The Seahawks picked Cortez Kennedy third overall in the 1990 NFL Draft, and he soon became a dominant force for a decade. Kennedy was the crux of the Seahawks' defense for 11 seasons, drawing two to three blockers regularly, while also helping teammates such as Michael Sinclair, a three-time Pro Bowl defensive end, elevate their performances.

“He was the most nimble and fast 300-pound man I’ve ever seen,” said Seahawks President Chuck Arnold.  

A model of reliability, the annual elite defensive tackle logged 167 games in his career and did not miss a game until his eighth year in the league. Kennedy burst onto the scene as a member of the NFL’s All-Rookie Team in 1990. In his third campaign as a Seahawk, he delivered one of the most memorable seasons ever seen from a defensive lineman.  

In 1992, the Seahawks won two games, yet Kennedy seized the national spotlight, as he was named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year, registering a career-high 14 sacks. Kennedy was an eight-time Pro Bowler who was named to the NFL’s All-Pro first team three times and to the Second Team twice. He ended his career with a total of 58 sacks.  

"I see Tez grabbing guys by the shoulders and throwing them out of the way like rag dolls," former Seahawks free safety Eugene Robinson told Sports Illustrated. "I see the hole open, a running back about ready to break through, and, boom, the back gets slammed."

Kennedy was named to the NFL’s 1990s All-Decade Team. In 1996, he won the Seahawks’ prestigious Steve Largent Award, and in 2006, he joined the Ring of Honor. In 2012, he became the second player to spend most or all of his career with the Seahawks to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  The team retired Kennedy’s number 96 in 2012. SI.com also named him the best athlete to ever wear the number 96.  

After his playing career ended, Kennedy worked as a consultant for the New Orleans Saints and made appearances as a team ambassador for the Seahawks. He passed away in 2017, but his legacy lives on with teammates, those who worked for the team, and his family and friends. Kennedy was widely embraced by those who knew him.

“He was bigger than life as far as his personality goes,” Arnold said. “He just genuinely cared about people.”