Early on Tuesday morning, Cortez Kennedy, the force of nature and Pro Football Hall of Famer who anchored the Miami defensive line in the late 1980s, was discovered dead in his Orlando home. Police say there was no suspicion of foul play, but the cause of death is yet unknown. Only 48 years old was he.
For the Miami Hurricanes family, this is a depressing day. When you think of the Hurricanes’ heyday, one of the most recognisable figures is Cortez Kennedy, an icon who accomplished almost everything the gridiron had to offer.
The football community responded quickly and in spades, expressing everything from disbelief to widespread thanks and admiration for what a tremendous talent brought to the game. Cortez was also, by all accounts, a fully fledged human being. He made a significant impact on many people’s lives and was always eager to mentor future players and impart his expertise.
Kennedy’s journey to become a national football celebrity started in Wilson, Arkansas, where he supported his Rivercrest team to the 1985 3-A State Championship. After attending North Mississippi Junior College for his first two seasons of eligibility, Cortez was drafted by Jimmy Johnson in 1988 to transfer to the University of Miami, where his unique skill set became immediately apparent. Under the guidance of men like Randy Shannon, who put him through a summer boot camp consisting of jogging three miles every day at the crack of dawn and eating only salads and subs in an attempt to improve his conditioning and the number of snaps he could play in a game, he quickly earned the loving nickname “Tez.”
Kennedy saw the fruits of his labour as a senior defensive tackle in the autumn of 1989. He became a dominant force on what many believed to be the best defensive line unit in the country. Kennedy started each of the team’s 12 games as defensive tackle and guided the Canes defence to an incredible 11-1 season, an Alabama triumph in the Sugar Bowl, and the 1989 National Championship. Following his selection to the second team of the AP All-America, the Seattle Seahawks selected him third overall in the 1990 NFL Draft.
Despite playing one of the most physically demanding positions on the field, Tez soon established himself as a staple on the Seahawks defensive line, missing just eight games until his sixth professional season. He was a handful for even the finest offensive linemen in the NFL thanks to his special blend of incredible strength and agility. He earned numerous honours, including selection to three All-Pro teams, the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 1990s, and eight Pro Bowls. Kennedy played in 167 games, collected 568 tackles, 58 sacks, and 11 forced fumbles during his professional career. Even though the Seahawks were 2-14 overall when he played for them, he was awarded the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year Award in 1992.
Kennedy retired in 2000, and the Seahawks retired his No. 96 in 2006. In 2006, Kennedy was inducted into the Seahawks Ring of Honour. He was honoured into the University of Miami Football Ring of Honour shortly after that in 2008.
Kennedy eventually received a well-earned bust at Canton in 2012 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was the seventh Hurricane to win the most coveted award in football, following Jim Otto in 1980, Ted Hendricks in 1990, Jim Kelly in 2002, and Michael Irvin in 2007. 2013 saw Warren Sapp become the sixth, a year later.
Since his days with the Seahawks, he had maintained a close relationship with general manager Mickey Loomis, and for the previous few years, he had served as an informal adviser for the New Orleans Saints.
Farewell, Cortez Kennedy. Big Fella, you can relax.
