Derek Kennard
Encyclopedia
Derek Craig Kennard is a former American football
guard
and center
who played 11 seasons in the National Football League
for the St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals
, New Orleans Saints
, and the Dallas Cowboys
. Previously he played two seasons in the United States Football League
for the Los Angeles Express.
, Kennard joined the Saint Louis Cardinals who drafted him in the second round (45th overall) of the 1984 NFL Supplemental Draft of USFL and CFL Players
.
He started 40 consecutive games for the Cardinals and played in 67 overall.
he was traded to the New Orleans Saints
for holdout cornerback
Robert Massey
. He played with the Saints 3 seasons at guard
and center
.
he signed with the Dallas Cowboys
as an unrestricted free agent, primarily to be the starting right guard
, replacing Kevin Gogan
who signed with the Los Angeles Raiders.
In 1995
, with the move of Larry Allen
to right guard
, he became a backup offensive lineman and got to start 4 games at center
, on a team that won Super Bowl XXX
.
At the end of the 1996 season
injuries forced him to retire after playing 11 seasons in the NFL.
, currently plays for USC
after having attended Desert Vista High School
in Phoenix, Arizona
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
and center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
who played 11 seasons in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
for the St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
, and the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
. Previously he played two seasons in the United States Football League
United States Football League
The United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...
for the Los Angeles Express.
Saint Louis Cardinals
After the USFL folded in August 19861986 NFL season
The 1986 NFL season was the 67th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXI when the New York Giants defeated the Denver Broncos to win their first league title in 30 years.-Major rule changes:...
, Kennard joined the Saint Louis Cardinals who drafted him in the second round (45th overall) of the 1984 NFL Supplemental Draft of USFL and CFL Players
1984 NFL Supplemental Draft of USFL and CFL Players
The National Football League held a draft of United States Football League and Canadian Football League players on June 5, 1984. In an attempt to head off a bidding war in its own ranks for USFL and CFL players. NFL teams chose 84 players from 224 available during the three-round selection meeting...
.
He started 40 consecutive games for the Cardinals and played in 67 overall.
New Orleans Saints
In 19911991 NFL season
The 1991 NFL season was the 72nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXVI when the Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills....
he was traded to the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
for holdout cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
Robert Massey
Robert Massey
Robert Lee Massey is a former American football cornerback who played for five teams in the NFL from 1989 to 1997. Massey was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1992. He played college football at North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina.-References:...
. He played with the Saints 3 seasons at guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
and center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
.
Dallas Cowboys
In 19941994 NFL season
The 1994 NFL season was the 75th regular season of the National Football League. To honor the NFL's 75th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season...
he signed with the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
as an unrestricted free agent, primarily to be the starting right guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
, replacing Kevin Gogan
Kevin Gogan
Kevin Patrick Gogan is a former professional American football player who played guard for 14 seasons in the National Football League from 1987 to 2000...
who signed with the Los Angeles Raiders.
In 1995
1995 NFL season
The 1995 NFL season was the 76th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 30 teams with the addition of the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars...
, with the move of Larry Allen
Larry Allen
Larry Christopher Allen, Sr. is a former American football guard of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft...
to right guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
, he became a backup offensive lineman and got to start 4 games at center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
, on a team that won Super Bowl XXX
Super Bowl XXX
Super Bowl XXX was an American football game played on January 28, 1996 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona to decide the National Football League champion following the 1995 regular season...
.
At the end of the 1996 season
1996 NFL season
The 1996 NFL season was the 77th regular season of the National Football League and the season was marked by notable controversies from beginning to end...
injuries forced him to retire after playing 11 seasons in the NFL.
Personal life
His son, Devon KennardDevon Kennard
Devon Kennard is an American football linebacker. He currently attends USC. Kennard was considered one of the top football prospects in the United States. He is a U.S. Army All-American.-High school career:...
, currently plays for USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
after having attended Desert Vista High School
Desert Vista High School
Desert Vista High School is located in the Ahwatukee neighborhood of Phoenix, Arizona, was established in 1996, and is a part of the Tempe Union High School District.-Academics:...
in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
.