We know one of the names that will be up for consideration for election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.
The Seniors Committee met in Canton on Monday to determine their finalist for this year’s process and the Hall announced on Monday that the choice is former Seahawks safety Kenny Easley. Easley’s candidacy will be evaluated by the 46 members of the Selection Committee on the day before the Super Bowl and, like all finalists, he needs 80 percent of the vote to be elected.
Easley was a first-round pick by Seattle in 1981 and went on to play seven seasons with the Seahawks. Easley had 32 interceptions, 11 fumble recoveries and eight sacks in his 89 games with the team, was named Defensive Player of the Year in 1984 and was named to the Associated Press All-Pro team three times. The Pro Football Hall of Fame also named him as one of the safeties on the All-1980’s team along with Ronnie Lott. Easley and former Bears tackle Jimbo Covert are the only first-team offensive and defensive selections to that team who are not in the Hall.
He was traded to the Cardinals in 1988, but learned during a physical that he suffered from a severe kidney disease that ended his career and led to a successful transplant a couple of years later. He filed a lawsuit, later settled out of court, against the team alleging that overprescribing ibuprofen led to the problem.
The Hall will announce two more nominees on Tuesday after the Contributors Committee meets to determine its selections.
