The Seattle Seahawks will retire the No. 45 jersey of recently inducted Pro Football Hall of Fame safety Kenny Easley during halftime of Sunday night’s game against the Indianapolis Colts.
Once in a bitter dispute with the franchise, Easley mended his relationship with the franchise following the ownership change from Ken Behring to Paul Allen. The Seahawks inducted him into their Ring of Honor in 2002. He joins Seattle’s three other Hall of Fame inductees - Cortez Kennedy, Walter Jones and Steve Largent - and the No. 12 retired for the fans as jerseys retired by the franchise.
“I expected it to happen, but I’m very happy about that,” Easley told the team website. “Over the years, I’ve seen the number 45 out there a few times, though not that much. I’m glad that that’s going to take place and I can be a part of that ceremony on October 1. I’m looking forward to it.
“It’s going to be real nice. It has been a long time for me. It has been 30 years since I played, and for these types of things to be happening 30 years after the fact is unique. A lot of times when things sit this long, people tend to forget. The fact that 30 years after I played, I get into the Hall of Fame and then have my jersey retired, it’s really special. I’m 58 years old now, and when you get a little age on yourself and your life, you tend to give a lot more respect and credence to things that happen to you later in life like this.”
Easley was inducted into the Hall of Fame in August after being nominated by the Veterans Committee. Easley was a four-time first-team All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowl selection. He was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1984.
His career was cut short after he was found to have kidney disease in a failed physical with the Phoenix Cardinals as the Seahawks attempted to trade him in 1989. Easley blamed the Seahawks for the disease due to be advised to take copious amounts of ibuprofen to address an ankle injury years before. He brought a lawsuit that was later settled and received a new kidney two years later.
Easley was angry at the franchise for 15 years before reconciling with the team in the early 2000’s when he was approached to be a Ring of Honor inductee under new ownership.
