On Saturday night, Seattle Seahawks great Cortez Kennedy was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. The former defensive tackle treated the crowd to a long speech which got a bunch of big laughs.
Chris Berman introduced a career highlights video package, after which he was introduced and inducted by longtime friend Dixie Fraley Keller, the widow of Kennedy's late agent, Robert Fraley. Kennedy and Keller then unveiled his Hall of Fame bust.
Kennedy said that he was truly blessed to be inducted into the Hall of Fame with all of the other all-time greats.
Kennedy thanked his mother and father. He thanked his mother for grounding him from football for bad grades in high school, recalling that his team went to the state championship and his mother sent him a postcard reading, "Wish you were here."
He took the crowd through his career, starting with thanking all of his high school coaches. He had glowing memories of the University of Miami and had plenty of jokes and anecdotes about his struggles with maintaining his weight throughout his playing career.
Kennnedy had a great number of thanks to give out. He let his personality shine through. He got choked up several times when talking about peers and influences that are no longer with us. He also insisted that Walter Jones will one day join him as a Seahawks player in the Hall of Fame.
He made a point to thank Sean Payton and Mickey Loomis, who were both in attendance. Loomis was wearing a Cortez Kennedy baseball cap.
One of the last people Kennedy thanked was the Seahawks fans, the 12th Man. He insisted that the 12th Man was in the Hall of Fame with him.
For more on the Seahawks be sure to check out Field Gulls.
