Road to 1991 Perfection: Rose Bowl was Lincoln Kennedy's Dance Floor
The Rose Bowl was over.
Oh, there was still time on the clock.
Nearly a full quarter left.
Yet the University of Washington football team had a commanding 27-7 lead when backup quarterback Mark Brunell joined the huddle.
The former Rose Bowl MVP, his season altered by a knee injury came out to have some fun.
He arrived with specific instructions.
"'Look, we're going to score on this drive," Brunell told the guys. "Mario, get open, it's coming to you."
"That won't be a problem," the wide receiver responded. "I'll be open."
The discussion still wasn't over.
"Look, once we score, we're all going to race down the end zone and start dancing," tackle Lincoln Kennedy said, having given this plenty of thought, "because we're going to celebrate."
Everyone looked at the Husky big man, so named after a pair of assassinated presidents, with aghast.
Kenndy answered their stares.
"Look, what's the worst thing he can do to us?" he said, referring to coach Don James. "It's the last game of the season. We're going to have some fun."
It was. They did.
Brunell zipped a 38-yard touchdown strike to Bailey, who immediately struck a Heisman pose.
He apparently had been plotting things without sharing them.
Bailey is lucky he didn't get trampled once Kennedy and the other guys arrived.
"Shortly thereafter, the rest of the offense was down there in the end zone dancing and celebrating and acting the fool," Kennedy said. "It was fun."
This is another in a series of vignettes about the UW's 1991 national championship team, supplementing the conversation for the pandemic-delayed and -shortened season. We're dealing with game 12 of this throwback series, the '92 Rose Bowl against Michigan.
Kennedy, of course, didn't get off scot free. James gave him a few choice words on the sideline about disrespecting the opponent, how knowing better.
No regrets whatsoever.
Kennedy was willing to suffer the momentary scorn of his coach if just for a moment to let be able to let it all out and have a memory he would never forget.
"Frankly, I just got tired of hearing about Michigan and Elvis Grbac and Desmond Howard," he said. "They had an offensive lineman named Greg Skrepanek and he was getting all the attention. They hadn't seen us yet. This was a chance to show the world."
For Kennedy, it was may I have this dance?
Yes, you may.
Follow Dan Raley of Husky Maven on Twitter: @DanRaley1 and @HuskyMaven
Find Husky Maven on Facebook by searching: HuskyMaven/Sports Illustrated
Click the "follow" button in the top right corner to join the conversation on Husky Maven. Access and comment on featured stories and start your own conversations and post external links on our community page.