Nicknamed "the Enforcer",[2] Easley has been considered to be among the best defensive backs during his era and one of the Seahawks' all-time greatest players.

He was the first player in the history of Virginia high school football to rush and pass for over 1,000 yards in a single season,[6] and was named as an all-state and All-American selection at quarterback.

[8] Allegedly recruited by 350 colleges, Easley selected University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and played for the Bruins football team.

[7] Playing from 1977 to 1980, Easley finished his college career with a school-record 19 interceptions and 324 tackles, along with 45 punt returns for 454 yards.

[13] In his first season playing for Knox, Easley won the AFC Defensive Player of the Year Award and recorded seven interceptions.

[14] He returned two of them for touchdowns and was named as the NFL Defensive Player of the Year, the first safety awarded since Dick Anderson in 1973.

As a response, the league decided to use replacement players to fill up their rosters, along with a few veterans who crossed the "picket line".

[26] During the mandatory team physical, Easley was diagnosed with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome, a severe kidney disease that voided the trade.

[29] The Seahawks offered several draft picks as compensation to the Cardinals to complete the trade and Easley announced his retirement a few months later.

[28] Easley claimed that he took 15 to 20 Advils daily for three months to reduce the swelling in his ankle, before a doctor intervened and told him to stop.

[28] His case made national headlines and formed discussion involving the safe use of over the counter medication like Advil.

[31][32] In 1991, Easley bought into a car dealership (along with partner Rick Johnson), Alderwood Oldsmobile & Cadillac in Lynnwood Washington, (which later moved to Shoreline, Washington in 1996), taking advantage of a General Motors program that made it easier for African-Americans and other minorities to own an auto dealership.

Garcea and Johnson stated that they participated in the original AF2 meetings and asked the city for exclusive rights to own the franchise, providing a $5,000 down payment.

[36] The team made the AF2 playoffs, but lost money in their first season, which Easley blamed as "rookie mistakes" and startup costs.

Easley saw this, as well as the fact that the old ownership group (the Nordstroms) was long gone, as an opportunity to reconcile and re-connect with the Seahawks organization.

[41] In 2016, Easley was named the senior finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2017 class,[42] and in February 2017 he was elected,[43] and his bust was sculpted by Scott Myers.