Along with all else that his Hall of Fame induction meant — notably, allowing him to come to peace with a football career whose ending was both premature and tempestuous — Kenny Easley also hopes it will help ease the way for more safeties to follow his lead.
Easley became just the eight player who was solely a safety in his career to be elected into the Hall — there are 310 total players, coaches and contributors in Canton — and the first whose career began after the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. That’s tied with tight end for the position with the fewest players in the Hall other than kickers/punters.