Kenny Easley

Kenny Easley
Easley with the Seattle Seahawks in 1986
No. 45
PositionSafety
Personal information
Born(1959-01-15)January 15, 1959
Chesapeake, Virginia, U.S.
DiedNovember 14, 2025(2025-11-14) (aged 66)
Listed height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight206 lb (93 kg)
Career information
High schoolOscar F. Smith (South Norfolk, Virginia)
CollegeUCLA (1977–1980)
NFL draft1981: 1st round, 4th overall pick
Career history
Awards and highlights
Career NFL statistics
Interceptions32
Interception yards538
Fumble recoveries11
Sacks8
Defensive touchdowns3
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Kenneth Mason Easley Jr. (January 15, 1959 – November 14, 2025) was an American professional football player who spent his entire seven-year career as a safety for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL) from 1981 to 1987. He played college football for the UCLA Bruins and was a three-time consensus All-American. He was selected by the Seahawks in the first round of the 1981 NFL draft. Nicknamed "the Enforcer", Easley has been considered among the greatest defensive backs of his era and as one of the Seahawks' greatest players.

Easley was a leader of the Seahawks' defense and was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1984. He was a four-time All-Pro selection and was elected to the Pro Bowl five times in his career. Easley's career ended after the 1987 season when he was diagnosed with severe kidney disease.

After retirement, Easley owned a Cadillac dealership and, later, the Norfolk Nighthawks team from 1999 to 2003. He was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 1998 and was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.