Kennedy, Johnson to be Honored Thursday
Pro Football Hall of Fame DE Cortez Kennedy and future College Football Hall of Fame inductee Jimmy Johnson will be honored during Miami’s home game Nov. 1 vs. Virginia Tech.
Kennedy, who was enshrined Aug. 4 into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, became the fifth Miami Hurricane to earn the honor, joining Jim Otto (1980), Ted Hendricks (1990), Jim Kelly (2002) and Michael Irvin (2007).
Kennedy registered 58 sacks and scored one touchdown on a fumble recovery in his 11-season career with the Seattle Seahawks. The No. 3 overall pick in the 1990 NFL Draft, Kennedy had a streak of 116 games played, earned selection to eight Pro Bowls (1992-97, 1999, 2000) and missed just nine games out of a possible 176 in his career. As a senior defensive tackle in 1989, he emerged as a dominant force on what many considered to be the nation’s top defensive line unit. Kennedy started all 12 games and his tenacious defense helped lead UM to a 11-1 season, a victory in the Sugar Bowl over Alabama and the 1989 National Championship. He earned second team AP All-American honors.
Johnson, who coached the Hurricanes for five seasons from 1984-88, is one of 17 former players and coaches to be inducted Dec. 4 as part of the 2012 class of the College Football Hall of Fame. Johnson becomes the third coach from the Hurricanes to earn such an honor, joining Jack Harding (1980) and Andy Gustafson (1985).
In his five seasons at UM, Johnson compiled a 52-9 record and guided the Canes to the 1987 National Championship. That season, Miami went a perfect 12-0 and defeated six nationally ranked teams, including a 20-14 victory over then-No. 1 Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl. Including his five seasons as the head coach of Oklahoma State, Johnson’s career collegiate record stands at 81-34-3.
Johnson becomes the ninth man with ties to UM to be selected into the College Football Hall of Fame, including players Don Bosseler (1990), Ted Hendricks (1987), Gino Torretta (2009), Arnold Tucker (2008), Bennie Blades (2006) and Russell Maryland (2011). Both Blades and Maryland were coached by Johnson.
