WHEREAS, Kenneth Mason Easley, Jr., a Chesapeake native and a former strong safety on the Seattle Seahawks in the National Football League, was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017; and

WHEREAS, Kenneth "Kenny" Easley graduated from Oscar F. Smith High School in Chesapeake, where he played quarterback on the football team and became the first player in Virginia history to both rush and pass for 1,000 yards or more in a single season; and

WHEREAS, Kenny Easley attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he became the first player in what was then the Pac-10 Conference to earn all-conference honors four times; the university retired his number 5 jersey, and he was inducted into the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame in 1991; and

WHEREAS, selected by the Seattle Seahawks as the fourth overall pick in the 1981 National Football League (NFL) Draft, Kenny Easley made an immediate impact for the team, earning the Defensive Rookie of the Year award; and

WHEREAS, known as "the Enforcer" for his toughness, physicality, and raw athleticism, Kenny Easley was named the 1984 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, was named as a First Team All-Pro four consecutive years, and was named to five Pro Bowl teams and the NFL All-Decade Team of the 1980s; and

WHEREAS, Kenny Easley finished his NFL career in 1988 with eight sacks and 32 interceptions for 538 yards and three touchdowns; he is one of only four players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame to have played his entire career in Seattle; and

WHEREAS, after his retirement from professional football, Kenny Easley returned to the Commonwealth and served the Norfolk community as a real estate agent; he also co-owned the Norfolk Nighthawks, which played in the Arena Football 2 league for four seasons; and

WHEREAS, Kenny Easley was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a senior nominee, a player who finished his career more than 25 years ago, and his induction ceremony will take place in August 2017 in Canton, Ohio; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Kenneth Mason Easley, Jr., on the occasion of his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame with the Class of 2017; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Kenneth Mason Easley, Jr., as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for his exceptional athletic achievements.