Inside The Huskies

Huskies Lean To Great Genes, Offer Second Coming Of Kennedy

Tye Kennedy, also an offensive tackle, is now being pursued by his father's alma mater.
Dan Raley|
Tye Kennedy has a UW football offer. He knows Lincoln Kennedy.
Tye Kennedy has a UW football offer. He knows Lincoln Kennedy. | Arizona

The scholarship offer from the University of Washington football team to Tye Kennedy was an automatic.

No matter what the scouting report says on this kid, you simply don't pass up a chance to coax the son of Lincoln Kennedy to Montlake.

On Thursday night, the Huskies offered the second-generation Kennedy, a 6-foot-6, 275-pound junior offensive tackle from Mountain View High School in Mesa, Arizona.

To be sure, it was an emotional moment in the household of the Huskies' one-time consensus All-American tackle, first-round NFL draft pick and national championship mainstay, who stands as one of the greatest players to come though the UW at that position.

"After an amazing call with Michael Switzer, I am super excited to announce I have received a scholarship offer to Washington!" the Class of 2027 prospect posted. "I have the opportunity to continue my father's legacy at UW!"

This Kennedy plays for a Mountain View Toros team that's 6-4 and hosts Centennial in a Friday night playoff game.

It was 37 years ago that Lincoln Kennedy arrived at the UW from San Diego with an all-everything recruiting reputation, a fresh-looking face and a massive body, initially listed by the school at 6-foot-8 and 300 pounds.

Similar to his son, he was a congenial soul, with media types gravitating to him. Much was made of the fact he was named after a pair of assassinated presidents and he rolled with it.

The older Kennedy didn't seem to mind all the fuss over his enormous frame either. He gladly was photographed holding assistant sports information director Chip Lydum, now a UW facilities manager, under one arm as if Lydum was a set of golf clubs.

This younger Kennedy currently holds seven scholarship proposals, with all of his state schools -- Arizona, Arizona State and Northern Arizona -- wise to him as a football players and hustling to make offers. People who have seen him say he plays with a certain level of power.

Tye Kennedy also holds a Duke offer, which lends to his stated interest in scholastics.

"Whatever school gives me the best education," he told a radio interviewer when asked for a college wish. "I value education way more than sports."

If his genes play out as people are hoping, this Kennedy may end up with matching interests in the game that made his dad NFL famous as well as the books.

Nothing wrong with a smart kid who can play football at a high level.

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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