Catching Up With Kennison

Eddie Kennison is one of the most talented and productive football players ever to come out of Southwest Louisiana. Kennison started at wide receiver for Washington Marion High School where he was a Parade All-American.
He went on to play wide receiver at LSU where he was an All-SEC performer in 1995. Kennison was selected in the first round of the 1996 NFL draft by the St. Louis Rams.
From 1996 to 2008 Kennison played for five teams, (Rams, Saints, Bears, Broncos, and Chiefs), and caught 548 passes for 8,345 yards and 42 touchdowns.
I spoke with Eddie at a Washington Marion football game in September and we discussed family, football, and business.

Lumpkin: What are you doing these days?
Kennison: My wife, two boys and I are living in Kansas City. We own a few businesses there. My wife and I own a beauty school, a non-emergency medical transportation business, and we’re part owners of a wine club called Cellar and Loft.

Lumpkin: It sounds like you’ve made a smooth transition to life after football. But I have to ask... You played last year with the Rams, and you’re only 36, so have you played your final football game?
Kennison: Wow this is kind of like ESPN or something! That decision needs to be made in the very near future as to if I’m going to continue playing or not. God has blessed me with a 13 year NFL career, and I’m at the point now where I can decide if I want to keep playing or not.
Lumpkin: What is it like coming home and showing your little boys where you grew up and went to school?

Kennison: We came in town for some family matters and heard that Washington Marion was playing LaGrange. This is supposed to be the big rivalry now that Lake Charles Boston is gone, so I brought my two boys with me to give them an idea about where dad played high school football because they’ve never seen it. Because I was always playing on Sundays, my boys were never able to come to a Washington Marion game so this is their first game.

Lumpkin: So they only know dad as the NFL wide receiver?
Kennison: Well, they know where dad went to high school, college, and the NFL teams I’ve played with, but they’ve never actually been to a Washington Marion game. They’ve been to LSU games, but never Washington Marion.

Lumpkin: Since you finished playing at LSU in 1995, the Tigers have had a lot of success winning three SEC championships and two national championships. But, they’re coming off a down year, so what are your thoughts on where the LSU football program is headed?
Kennison: 8-5 is still a pretty good record. It’s not what we’re used to, but we have to understand that football is a game of angles and inches. And as much as we’d love to win every year, it just doesn’t happen. I think they have an awesome recruiting class coming in this year, and I expect them to get back in the chase for national championships.

Lumpkin: You had many great moments, and plenty of highlights as an NFL player. Can you single out one accolade or one performance that stands alone as your proudest moment in the NFL?
Kennison: Wow, I have so many great memories of playing in the National Football League. I think it was 2003 when I was playing with Kansas City and we were in Green Bay.

Lumpkin: I remember that game, and it was 2003.
Kennison: We were down 17 points entering the fourth quarter. Our offense, defense, and special teams rallied and we tied the game at 34 and went to overtime. We took the field for our second drive of overtime and on the first play I caught a 51 yard touchdown pass from Trent Green and we won the game.

Lumpkin: The reason that I remember that game is because I am a die-hard Brett Favre fan, and when you caught that touchdown to beat the Packers, it broke my heart.
Kennison: I’m sorry man.
Lumpkin: It’s cool. I forgave you a long time ago.