Seahawks Great Ken Easley Voted Into Pro Football Hall Of Fame
Amidst the hoopla surrounding yesterday's Super Bowl, Seahawks fans may have missed the big news announced on Saturday regarding on of the team's all-time greats. Former safety, and godfather of the "Legion of Boom", Kenny "The Enforcer" Easley, was voted into the pro football hall of fame on Saturday which was announced later that evening as part of the NFL's sixth-annual "Honors" program.
Easley, who was originally drafted by the Seahawks out of UCLA with the 4th overall pick in the 1981 draft, played in just 89 games over seven seasons before irreversible kidney damage forced him into a premature retirement.
Easley will enter the hall along with RB LaDanian Tomlinson, K Morten Andersen, RB Terrell Davis, QB Kurt Warner,DE Jason Taylor and Owner Jerry Jones. The ceremony will take part during the NFL's annual Hall of Fame Game weekend in Canton, OH on Saturday, August 5th.
Once called the greatest safety he'd ever seen by fellow hall-of -famer Ronnie Lott, Easley has always been in my hall of fame, as evidenced by the personally autographed press photo I have displayed prominently in my house for the last 30-plus years (see: above). I'm super-stoked that he will be the 4th Seahawk - who played his entire career (like Largent, Cortez Kennedy and Walter Jones did) - in Canton, OH!
Easley has oft been called the "godfather" of the Seahawks current defensive backfield known as "The Legion of Boom". I submit that 'ol number 45 plus three other dudes is still greater than the L.O.B.!
One of my favorite memories about Easley's football prowess cam one season when his entire hand was in a cast due to a broken thumb. Paul Johns got injured and Easley, who was easily the best athlete on the team, volunteered to RETURN PUNTS!