A sad day in Seahawk land...Cortez Kennedy passes at 48.

My all time favorite Seahawk...even ahead of Steve Largent or Kenny Easley.

Number 96 on your program, but number one in many Seahawks fans hearts, including this one.

I had the incredible pleasure of meeting this gentle giant a few years ago, just shortly before he retired, we'd lost--again--that season we'd only won one game at that point in the season...but it wasn't because of the 'Tez-monster. That season, on a 2-14 team, he was NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and deservedly so. 90 plus tackles, 14 sacks and innumerable disruptions of plays. To this day, the most dominant Seahawk single season ever.

What folks are sayin'...

When I met him it was about three or so hours after the game, he was standing outside in the Seattle rain signing autograph after autograph, and I happened to be near by, and somehow or other, we got to talking while he signed autographs for the kids. I'm 6 foot 4, at the time I was in the neighborhood of three hundred pounds...I seldom feel small, but standing next to him, I did. His program weight was 320, as I recall... I do believe they were fudging that just a wee tad bit...--I'd say he was closer to 350 than 320.

I don't remember what we spoke of, though I recall a couple of fan-boi moments on my part...never once, in the half hour or so we chatted, was he anything less than a gentleman.

He remained a Seahawk his entire career, and was involved after his career ended.

To his friends and family, my most sincere condolences.

#96 forever.