Vince Kendrick

Vincent Kendrick (March 18, 1952 – March 21, 2015) was an American professional football player who was a running back for two seasons in the National Football League (NFL) during the 1970s. Kendrick played college football for the Florida Gators, and thereafter, he played in the NFL for the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Early life

Kendrick was born in Miami, Florida, in 1952 to Green Lester and Pearlie Mae Kendrick. He attended Miami Springs High School in Miami Springs, Florida, where he played high school football for the Miami Springs Golden Hawks.

College career

Kendrick received an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he played for coach Doug Dickey's Florida Gators football team from 1971 to 1973. As a senior team captain in 1973, he rushed 127 times for 567 yards and five touchdowns.

Kendrick graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in broadcasting in 1980.

Professional career

The Atlanta Falcons selected Kendrick in the fourth round (96th pick overall) of the 1974 NFL draft, and he played for the Falcons for a single season in , mainly as a backup and on special teams. He sat out 1975 after suffering a knee injury in a preseason game against the New York Jets. One of many injured Falcons, he was left unprotected for the 1976 NFL expansion draft, and was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers expansion team. In Tampa Bay, he found himself in competition with his Florida Gators successor, Jimmy DuBose, for the fullback spot on the Bucs' roster. He scored the Bucs' first franchise touchdown, in an exhibition game against the Falcons, but was never able to regain his pre-injury form and was released after the season opener against the Houston Oilers.

Life after the NFL

Kendrick returned to Gainesville after his two seasons in the NFL, first as a graduate assistant for Florida Gators head coach Doug Dickey, and then as an assistant coach for new head coach Charley Pell, working with the Florida Gators running backs.