Kenny Easley facts for kids
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Easley with the Seattle Seahawks in 1986
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| No. 45 | |||||||||||
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| Position: | Safety | ||||||||||
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| Born: | January 15, 1959 Chesapeake, Virginia, U.S. |
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| Died: | November 14, 2025 (aged 66) | ||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 206 lb (93 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Oscar F. Smith (South Norfolk, Virginia) | ||||||||||
| College: | UCLA (1977–1980) | ||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1981 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4 | ||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||
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Pro Football Hall of Fame
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College Football Hall of Fame
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Kenny Easley (born January 15, 1959, and passed away on November 14, 2025) was a fantastic American football player. He played as a safety in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons, from 1981 to 1987. He was a star college player for the UCLA Bruins, earning the title of All-American three times. The Seattle Seahawks picked him early in the 1981 NFL draft, and he played his whole professional career with them. People called him "the Enforcer" because he was such a strong player. Many think he was one of the best defensive players of his time and a true legend for the Seahawks.
Kenny was a key leader for the Seahawks' defense in the 1980s. In 1984, he was even named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year, which is a huge honor! He was chosen as an All-Pro four times and played in the Pro Bowl five times. Sadly, his playing career ended after the 1987 season because he became very ill with a kidney condition.
After football, Kenny owned a car dealership and later owned a football team called the Norfolk Nighthawks. He was honored in the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017, showing how great he was.
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Kenny Easley's Early Life
Kenny Easley was born and grew up in Chesapeake, Virginia. He finished high school at Oscar F. Smith High School in 1977. Kenny was the first player in Virginia high school football history to both run and pass for over 1,000 yards in one season. He was recognized as an all-state and All-American player while playing quarterback. In 1996, his high school honored him and two other football stars by naming their football stadium "Beard–DeLong–Easley Field."
Playing for the UCLA Bruins
Many colleges wanted Kenny Easley to play for them, but he chose the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He played for the Bruins football team. In his first year in 1977, he started ten games and made nine interceptions. He was named to the all-Pac-10 team that year. His 93 tackles set a new school record for a first-year player. Kenny became the first player in his conference to be named all-conference for four years in a row. From 1977 to 1980, he finished his college career with a school-record 19 interceptions and 324 tackles. He also returned 45 punts for 454 yards.
Kenny was chosen as an All-American three times (in 1978, 1979, and 1980). In 1980, he finished ninth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy, a very important award. UCLA retired his jersey number 5 to honor his achievements. In 1991, he was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame. Kenny also played basketball at a junior level for UCLA. The Chicago Bulls even drafted him for basketball in 1981, but he chose to focus on football.
Professional Football Career
Kenny Easley was the fourth player chosen overall in the 1981 NFL draft by the Seattle Seahawks. He immediately became a starter in his first year, 1981. He made three interceptions for 155 yards and scored one touchdown. This earned him the AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year award. In 1983, the Seahawks hired Chuck Knox as their new head coach. Kenny quickly became a key part of Coach Knox's defense. In his first season with Knox, Kenny won the AFC Defensive Player of the Year Award and made seven interceptions.
Leading the League in Interceptions
In 1984, Kenny Easley led the entire NFL with ten interceptions, which tied a club record for the Seahawks. He returned two of these interceptions for touchdowns. He was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first safety to win this award since 1973. In a big 45–0 win against the Kansas City Chiefs on November 4, 1984, the Seahawks scored four touchdowns from interceptions, including one by Kenny. This set a new record for most interception touchdowns in a single game. He also took over as the team's main punt returner when another player got injured.
After this amazing season, Kenny signed a five-year contract with the Seahawks. This contract made him one of the highest-paid defensive players in the league. In 1985, Kenny was selected for his fourth Pro Bowl in a row, which was a team record at the time.
Challenges and Retirement
Kenny Easley faced injuries during the 1986 season, including a knee injury and ankle surgery. In 1987, Kenny was an important player representative for the Seahawks. He played a leading role during a time when NFL players were discussing their contracts. Players, including Kenny, wanted better agreements for things like being able to choose which team to play for more easily. This led to a period where many players stopped playing. The league then brought in other players to fill in during this time. Kenny Easley expressed his feelings when some former players decided to play during this period. He encouraged his teammates to handle the situation peacefully.
After the player discussions ended, Kenny had a challenging year, and the Seahawks' defense struggled a bit. His last game was a close overtime loss to the Houston Oilers in the 1987 NFL playoffs.
Before the 1988 season, the Seahawks considered trading Kenny to another team to get a new quarterback. Kenny's performance had been affected, and another player, Paul Moyer, was playing very well. This made Kenny a possible trade option. On April 22, 1988, the Seahawks traded Kenny to the Phoenix Cardinals for quarterback Kelly Stouffer. However, during a required medical check-up, doctors found that Kenny had a serious kidney condition. Because of this, the trade could not happen. Kenny had a feeling his time with the Seahawks might be ending, but the news about his kidneys was a big shock. The Seahawks tried to offer other things to the Cardinals to make the trade work, but Kenny decided to retire from football a few months later.
Later, Kenny believed his kidney problems might have been connected to medication he took for an ankle injury while playing. This led to discussions about how players receive medical care. He had some health concerns about his kidneys as early as 1986, but the full seriousness became clear during the Cardinals' medical exam. Kenny mentioned that he had taken a lot of pain medication for an ankle injury, and later a doctor advised him to stop. Some players felt that certain medications were too easy to get without enough medical guidance. His doctors had a different view on the amount of medication he took. This situation brought up important conversations across the country about how to safely use over-the-counter medicines. The matter was later resolved privately. Kenny received a kidney transplant two years later, which helped him recover.
Life After Football
In 1991, Kenny Easley became a co-owner of a car dealership. This was part of a program by General Motors to help more African-Americans and other minority groups own businesses. His dealership did well, and Kenny became the president of the African American Dealers Association.
In 1999, Kenny and another football star, Bruce Smith, became owners of the Norfolk Nighthawks. This was a team in a semi-professional arena football league called AF2. There was a small disagreement about who would own the team, but Kenny and Bruce eventually became the owners. The Nighthawks started playing in 2000 and were quite popular, even making the playoffs in their first year. However, the team eventually stopped playing before the 2004 season.
Reconnecting with the Seahawks
After retiring, Kenny didn't have much contact with the Seahawks for a long time. He felt hurt by how things ended, especially after his health issues. About fifteen years later, the Seahawks' new owner, Paul Allen, reached out. He wanted to honor Kenny by adding him to the team's "Ring of Honor." Kenny saw this as a chance to make peace and reconnect with the team, especially since the old owners were no longer there. He accepted, becoming the seventh player in the Ring of Honor in 2002. Since then, he has had a good relationship with the Seahawks.
Kenny was an honorary captain at Super Bowl XLIX. The Seahawks also officially retired his jersey number 45 in 2017, a huge tribute to his legacy.
Kenny Easley's Legacy
During his seven years playing, Kenny made 32 interceptions, gaining 538 yards, and scored three touchdowns. He also returned 27 punts for 302 yards. In 2002, he was inducted into the Seattle Seahawks Ring of Honor, an honor he initially hesitated to accept. He was also recognized as one of the best players of the 1980s, making the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team.
In 2012, football researchers honored him in their "Hall of Very Good" class. In 2017, Kenny Easley was finally chosen for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, a truly special achievement for his amazing career.
