The Seattle Seahawks will wear special helmet decals for the remainder of the season to honor late Hall of Fame safety Kenny Easley, who died Nov. 14 at age 66.
Each Seahawks helmet will be adorned with a No. 45 sticker in honor of Easley’s jersey number, which was retired by the franchise in 2017, according to a news release. He is one of four players in Seahawks history to have his number retired, along with fellow Pro Football Hall of Famers Walter Jones, Cortez Kennedy and Steve Largent.
In addition to the decals, the Seahawks also announced plans to honor Easley prior to its home game against the Minnesota Vikings in week 13 on Nov. 30.
Easley died of natural causes, according to a news release from UCLA football, where he was a star for the Bruins from 1977-80.
A three-time All-American at UCLA, Easley earned the nickname “The Enforcer” due to his physical and aggressive style of play. He wore the No. 5 at UCLA and an “F5″ helmet decal as a reference to the highest number in the tornado intensity rating system at the time, according to his Pro Football Hall of Fame bio.
“If you’re not going to be the biggest force on the field today, don’t put that helmet on,” Easley once said.
Easley was drafted by Seattle with the fourth overall pick in the 1980 NFL Draft and played his entire seven-year career with the Seahawks, which was cut short due to kidney disease. He was named the Defensive Player of the Year in 1984 when he led the league with 10 interceptions and two interceptions returned for touchdowns.
Overall, Easley earned three All-Pro honors and five Pro Bowl selections in his seven NFL seasons. He finished his career with 32 interceptions, including three for touchdowns, 11 fumble recoveries, nine forced fumbles and eight sacks in 89 games.
Easley was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.
Following his death, the Seahawks issued a statement remembering the late Easley.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Seahawks Legend Kenny Easley,” the team said. “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.”
Easley is survived by his wife, Gail, and his children, Kendrick, Gabrielle, and Giordana.
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