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Seahawks fans pay tribute to Cortez Kennedy at NFL Hall of Fame traveling exhibit

SEATTLE — Fans of Cortez Kennedy paid tribute to him at a special NFL Hall of Fame traveling exhibit that opened this weekend at the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma.

For a Seahawks super fan like Glenn Acheson, from Everett, it's bittersweet being able to compare his bicep to Kennedy's.

“When he was on the field, he played with his heart,” Acheson said. “And I modeled my game after him and it's so sad to see a great hero like him pass away.”

Kennedy’s mold of his right arm is just one of more than 200 objects in the "Gridiron Glory" traveling exhibit on loan from the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

The exhibit only travels to two cities each year. The other is where the Super Bowl is played.

“Just to see this stuff here, is like a kid's dream,” Acheson added. “I feel like I'm a little kid in a  candy store.”

There's other Seahawks memorabilia, including a section called "Hometown Heroes"  where you can see everything from the shoes coach Pete Carroll wore when the Hawks won the Super Bowl to the championship ring.

You can put on a helmet and listen to real NFL plays, try on the shoulder pads worn in the league, or compare your grip with some of the league's best quarterbacks like Warren Moon.

“It's not just standing and looking,” museum director Jennifer Kilmer explained. “It's also experiencing the life of a pro football player, which I think is super fun.”

“The history part of it is really neat,”Donna Barnes of Issaquah, said.

Even if you're not a football fan, history buffs can appreciate artifacts showcasing the sport's 125-year history starting with the ledger from football's first paid pro player from 1892, which is also regarded as football's "birth certificate" to the helmets which shows how safety has evolved over the years.

The exhibit runs through Sept. 10 but if you want to see the Seahawks’ Super Bowl trophy you’ll have to hurry. The Seahawks' Vince Lombardi trophy will only on display until June 11.