved election into Canton, Ohio.
For some reason, this year’s Hall of Fame selections impacted me more than usual. Part of it was probably because — in my humble opinion at least — Terrell Davis and Kurt Warner finally got their fully deserved entry into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
And “finally” is the appropriate word to use for the selection committee seeing sense and electing Seattle Seahawks former strong safety, Kenny Easley. Given that he received arguably the loudest applause when he was presented at this year’s NFL Honors, you get the sense the audience felt the same way.
We could go on about how Easely should never have had to rely on a nomination by the Veterans Committee to get the chance to enter Canton. After all, we’re talking about a five-time Pro Bowler, four-time First-Team All Pro and 1984 NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
However, having already discussed this in detail, we won’t do it again. Now is the time just to sit back and enjoy the moment – heck, you know the 1981 fourth overall draft pick is going to!
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Speaking to seahawks.com and the rest of the media in Houston, Easley said: “I will never get this feeling out of my heart.”
Likely because of everything that’s happened to the Chesapeake, Virginia native since he retired, including undergoing triple-bypass heart surgery, he is clearly humbled and appreciative: “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.”
Easley becomes the fourth Seahawks’ player who spent his entire professional career in Seattle, to be elected. And there is no denying he deserves his place alongside Steve Largent, Cortez Kennedy and Walter Jones.
Possibly one of the best things about the member of the former UCLA standout’s election, is that — along with Davis — he gives renewed hope to those who had similarly short careers. Both did more than enough in their respective seven years, to be worthy of enshrinement in the Hall of Fame.
The 2017 Class will be inducted into Canton, Ohio on August 5th. You imagine this year’s crowd will have an extremely vocal representation from the Pacific Northwest.
Congratulations Mr. Kenneth Mason Easley, Jr. You deserve it.
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What are your best memories of Easley’s career in Seattle? Further, which Seahawk do you see getting elected next, into the Hall of Fame? Share your thoughts in the comments section.