Dexton Kennedy
 |
 Kennedy in 2035 | |
| No. 52 – Baltimore Hawks | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Linebacker |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | June 28, 2014 (aged 46) Culver City, California, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Weight: | 250 lb (113 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Culver City High School |
| College: | University of California, Los Angeles |
| ISFL Draft: | 2037 / Round: 6 / Pick: 9 |
| Career history | |
| Roster status: | Active |
Dexton "Dex" Kennedy (born June 28, 2014) is an American football linebacker for the Baltimore Hawks of the International Simulation Football League (ISFL).
Contents
Early years
Kennedy was born in Culver City, CA to Missy and Dean Kennedy. His father, Dean, was a high school standout in football at defensive end. He attended Stanford where he played all four years but chose to pursue a career in finance instead of football. Missy Kennedy was a 2-time All American in women's track and field at Stanford, where the two met. Dex was introduced to the game of football when his father began throwing around a toy football with him. He began playing when he was seven and showed passion for the game immediately. In middle school, he played three positions and even had some snaps at quarterback. When he was told to choose between running back, defensive end, and linebacker when he entered Culver City High School, he chose linebacker. Kennedy's athleticism allowed him to play multiple positions in one game, despite the fact he was listed at linebacker. Culver City's head coach once tasked Kennedy with playing corner late in a game in order to prevent one of the top receivers in California from gaining yards off receptions. Kennedy caused an incompletion on the first play and then picked off the opposing quarterback on the next. He also once played every snap in one game at the safety position, despite being 6'4" and 250 lbs. Culver City High School would win the Los Angeles County football tournament twice in Kennedy's tenure with the team.
College career
Kennedy decided to attend UCLA, despite his parents' desires for him to play at Stanford. Kennedy claimed that Los Angeles County meant too much to him to play for any other team in the state. The UCLA head coach desired for Kennedy to be redshirted his first season. However, neglections from the team's defensive coordinator and linebackers coach allowed Kennedy to play his first year. Kennedy would not start, however, until midway into the season when UCLA's starting middle linebacker tore his ACL in a home game against Utah. Kennedy entered the game in the 2nd quarter and finished with 9 tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble en route to a 37-20 UCLA victory. Kennedy would go on to start every game for the Bruins thereafter. In the first game of his sophomore season, the Bruins would upset #3 ranked Alabama in a 27-23 victory. Kennedy would record 14 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and 3 pass deflections in the game. The Bruins would finish the year 10-2, a PAC-12 best, but would fall to Oregon in the PAC-12 championship and to Auburn in their bowl game. Kennedy was named a first-team All-American but claimed that it "means nothing" after the last two games. UCLA would rally, however, in Kennedy's junior year. They would once again have the best record in the PAC-12 at 11-1 and went on to beat Stanford in the PAC-12 Championship. UCLA went on to play in the Rose Bowl where they beat Kansas State 38-30. Kennedy would record 12 tackles, a sack, and a game-clinching forced fumble on Kansas State's final drive. Kennedy would, once again, be named a first-team All-American and a runner-up for the Butkus Award. Kennedy opted to declare for the NSFL Draft after his junior year.
College career statistics
| Career statistics | Tackles | Sacks | Interceptions | Other | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | Games | Reg | TFL | Total | Sack | Int | IntTD | DefTD | FFum | FRec | PD | Safety |
| 2033 (S18) | UCLA | 7 | 46 | 7 | 46 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 1 |
| 2034 (S19) | UCLA | 13 | 108 | 14 | 108 | 6.5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 15 | 0 |
| 2035 (S20) | UCLA | 14 | 116 | 14 | 116 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 17 | 1 |
Professional career
DSFL career
Kennedy decided not to declare for the DSFL Season 21 Draft and instead sign directly with a DSFL team. He signed with the Minnesota Grey Ducks but did not officially play until Week 7. In his debut game, Kennedy recorded 9 tackles, including a TFL, in a 23-16 loss against the Kansas City Coyotes. Kennedy would record 4 tackles, a sack, and a safety in his next game against the Tijuana Luchadores in a 20-18 loss. Kennedy's first win with the Grey Ducks would not come until Week 11 with a 27-14 win over the Norfolk Seawolves where Kennedy recorded 2 tackles with one TFL. The Grey Ducks would win their following game as well against the Portland Pythons 7-6, marking the first time the Grey Ducks won consecutive games that season. However, Minnesota would lose the following week against the London Royals 27-10, removing them from playoff contention. The Grey Ducks would finish the season 6-8. Kennedy, through 8 games, recorded 25 tackles, 3 TFLs, 4 sacks, one fumble recovery, and a safety.
Leading up to the NSFL Draft, Kennedy was praised for his speed and agility but criticized for his lack of power and occasional inability to finish tackles. Kennedy was also open about the fact that he refused to pick a favorite team or list of teams he would prefer, unlike many of his fellow draftees. Kennedy was selected 69th overall by the Baltimore Hawks in the Season 22 NSFL Draft. Kennedy would go on to say being drafted "where he was" was one of the most "fulfilling moments of his life."
Despite being drafted, Baltimore opted to let Kennedy remain in the DSFL in order to continue his development. The Grey Ducks went 3-1 in the Season 22 DSFL preseason. Kennedy would record 11 tackles in their Week 1 regular season matchup against the Dallas Birddogs which the Grey Ducks would lose 27-15. The Grey Ducks won the following week against the Portland Pythons 34-13 where Kennedy made 9 tackles, a sack, and a TFL. The Grey Ducks would drop their next two games, however, to the Kansas City Coyotes and the Tijuana Luchadores respectively. The Grey Ducks would rebound the following week in a 10-0 victory against the Norfolk Seawolves in which Kennedy recorded 10 tackles and a sack. Kennedy would then record 15 tackles, a sack, and a TFL the following week against the Myrtle Beach Buccaneers in a 16-10 overtime victory. The Grey Ducks would continue their streak with a 37-7 victory over the London Royals and a 24-21 victory against the Dallas Birddogs. In the game against Dallas, Kennedy racked up 11 tackles and 3 sacks, thus giving him at least one sack in all of his previous 5 games. The streak would end, however, in a 21-16 loss against the Portland Pythons the following week.
Kennedy would not record a sack again until Week 13. He would also record 13 tackles but the Grey Ducks ultimately fell 17-13 to the Myrtle Beach Buccaneers. The Grey Ducks would finish off the regular season against the London Royals in a 28-13 victory. Kennedy finished that day with 11 tackles and 3 sacks. In the NFC North Conference Championship, the Grey Ducks would face off, once again, with the London Royals. The Grey Ducks held a 2-0 record against London in the regular season. Despite this, London was able to upset the Grey Ducks in overtime 13-10. They would advance to Ultimini where they would lose to the Tijuana Luchadores. The Minnesota Grey Ducks allowed less points than any other team in the DSFL. Kennedy led his team, that season, in tackles and sacks. Kennedy also recorded the most sacks among any player in the DSFL that season with 12.
Baltimore Hawks
After playing 2 seasons for the Grey Ducks, Kennedy was called up by the Baltimore Hawks to start at Middle Linebacker. During the offseason, Kennedy received votes for DSFL Linebacker of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Most Valuable Player, but failed to win any. In his first game in the ISFL, Kennedy recorded 7 tackled in a 24-23 upset victory over the Yellowknife Wraiths. Kennedy recorded 11 tackles the following week in a 33-27 loss to the Colorado Yeti. Kennedy led the Hawks in tackled during their Week 3 outing against the Philadelphia Liberty with 12 total. However, his efforts failed to capture the Hawks a win as they were blown out 51-17. The Hawks rebounded the next week with a 16-3 victory over the Chicago Butchers. Kennedy recorded 6 tackles in the outing along with his first pass deflection of the season. The Hawks won the next week, as well, against the Sarasota Sailfish 40-7. Kennedy, once again, led his team in tackles that day with 8. Kennedy led the Hawks in tackles once more with 10 in a 14-21 loss against the Arizona Outlaws.
The Hawks won the following week against the Orange County Otters. Kennedy recorded 3 tackles, 2 pass deflections, and a fumble recovery in the process. The Hawks dropped their next two contests, however, against the San Jose Sabercats and the New Orleans Second Line. Kennedy recorded 8 tackles the following week in a 24-20 victory over the Austin Copperheads. Kennedy recorded his first sack of the season, along with 7 tackles, in a 14-10 victory over the Honalulu Hahalua. The Hawks followed those two wins with a loss to the Yellowknife Wraiths and a loss to the Colorado Yeti. In the game against the Yeti, Kennedy recorded his first ISFL interception. The Hawks, however, would win the following two weeks against the Philadelphia Liberty and the Chicago Butchers. Heading into Week 16, the Hawks required either a win for them against the Sarasota Sailfish or a Philadelphia Liberty loss against the Yellowknife Wraiths. Unfortunately, the Hawks lost 34-20 to the Sailfish and the Liberty beat the Wraiths 35-17, eliminating the Hawks from a playoff berth. The Baltimore Hawks finished Season 23 8-8.
In Season 24, Kennedy once again started all 16 games for the Baltimore Hawks at Middle Linebacker. After going 0-4 in the preseason, the Hawks dropped their first game of the season to the Sarasota Sailfish 23-7. Kennedy led his team in tackles that game with 9. The Hawks won their first game of the season the following week 33-6 against the Chicago Butchers. Kennedy recorded 6 tackles in the game and a sack. The Hawks followed up that win with another against the Philadelphia Liberty the following week 37-20. Kennedy, once again, led his team in tackles that day with 8. Kennedy led the Hawks in tackles in 10 out of their 16 games. The Hawks wouldn't win another game until Week 6 with a 38-14 blowout against the Honalulu Hahalua. Kennedy recorded 9 tackles in the contest. Unfortunately, that would be the last win for the Hawks that season. In a Week 9 game against the San Jose Sabercats, Kennedy recorded his 2nd career interception and his first career touchdown. The Hawks would lose that game, though, 33-16. In their final game, the Hawks hosted the Yellowknife Wraiths. Kennedy recorded 17 tackles in the game but the Hawks were unable to overcome the Wraiths and fell 24-27 to make their final record 3-13. Despite a lackluster season from the Hawks, Kennedy broke the ISFL single-season record for tackles with 158. Kennedy received votes for Season 24 Linebacker of the Year but lost out to his teammate, and fellow linebacker, Derred de Ville.
Professional career statistics
| Career statistics | Defense | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | Games | Tck | TFL | FF/FR | Sck | Int | PD | Sfty | TD | |
| 2036 (S21) | Grey Ducks | 8 | 25 | 3 | 0/1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2037 (S22) | Grey Ducks | 14 | 126 | 6 | 1/0 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2038 (S23) | Hawks | 16 | 130 | 0 | 1/2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2039 (S24) | Hawks | 16 | 158 | 0 | 1/0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
Achievements and records
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