Pro Football Hall of Fame voters snubbed former Seahawk defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy for a third time Saturday night. Kennedy, who played for Seattle from 1990-2000, has been a finalist in each of the past three years, but has failed to gain enough support for induction into the Canton, OH., shrine despite his remarkable resume.
The 2011 Pro Football Hall of Fame class announced Saturday included Deion Sanders, Marshall Faulk, Shannon Sharpe, Richard Dent, Les Richter, Chris Hanburger and Ed Sabol, who pioneered NFL Films.
Snubbed along with Kennedy: Curtis Martin, Dermontti Dawson, Andre Reed and Willie Roaf.
Kennedy earned eight Pro Bowl invitations during the 1990s, a total matched by a defensive lineman during that decade by only Reggie White and Bruce Smith.
Kennedy was a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1990s, along with John Randle, Bryant Young and Warren Sapp.
Kennedy was selected the 1992 NFL Defensive Player of the Year on a team that won just two games. Only Kennedy, White and Lawrence Taylor won that award while playing on losing teams.
Since sacks beca me an official NFL statistic in 1982, only Kennedy and former Dallas great Randy White ended their careers with at least 150 starts, 50 sacks and eight Pro Bowl appearances. White entered the Hall of Fame in 1994.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="2110148 http://seahawks.sportspressnw.com/?p=2110148">5 Comments
So………Tim Brown or Chris Carter didn’t get snubbed as well? I mean Tez should be in the Hall, but can we be accurate? Or is this just a hometown oversight?
I think he was only listing the players that were finalist and didn’t get voted in. Carter and Brown should be HOF’ers no doubt but they weren’t finalists this year.
I think people supporting the Tez cause need to move away from stats because they don’t paint a full picture. Pro Bowl appearances are kind of a joke at this point and it’s clear playing in Seattle for below average teams hurt his visibility in garnering All-Pro selections. The stats don’t convey the force of nature that Cortez Kennedy was in the NFL for so many years.
The stories you hear from respected peers and coaches that game plan against him are what truly tell the tale of his Hall of Fame career. They talk about his unmatched combination of speed and power, and how he was one of the very few that could cause havoc against both the run and the pass. The number of former players and coaches that talk about dealing with Tez Rex and how uncomparable he was demonstrate his qualifications for Canton.
Also, if John Randle is in, Kennedy should be too.
Was Geoff Baker a voter in this too? Tez is a HOF’er in my book