NFL great and Hall of Famer Kenny Easley passed away on Saturday at the age of 66.
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His former team, the Seattle Seahawks, confirmed the news in a statement.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Seahawks Legend Kenny Easley,” the statement reads. “Kenny embodied what it meant to be a Seahawk through his leadership, toughness, intensity, and fearlessness. His intimidating nature and athletic grace made him one of the best players of all time.”
“As a man of faith, Kenny will forever be remembered as a beloved member of the Seahawks family,” the team also shared. “And his legacy will live on as inspiration to fans around the world.”
Dubbed “The Enforcer,” Easley played seven seasons in the NFL from 1981 to 1987. During his time with the Seahawks, Easley recorded 32 interceptions, setting a league record in 1984.
UCLA, where he attended and played, announced throughout his football career Easley recorded nearly 498 tackles, eight sacks, 10 forced fumbles, 11 fumble recoveries, and 32 interceptions.
Easley was honored in 2017 by being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Speaking about the late football player, Hall of Fame president and CEO Jim Porter shared in a statement that he would have been a “dominant safety in any era.”
“When he was enshrined in 2017, he took his rightful place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and embraced his football immortality,” Porter pointed out. “Kenny possessed excellent ball skills, but make no mistake: His biggest strengths were his fearlessness and intensity. If you had the ball as an opposing offensive player, he was going to hit you hard — and you were going to feel it for a while.”
Easley is survived by his wife, Gail, his son, Kendrick, and his daughters, Gabrielle and Giordanna.
Kenny Easley and the Seahawks Had a Rough History
Easley was forced to retire from the league after being diagnosed with a kidney disease.
Easley later sued the Seahawks after his NFL retirement. He claimed the team’s doctors had prescribed him large doses of ibuprofen, which caused damage to his kidneys. He also alleged that the team allowed him to play his final season without knowledge of the disease.
“As a 28-year-old guy who lost his career because of a bad decision that the organization made, “Easley said bout the lawsuit. “I wanted to fight,”
Pointing out that the team didn’t alert him about the kidney disease, Easley also said, “The Seahawks, for whatever reason, made the decision to put me on the field. [They] never told me.”
The bitter lawsuit was settled out of court. Easley then said the situation greatly impacted him and his love for the sport. He didn’t watch any football for 15 years.
Easley and the Seahawks reconciled in the early 2000s, with the team retiring his jersey number, 45. The team also inducted him into its Ring of Honor in 2002.
“When it was time for me to make the right decision, I was lucky enough to have a good woman that told me to do it,” Easley further shared. “Because I could have probably held out another 15 years.”