Hall of Famer Cortez Kennedy will have his N0. 96 jersey during halftime of Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots at CenturyLink Field. Kennedy, who played for Seattle from 1990-2000, was elected to the hall Feb. 4 and formally inducted Aug. 4.
Kennedy will also receive his Hall of Fame ring during the ceremony from hall president and executive director Steve Perry.
To mark the occasion, the Seattle City Council has proclaimed Oct. 14 as Cortez Kennedy Day.
The Seahawks drafted Kennedy, a defensive tackle from the University of Miami, with the third overall pick in the 1990 NFL draft. The selection proved to be one of Seattle’s all-time best, as Kennedy became a prominent fixture for 11 seasons.
Durable, Kennedy did not miss a game until his eighth season. In 1992, his third year in the league, Kennedy won The Associated Press’s Defensive Player of the Year award. He became just the third player in NFL history to earn that accolade while playing on a losing team (2-14).
Kennedy represented Seattle in the Pro Bowl eight times, was first-team All-NFL three times (1992-94), second-team twice, All-AFC four times and was named to the NFL’s All-Decade team of the 1990s. On Sept. 17, 2007, Kennedy became the 10th member of the Seahawks Ring of Honor.
Despite being retired for more than a decade, Kennedy still ranks among the top 10 in many club defensive categories, including eighth in games played (167), seventh in games started (153), fourth in forced fumbles (13), eighth in tackles (668), fourth in sacks (58.0), fourth in sack yardage (390.5) and second in Pro Bowl nominations (8).
