Kenny Easley - Pro Career

Pro Career

Easley was drafted as the fourth overall pick in the first round of the 1981 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks and became an immediate starter as a rookie. He recorded three interceptions for 155 yards and one touchdown, earning him AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. In 1983, the Seahawks hired former Buffalo Bills coach Chuck Knox as their head coach and Easley immediately became the "backbone" of Knox's defense. In his first season playing for Knox, Easley won the AFC Defensive Player of the Year Award and recorded seven interceptions. In 1984, Easley led the National Football League in interceptions with ten, tying a club record. He returned two of them for touchdowns and was named as the NFL Defensive Player of the Year. On November 4, 1984, during a 45-0 win against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Seahawks returned four interceptions for touchdowns, including one caught by Easley, breaking the record for most touchdowns scored from an interception in a game.

After the season, Easley signed a five-year contract to stay with the Seahawks, averaging $650,000 a year plus incentives. The contract made him one of the highest paid defensive players in the league. In 1985, Easley was selected for his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl, a team record until defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy was selected for his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl in 1995.

Easley was injured for most of the 1986 season. He hurt his knee against the San Diego Chargers on October 11, and the next month, missed the remainder of the season due to ankle surgery. In December, Easley was rumored to be in the trading block as the Seahawks was attempting to get the first overall pick in the 1987 NFL Draft from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in order to draft quarterback Vinny Testaverde.

In 1987, Easley was the Seahawks player representative, and a leading figure in the 1987 NFL strike. Seeking a new collective bargaining agreement with free agency a major factor, the head of the National Football League Players Association Gene Upshaw managed to convince Easley and hundreds of his fellow NFL players to go on strike. As a response, the league decided to use replacement players to fill up their rosters, along with a few veterans that crossed the "picket line". When former teammate Jim Zorn offered his services to the Seahawks, Easley said

He obviously is either desperate to play in the NFL or desperate for money. Here's a guy who played in the NFL for a long time and who was adored and was admired by his fans and teammates. Now, he turns his back on us.

Easley also warned his fellow players that he was against the idea of using violence at the replacement players in order to prove a point. Once the strike ended, Easley had an off-year as the Seahawks passing defense fell to 25th in the league. His last game was a 23-20 loss against the Houston Oilers during the 1988 playoffs in overtime.