Hall of Famer Kenny Easley (update: he made it!)

[UK_Seahawk]

I believe they announce it at the NFL honours shindig these days? I remember Big Walt on stage.

 

[Our Man in Chicago]

I believe they announce it at the NFL honours shindig these days? I remember Big Walt on stage.

The HOF class is announced on February 4th - one day before the Super Bowl.

link

 

[JSeahawks]

He and Largent are the primary reasons I'm a Seahawk fan. Hope he makes it in.

 

[KARAVARUS]

Has a veteran's selection EVER been denied the Hall? I think Kenny is a lock, boys!

 

[chris98251]

When it comes to Seattle I consider nothing a Lock, that's in all sports.

 

[UK_Seahawk]

I believe they announce it at the NFL honours shindig these days? I remember Big Walt on stage.

The HOF class is announced on February 4th - one day before the Super Bowl.

link

Have a guess what day the NFL honours is.

 

[Sports Hernia]

When it comes to Seattle I consider nothing a Lock, that's in all sports.

Yep, learned that lesson more than once.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

VOTE HIM IN!

Still have this poster hanging in my garage, along with my Largent Blue Angel poster.

I think Easley gets in, for one simple fact.........it's voted on by his peers and not writers or media.

 

[Our Man in Chicago]

I believe they announce it at the NFL honours shindig these days? I remember Big Walt on stage.

The HOF class is announced on February 4th - one day before the Super Bowl.

link

Have a guess what day the NFL honours is.

Well, that's a bit brusque.

I did quote you, but I was answering this:

When do we find out?

 

[RiverDog]

Well, I believe Dave Krieg did set some team passing records the year Warner went down in Game1. Ended up being our best season IIRC.

It always struck me that Knox seemed to get more conservative in the playoffs, and lost to coaches with more willingness to take chances with the season on the line. Made the playoffs a lot, but then seemed to get conservative and lose early.

I saw a special that featured great coaches that never made it to a Super Bowl with Chuck Knox being one of those mentioned, and the argument that was made was the similar to what this poster makes except that it wasn't so much that guys like Knox suddenly got conservative when they got into the playoffs but that the more liberal, risk taking offensive minded coaches, like Sam Wyche, for example, tended to catch up with the more conservative coaches once they reached the playoffs.

I know that injuries are part of the game and am aware of all the old sayings, such as if your aunt had balls she'd be your uncle, but I truly believe that if Warner hadn't gone down in '83 and remained healthy that we not only have gone to one SB, we would have gone to at least two and possibly 3 between '83 and '85. Running backs were still relevant back in those days, with players like Marcus Allen and John Riggins playing prominent roles in their offenses.

As far as the OP goes, I have mixed emotions about Easley's candidacy for the HOF. Yes, he was a great player, arguably the best defensive player of his era and one of the few safeties ever that teams game planned to avoid, but his career was about 3 or 4 seasons short of the modern day threshold for longevity.

 

[Sports Hernia]

I think the reason Kenny will get in is because of the support of his fellow players he played against, and some of them are in the HOF which has some serious sway.

 

[chris98251]

Well, I believe Dave Krieg did set some team passing records the year Warner went down in Game1. Ended up being our best season IIRC.

It always struck me that Knox seemed to get more conservative in the playoffs, and lost to coaches with more willingness to take chances with the season on the line. Made the playoffs a lot, but then seemed to get conservative and lose early.

I saw a special that featured great coaches that never made it to a Super Bowl with Chuck Knox being one of those mentioned, and the argument that was made was the similar to what this poster makes except that it wasn't so much that guys like Knox suddenly got conservative when they got into the playoffs but that the more liberal, risk taking offensive minded coaches, like Sam Wyche, for example, tended to catch up with the more conservative coaches once they reached the playoffs.

I know that injuries are part of the game and am aware of all the old sayings, such as if your aunt had balls she'd be your uncle, but I truly believe that if Warner hadn't gone down in '83 and remained healthy that we not only have gone to one SB, we would have gone to at least two and possibly 3 between '83 and '85. Running backs were still relevant back in those days, with players like Marcus Allen and John Riggins playing prominent roles in their offenses.

As far as the OP goes, I have mixed emotions about Easley's candidacy for the HOF. Yes, he was a great player, arguably the best defensive player of his era and one of the few safeties ever that teams game planned to avoid, but his career was about 3 or 4 seasons short of the modern day threshold for longevity.

That's why he is getting in on the Veterans committee or whatever it's called, modern day players would not survive in his era long, they are to big of pussies, they think about the money mostly and not the game, won't play with a hang nail many times etc, not all there are still some throw backs, we have a lot on our team, but look around the league, toughness isn't across the board anymore. There are also the tough guys that are whiney bitches, looking at you Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady.

 

[Hyak]

I really hope he makes it as it's well deserved. 5 x 1st Team All Pro and 1 2nd team All Pro. The only year he didn't make it was 1986 when he missed time due to injuries. Like others have said, he essentially was Kam and Earl molded into one guy.

 

[seahawkfreak]

 

[RiverDog]

That's why he is getting in on the Veterans committee or whatever it's called, modern day players would not survive in his era long, they are to big of pussies, they think about the money mostly and not the game, won't play with a hang nail many times etc, not all there are still some throw backs, we have a lot on our team, but look around the league, toughness isn't across the board anymore. There are also the tough guys that are whiney bitches, looking at you Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady.

I've gone through this exercise every time Easley's name has come up for HOF consideration. There has only been one post merger HOF inductee, Earl Campbell at 8 seasons vs. Easley's 7, with a career that didn't span at least 10 seasons, but his name was much more widely recognized than Easley's is. Also add into the equation that Easley never played in a Super Bowl, which at times can be used as a justification to admit a player that otherwise wouldn't have met the unwritten standards.

If Easley does make it, the HOF would be lowering the bar and forced to consider names they've previously rejected, for example Bert Jones or may have to reject in the future due to career longevity. Plus you have to ask this question: How many players, for example Shaun Alexander, might have made the HOF had their careers ended at 7 seasons? That's the argument Easley's candidacy is going to have to overcome.

 

[Hyak]

Dwight Stephenson comes to mind as a HOF player with a career of 8 years (7 starting). He did play in 2 SB's although they lost both.

The Campbell comparison is really good. Neither he nor Easley made a SB and both were perennial All-Pro players who were somewhat freaks of nature for their positions at the time.

I can argue that Easley was more dominant at S than Campbell was at RB for the duration of their careers. Easley was a 1st team All Pro 5 times in 7 years and he was 2nd team All Pro another time. Campbell was 1st team All Pro 3 times (first 3 years) and he did win the MVP in 1979.

 

[Sports Hernia]

That's why he is getting in on the Veterans committee or whatever it's called, modern day players would not survive in his era long, they are to big of pussies, they think about the money mostly and not the game, won't play with a hang nail many times etc, not all there are still some throw backs, we have a lot on our team, but look around the league, toughness isn't across the board anymore. There are also the tough guys that are whiney bitches, looking at you Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady.

I've gone through this exercise every time Easley's name has come up for HOF consideration. There has only been one post merger HOF inductee, Earl Campbell at 8 seasons vs. Easley's 7, with a career that didn't span at least 10 seasons, but his name was much more widely recognized than Easley's is. Also add into the equation that Easley never played in a Super Bowl, which at times can be used as a justification to admit a player that otherwise wouldn't have met the unwritten standards.

If Easley does make it, the HOF would be lowering the bar and forced to consider names they've previously rejected, for example Bert Jones or may have to reject in the future due to career longevity. Plus you have to ask this question: How many players, for example Shaun Alexander, might have made the HOF had their careers ended at 7 seasons? That's the argument Easley's candidacy is going to have to overcome.

I agree with most of your post except the lowering the bar part. Easley dominated at his position when he played.
The biggest shame is he never got to play in a Super Bowl.

 

[RiverDog]

Dwight Stephenson comes to mind as a HOF player with a career of 8 years (7 starting). He did play in 2 SB's although they lost both.

The Campbell comparison is really good. Neither he nor Easley made a SB and both were perennial All-Pro players who were somewhat freaks of nature for their positions at the time.

I can argue that Easley was more dominant at S than Campbell was at RB for the duration of their careers. Easley was a 1st team All Pro 5 times in 7 years and he was 2nd team All Pro another time. Campbell was 1st team All Pro 3 times (first 3 years) and he did win the MVP in 1979.

Campbell was a highlight reel running back. Who hasn't seen that play where Campbell lowers his head and buries his face mask right between some linebacker's numbers and drives him backwards? As good as Easley was, he didn't get the kind of press that Campbell did playing safety. And if you really want to go back in time, Gayle Sayers played just 7 years and never so much as participated in a playoff game let alone an NFL Championship/Super Bowl, but once again, he was a highlight reel running back, not a safety.

Personally, I agree with your argument that Easley was more dominant at S than Campbell was as a RB. I've never seen teams game plan around a safety. I've heard more than one former QB say that the first thing they used to do when they broke the huddle was to see where Easley was lining up. But the problem isn't the player, it's the position. It's simply not as glamorous.

One of the other things we haven't mentioned is how Easley's career ended, via abuse of over the counter drugs that screwed up his kidneys. I'm not sure how much of an effect that would have on his candidacy, but it is another thing that differs him from some of the other inductees.

Good call out on Dwight Stephenson. I remember finding him in a previous research but must have missed him on this one.

Please bear in mind that I am not against admitting Easley to the HOF, just outlining the argument. Good discussions.

 

[Hyak]

Yes - good discussion.

Kellen Winslow was the other HOF player who's career was cut short due to injury (9 seasons) but again was a perennial All Pro player during his career (3 1st team/1 2nd team).

 

[Hyak]

Great article on his candidacy from Howard Balzer.

https://www.all22.com/seattle-seahawks/ ... nomination