2012 Pro Football Hall Of Fame: Cortez Kennedy Set To Be Enshrined On Saturday

Legendary Seahawks DT Cortez Kennedy will become the first Seattle Seahawks draft pick to be a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and he'll be enshrined in Canton on Saturday. The only other Seahawk already in the Hall of Fame is Steve Largent. Kennedy will be joined by five others in the group of 2012 enshrinees -- Jack Butler, Chris Doleman, Dermontti Dawson, Curtis Martin and Willie Roaf.

"Tez," as he was known to fans, spent all 11 seasons of his career with the Seattle Seahawks, a true testament to his loyalty to the city and the team that drafted him third overall. The Seahawks didn't exactly compete for Super Bowls in that time either.

"I didn't want to go anywhere else. You know, I could have played for a couple other teams, but that Seahawks organization, ever since I was there until today, has just been outstanding," Kennedy told the Associated Press recently, "They treated me right and I know some of my teammates that played there, everybody likes to come back to Seattle. Like I said, players move around, I guess they get better contracts, but one thing I can say is that the Seahawks wanted me there."

Kennedy was named the league's defensive player of the year in 1992 - registering 14 sacks, 27 tackles for loss and 92 tackles for a Seahawks club that finished 2-14. 14 sacks! For a defensive tackle! Ridiculous.

That mark remains the sixth-most sacks ever recorded by a defensive tackle in a single season since sacks became an official stat 30 years ago. Cortez was an 8-time Pro Bowl selection, a four-time All Pro, a member of the NFL 1990's All Decade Team, is in the Seahawks Ring of Honor, and is now deservedly going to be forever enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of fame.

For more on Kennedy and his fellow enshrinement cohort, check out the Pro Football Hall of Fame website for bios and information. Enshrinement takes place on Saturday at 4:00pm PST. Stay with us here for more as the Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrines Seahawks' legend Cortez Kennedy.

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