Seattle mourning loss of Hall of Famer Kennedy
ORLANDO—CortezKennedy was a hulking force at defensive tackle, the cornerstone of an NFL franchise that had little to cheer about for most of his playing career.
And yet what Kennedy accomplished as a player withtheSeattleSeahawks— which was good enough for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame — was secondary to the affable personality that made him a revered figure long after his career ended.
Police in Orlando, Florida, said the 48-year-old Kennedy was found dead on Tuesday morning. Circumstances surrounding his death are still unknown, but a police spokesman said there is “nothing suspicious” about it. An investigation is being conducted.
“The full story lies in his loving, fun, positive and giving heart,” said New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis, who worked for the Seahawks during Kennedy’s playing career.
“In my many years working in the NFL, no one better exemplified what it meant to be a great player on the field, and yet that paled in comparison to what Cortez meant to the people who knew him off it.”
A star who spent his entire 11-yearNFLcareerinrelative obscurity with Seattle, in 2012 Kennedy became the second Seahawk inducted into the Hall of Fame.
He was an unmovable wall as a dominant defensive tackle, and a quiet, gentle soulawayfromthefield,never interested in the spotlight.
“Cortez Kennedy has been a pillar of the Seahawks franchise since joining the team as a rookie in 1990,” the team said in a statement.
“Tez was the heart and soul of the Seahawks through the 1990s and endeared himself to fans all across the Pacific Northwest as a player who played with a selfless and relentless approach to the game.
“We are proud to have been represented by such a special person.”
Kennedy was the No 3 overall pick in the 1990 draft out of Miami, and Seattle smartly never let him leave. He brought notoriety to an otherwise dreadful period in Seahawks history as an eight-time Pro Bowler and was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1992.
For many seasons, Kennedy was the reason the Seahawks were relevant.
“Really sad to lose a guy like Cortez Kennedy,” Denver Broncos general manager John Elway wrote on Twitter.
Elway was chased around by Kennedy twice a year for much of the 1990s as competitors in the AFC West. “A great personality, a great player and I enjoyed competing against him.”
Even though he last played for the Seahawks in 2000, Kennedy remained a significant part of the organization.
He was a mainstay around the team during training camp and would occasionally roll through the locker room during the regular season to chat with players, coaches or media.
That personality was evident nearly 30 years ago when Dennis Erickson, then the new head coach of the Miami Dolphins, first met Kennedy.
Erickson saw it again in 1995 when he became the head coach of the Seahawks and Kennedy was his star.
“He always had a smile on his face,” Erickson recalled.
“There was no arrogance about him at all. Not at all.”