Where Are They Now? Lincoln Kennedy, ex-UW and pro football star
The Shadow
By DAN RALEY
P-I REPORTER
It's the end of June and Lincoln Kennedy is pulling on pads and playing
pro football again. While most NFL veterans cast a wary eye at training
camp and enjoy a last bit of freedom before reporting, this oversized
man named after a pair of assassinated presidents is preparing for a
playoff game.
At the relatively old football age of 36, Kennedy lines up at offensive
tackle for the Arena Football League's Tampa Bay Storm. Worth millions,
he's losing money by doing this. Accustomed to first-class amenities, he
easily could lose his mind over nightmare travel and facilities that
often are the nearest parking lot.
Yet in the midst of Florida's summer humidity, the former Washington
consensus All-America selection and first-round NFL draft pick couldn't
be more content.
"Guys on this level don't make half as much money as the NFL, but
they've shown me twice the drive and passion," Kennedy said. "It was
something I hadn't thought about, but these guys really get joy out of
the game. It's just about football and having fun. I wish I had
experienced it sooner."
After a three-year retirement from the NFL, the three-time Pro Bowl
player and Super Bowl XXXVII participant became the Roger Clemens of his
sport for reasons similar to the ageless pitcher -- he hadn't had his fill.
"I didn't believe the Super Bowl year in Oakland was a fluke, but the
way we imploded after it left a sour taste in my mouth, and I was tired
of it," said Kennedy, who spent 11 seasons with the Atlanta Falcons and
the Raiders. "I realized I hadn't got football out of my system. I felt
I had a few years left in me."
This extra-large man also had far too many pounds hanging on him. He now
carries 345, down roughly 100, on his thick 6-foot-6 frame. That's
right, he was hovering around the heart-attack-waiting-to-happen range
of 445.
His second wife, Patricia,the mother of their 10-month-old son, Tavon,
gave him an ultimatum at their Phoenix home.
"In all honesty, I didn't know I was as heavy as I was," said Kennedy,
who also has a daughter, Taylor, 13, from another relationship. "My new
wife pointed out that we're not having a family until you start taking
better care of yourself. It was a wake-up call that I was playing with
danger."
Almost 20 years ago, the then-aspiring defensive lineman was already
huge when he showed up at Washington as a freshman. Posing for newspaper
photos, he dwarfed Huskies coach Don James in one shot and clutched
school publicist Chip Lydum under one arm in another.
Kennedy and his girth were moved to the UW offensive line and he played
in three Rose Bowls, sharing in a co-national championship as a junior.
For several years, however, he was estranged from the Huskies, voicing
his unhappiness with an athletic director who has since been removed.
"I severed initial ties with Barbara Hedges," he admitted. "I told
people I wouldn't have anything to do with it while she was around. I
didn't approve of her coaches, of her Southern California attitude. Her
hiring of (Rick) Neuheisel was demeaning to me. It wasn't a true
Northwest attitude. It wasn't a true Husky attitude to me. Now things
have gotten better."
While in the NFL, Kennedy was nicknamed the Oval Office. In 2003, he
used his presidential power to play on the game's biggest stage in his
hometown, losing the Super Bowl to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48-21 in San
Diego. Two years later, he walked away and became a TV and radio
broadcaster in Los Angeles for Fox Sports and the NFL Network, putting
his UW speech communications degree to work.
When football tugged at him again, he contacted the Raiders and took
physicals for Dallas, Tampa Bay and Washington. The layoff and his
advancing age scared all of them off.
Kennedy originally signed with the AFL's Dallas Desperadoes, but
received no assurances he could crack their 20-player roster on game day
and was traded early this season to the Storm, which was short of
linemen. Tampa Bay was 0-5 when he arrived and is 9-2 with him in a
stance. Next up for Kennedy is Saturday's playoff opener against the
Columbus Destroyers.
Luckily, it's a home game. On a trip to Austin, Texas, Storm players had
their 7 p.m. flight delayed because of mechanical problems, their
resulting midnight flight arrived in Houston too late to make the
connection, and their bus driver mistakenly took them to Waco, creating
an unwanted and untimely adventure.
"I'm going to write a book," Kennedy said. "We didn't get off the bus
until 7 o'clock the next morning. ... We had a game at 3 o'clock that
day. We won the game."
It wasn't easy for him to return to adequate playing shape, but he's
done it and figures he's been competitive on game day. He's neither
ruling out nor promising to play another season or two. He's still
explaining this one to former NFL teammates.
"I'd run into guys and they'd say, 'What are you doing?' " Kennedy said.
"I'm just having fun."