Cortez Kennedy
Encyclopedia
Cortez Kennedy is a former NFL
defensive tackle who played his entire eleven-season career with the Seattle Seahawks
.
, and attended Northwest Mississippi Community College
before winning a football scholarship to the University of Miami
, where he was named All-America
n at his position in 1989.
Kennedy was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.
He has a jersey of his number in the Rivercrest High School lobby.
by the Seahawks, and was a contract holdout through nearly all of the off-season. He missed training camp, and signed only two days before the beginning of the season. Having missed training camp, Kennedy had a rather lackluster rookie year, but 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 was named All-Pro 4 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. 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.
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.
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.
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
defensive tackle who played his entire eleven-season career with the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
.
High school and college career
Kennedy was born in Osceola, Arkansas. Lived and grew up on Wilson, Arkansas. He graduated from Rivercrest High School in Wilson, ArkansasWilson, Arkansas
Wilson is a town in Mississippi County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 939 at the 2000 census.The town was named after Robert E. Lee Wilson, a landowner and logging business owner in the area in the late 19th century....
, and attended Northwest Mississippi Community College
Northwest Mississippi Community College
Northwest Mississippi Community College is a two-year public community college located in Senatobia, Mississippi, USA and has been in existence since 1928. As of August 2008, Northwest's enrollment exceeds 7,100 students. There are approximately 3,000 students on the Senatobia campus—1,100 of which...
before winning a football scholarship to the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
, where he was named All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n at his position in 1989.
Kennedy was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.
He has a jersey of his number in the Rivercrest High School lobby.
Seattle Seahawks
He was the third overall selection in the 1990 draft1990 NFL Draft
The 1990 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 22–23, 1990...
by the Seahawks, and was a contract holdout through nearly all of the off-season. He missed training camp, and signed only two days before the beginning of the season. Having missed training camp, Kennedy had a rather lackluster rookie year, but was named to the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
in 1991. In 1992, having recorded 14 quarterback sacks, he received the NFL Defensive Player of the Year
NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award
The NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award is given by the Associated Press to the league's most outstanding defensive player at the end of every NFL season since 1971. Multiple-award winners include Lawrence Taylor, who won it three times, and Joe Greene, Mike Singletary, Bruce Smith, Reggie...
by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
despite the Seahawks miserable 2-14 record. He was named All-Pro 4 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. 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
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
in 2008, as well as a finalist in 2009 and 2011.
Since his retirement, Kennedy has worked as an advisor for the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
, whose general manager, Mickey Loomis
Mickey Loomis
Mickey Loomis is the General Manager of the NFL's New Orleans Saints. He was awarded the NFL executive of the year for 2006.He attended Northwest Christian University in Eugene, Oregon, where he played basketball...
, had previously worked for the Seahawks.
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.