Cortez Kennedy

Cortez Kennedy
No. 96, 99
Position: Defensive Tackle
Personal information
Date of birth: (1968-08-23) August 23, 1968
Place of birth: Osceola, Arkansas
Height: 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight: 306 lb (139 kg)
Career information
High school: Wilson (AR) Rivercrest
College: Miami (FL)
NFL draft: 1990 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Tackles: 668
Quarterback sacks: 58.0
Interceptions: 3
Player stats at NFL.com

Cortez Kennedy (born August 23, 1968) is a former NFL defensive tackle who played his entire eleven-season career with the Seattle Seahawks. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2012.[1]

High school and college career

Kennedy was born in Osceola, Arkansas, but grew up in Wilson, Arkansas. He graduated from Rivercrest High School in Wilson, Arkansas, and attended Northwest Mississippi Community College before winning a football scholarship to the University of Miami, where he was named an All-American in 1989.

Kennedy was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.

He has a jersey in the Rivercrest High School lobby.

Seattle Seahawks

He was the third overall selection in the 1990 draft by the Seahawks, and was unsigned until two days before the beginning of the season. Kennedy was named to the Pro Bowl in 1991. In 1992, having recorded 14 quarterback sacks, he received the NFL Defensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press despite the Seahawks miserable 2-14 record. He switched his jersey number to 99 that season in honor of close friend Jerome Brown, and was named First- or Second-team All-Pro five times.

Kennedy retired after the 2000 season. In 167 games with Seattle, he recorded 668 tackles, 58 sacks, and 3 interceptions. He announced his retirement in August 2002 after sitting out the 2001 season. He was given several offers by other teams, but wanted to finish his career in Seattle.[2] He is generally considered one of the best defensive tackles to ever play the position in the NFL. He was a Semi-Finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008, as well as a finalist in 2009 and 2011,[3] eventually being elected to the Hall as a member of the 2012 induction class.[1]

Since his retirement, Kennedy has worked as an advisor for the New Orleans Saints, whose general manager, Mickey Loomis, had previously worked for the Seahawks.[4][5]

In 2006, Kennedy was inducted into the Seahawks' Ring of Honor.

In 2007, Kennedy was named the best athlete ever to wear the number 96 by SI.com.[6]

In 2012, Kennedy was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.[1] He was the second Hall of Famer to earn his credentials primarily as a Seahawk. His jersey number, 96, was also retired by the Seattle Seahawks during a game against the New England Patriots on October 14, 2012.

In 2013, Seattle hip hop artist Macklemore sported a #96 Seahawks jersey in the official music video for the song "White Walls."

NFL stats

Year Team Games Combined Tackles Tackles Assisted Tackles Sacks Forced Fumbles Fumble Recoveries Fumble Return Yards Interceptions Interception Return Yards Yards per Interception Return Longest Intercepion Return Interceptions Returned for Touchdown Passes Defended
1990 SEA 16 0 0 0 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1991 SEA 16 0 0 0 6.5 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1992 SEA 16 0 0 0 14.0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1993 SEA 16 75 59 16 6.5 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
1994 SEA 16 69 53 16 4.0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
1995 SEA 16 53 40 13 6.5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
1996 SEA 16 67 48 19 8.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4
1997 SEA 8 18 10 8 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
1998 SEA 15 42 29 13 2.0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 6
1999 SEA 16 74 61 13 6.5 2 0 0 2 12 6 7 0 7
2000 SEA 16 50 32 18 1.0 0 0 0 1 14 14 14 0 9
Career 167 448 332 116 58.0 6 5 0 3 26 9 14 0 35

[7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Defensive disruption". NFL Internet Network. Profootballhof.com. 31 July 2012. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  2. ↑ "DT Kennedy announces retirement". Archived from the original on 2006-11-14. Retrieved 2006-12-13.
  3. ↑ Hall Release – Modern era semi-finalists for Class of 2008
  4. ↑ "Well-kept secret: Ex-Seattle defensive great a Who Dat", Foxsports.com (accessed September 2, 2010).
  5. ↑ Dave Hyde, "Dolphins-Saints matchup; Ottis Anderson tells great Parcells story", South Florida Sun-Sentinel, October 24, 2009.
  6. ↑ "Cortez Kennedy named best athlete to wear number 96". CNN.
  7. ↑ "Cortez Kennedy Stats". ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved 14 April 2014.

External links

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