2026 SESSION

INTRODUCED

26105363D

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 8

Offered January 14, 2026

Celebrating the life of Kenneth Mason Easley, Jr.

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Patron—Hayes

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WHEREAS, Kenneth Mason Easley, Jr., a native of Chesapeake who was well-known by football fans around the country as one of the best defensive backs in the National Football League in the 1980s, died on November 14, 2025; and

WHEREAS, Kenneth “Kenny” Mason Easley, Jr., graduated from Oscar F. Smith High School, where he started as quarterback on the football team and made history as the first Virginia High School League player to both rush and pass for more than 1,000 yards in a single season; and

WHEREAS, Kenny Easley was recruited by hundreds of colleges around the country before matriculating at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA); he switched to the free safety position and started 10 games in his freshman year, ultimately setting a season record for tackles by a true freshman with 93; and

WHEREAS, Kenny Easley was a three-time consensus all-American at UCLA, and he became the first player in Pacific-10 Conference history to earn first-team all-conference honors for four consecutive years; and

WHEREAS, Kenny Easley finished his college career with a university-record 19 interceptions, along with 374 tackles and 45 punt returns for 454 yards; and

WHEREAS, in the 1981 National Football League (NFL) Draft, Kenny Easley was drafted fourth overall by the Seattle Seahawks and quickly established himself as one of the team's all-time greats at defensive back; and

WHEREAS, during his seven seasons in the NFL, Kenny Easley recorded 32 interceptions, including 10 in the 1984 season, when he was selected as Defensive Player of the Year; he was known throughout the league as “The Enforcer,” a testament to his toughness and physicality; and

WHEREAS, the Seattle Seahawks ultimately retired Kenny Easley's number 45 jersey, and he was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 1998, the Seahawks Ring of Honor in 2002, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017; and

WHEREAS, Kenny Easley will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his wife, Gail; his children, Kendrick, Gabrielle, and Giordanna; and numerous other family members and friends; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Delegates hereby note with great sadness the loss of Kenneth Mason Easley, Jr., a distinguished professional athlete from Chesapeake; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Kenneth Mason Easley, Jr., as an expression of the House of Delegates' respect for his memory.