Former Virginia All-American defensive end Patrick Kerney was announced by the Atlantic Coast Conference on Tuesday as one of its Class of 2015 Legends for the 11th annual Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game, which will be played in Charlotte, N.C., on Dec. 5.
The Legends will be honored during this year’s Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game weekend at the ACC Night of Legends, sponsored by the Belk Bowl on Friday, Dec. 4, and on Dec. 5, during ceremonies at Bank of America Stadium for the Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship. The ACC Football Championship game will be nationally televised with either a 7:45 p.m. (ESPN) or 8 p.m. (ABC) kickoff.
Kerney (1995-98) was a standout defensive end for head coach George Welsh’s Virginia teams of the late 1990s. Kerney capped his collegiate career by earning first-team All-ACC and All-America honors as a senior. His 15 quarterback sacks in 1998 led the ACC, ranked second in the nation and tied the Virginia record set by Chris Slade in 1992.
The Yardley, Pa., native, who was originally recruited as a lacrosse player and played the sport for two seasons at the collegiate level, had his UVa football jersey (58) retired after closing out his Virginia career with 127 tackles and 24 sacks. Kerney spent 11 years in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks. He earned NFC Defensive Player of the Year honors with Seattle in 2007 after leading the NFC in sacks with 14.5 and forcing five fumbles.
Kerney and his wife, Lisa, currently reside in Riverside, Conn., with their four children.