Age: 25
4th
season in pro football & with Seahawks
College: UCLA
Height: 6’3” Weight: 205
Prelude:
Highly
regarded after an outstanding college career, Easley was taken by the Seahawks
in the first round (fourth overall) of the 1981 NFL draft. He immediately moved
into the starting lineup at strong safety and was selected to the Pro Bowl in
1982 and ’83, when he was also a consensus first-team All-NFL honoree. In his
first three years, he intercepted 14 passes as he demonstrated excellent
ball-hawking skills to go along with his solid tackling.
1984 Season Summary
Appeared in
all 16 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Sacks – 0
Interceptions
– 10 [1]
Most
interceptions, game – 3 at San Diego 10/29
Int. return
yards – 126 [11, tied with Michael Downs]
Most int.
return yards, game – 58 (on 1 int.) vs. Kansas City 11/4
Int. TDs – 2 [1, tied with seven others]
Fumble
recoveries – 1
Forced fumbles
– 0
Punt Returns
Returns – 16
Yards – 194
Most yards,
game – 59 (on 2 ret.) vs. Cleveland 9/3
Average per
return – 12.1 [4]
TDs – 0
Longest
return – 42 yards
Scoring
TDs – 2
Points – 12
Postseason: 2 G
Sacks – 0
Interceptions
– 1
Int. return
yards – 21
TDs – 0
Punt Returns
– 6
Most punt
returns, game – 5 vs. LA Raiders, AFC Wild Card playoff
Punt Return
Yards – 57
Most punt
ret. Yards, game – 52 LA Raiders, AFC Wild Card playoff
Punt Return
Avg. – 9.5
TDs – 0
Awards &
Honors:
NFL Defensive
Player of the Year: AP
1st
team All-NFL: AP, PFWA, NEA, Pro Football Weekly, Sporting News
1st
team All-AFC: UPI, Pro Football Weekly
Pro Bowl
Seahawks went
12-4 to finish second in the AFC West and qualify for the postseason as a Wild
Card entry while leading the NFL in interceptions (38). Won AFC Wild Card
playoff over Los Angeles Raiders (13-7). Lost AFC Divisional playoff to Miami
Dolphins (31-10).
Aftermath:
An injury
suffered while returning a kick cost Easley three games in 1985, but he was
still an outstanding and disruptive performer when healthy and was a consensus
first-team All-NFL selection for the third straight year as well as a Pro Bowl
honoree for the fourth straight. Continued ankle trouble hindered him further
in ’86 and he had surgery. Easley came back to gain a fifth Pro Bowl selection
in the strike-interrupted 1987 season but, due largely to acrimony related to
his role in the players’ strike, he was traded to the Cardinals in the
offseason. He never played for the Cards, however, when a physical revealed a kidney
condition that forced his retirement. In seven seasons, Easley intercepted 32
passes and set the standard at his position, but his outstanding career came to
a too-early end.
[Updated 6/14/13]
[Updated 6/14/13]
--
MVP Profiles feature players who were named MVP or
Player of the Year in the NFL, AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974), or
USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press, Pro Football
Writers Association, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press
International, The Sporting News, Maxwell Club – Bert Bell Award, or the league
itself). Also includes Associated Press NFL Offensive and Defensive Players of
the Year.
