Kenneth Gant

No. 29

Position:

Safety

Personal information

Date of birth:

April 18, 1967

Place of birth:

Bartow, Florida

Height:

5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)

Weight:

187 lb (85 kg)

Career information

High school:

Lakeland (FL) Kathleen

College:

Albany State (GA)

NFL draft:

1990 / Round: 9 / Pick: 221

Career history

Dallas Cowboys (1990–1994)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1995–1997)

* Offseason and/or practice squad member only

Career highlights and awards

Honorable-Mention All-SIAC (1988)
Second-team All-SIAC (1989)
2× Super Bowl champion (XXVII, XXVIII)

Career NFL statistics

Games:	113
Interceptions:	7
Player stats at NFL.com

Player stats at PFR

Kenneth Dwayne Gant (born April 18, 1967) is a former American professional football athlete. He played the safety position while in the National Football League teams Dallas Cowboys and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His nickname with the Cowboys was "The Shark". On the field, Gant had most of his impact on special teams, however, Cowboys fans remember him mostly for his celebratory antics called "The Shark Dance".

Early life

Gant was born in Bartow and attended Kathleen High School in Lakeland, Florida. He received a scholarship to play college football at Albany State University, where although he came in as an offensive player, he was converted to the defensive side and became a four-year starter at cornerback.^[1]

As a junior he recorded 55 tackles, 3 sacks and 6 passes defensed. He registered 5 interceptions as a senior and finished his college career with 14 interceptions and 15 passes defensed.^[2]

Professional career

Dallas Cowboys

Gant was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the ninth round (221st overall) of the 1990 NFL draft. During training camp he was tried at cornerback, but the team eventually moved him to safety. As a rookie, he quickly became one of the best players on the special teams units.

In 1991, from his gunner position, he led the Cowboys special teams with 25 tackles. By 1992 he was a key part of the team's nickel defense, that led the NFL in preventing third-down conversions, allowing opponents a conversion rate of 27.2 percent. He also finished with 9 quarterback pressures, tied for the team lead in interceptions (3) and led all reserve players in total tackles (54). In 1993, he was third on the team with 17 special teams tackles.^[3]

Gant is considered to be one of the best special teams players in franchise history, while he was a member of the Cowboys Super Bowl XXVII and Super Bowl XXVIII championship teams, both against the Buffalo Bills. He was nicknamed "The Shark" because during the 1992 season, before every kickoff and after making big plays, he would perform a celebratory dance dubbed "The Shark Dance". Typically, he would strut around, flapping his elbows while holding his hand over his head to simulate a shark's dorsal fin, a move that he learned from teammate Kevin Smith, who called it "the Shark Fin" from his days at Texas A&M University, where defensive backs used it to celebrate.^[4]

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

In 1995, he signed as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who were looking to improve their special teams and nickel defense. He was waived on November 28, 1997.^[5] Gant finished his career after three seasons with the Buccaneers, he ranked second on the team in special teams tackles (11) in 1995 and third (11) in 1996.

Personal life

He was married and has two children.^[6] He resided in Tampa, Florida, where he worked at a warehouse.^[6]

References

↑ Ellis, Jennifer (20 September 1995). "Football player stresses hard work". The Ledger. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
↑ Associated Press (24 April 1990). "Cowboys Shore-Up Defensive Corps". The Victoria Advocate. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
↑ "Both sides seek special delivery". Retrieved January 3, 2016.
↑ MONKOVIC, Toni (18 September 2008). "‘Boys Will Be Boys,’ an Excerpt". The Fifth Down. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
↑ New York Times Staff (29 November 1997). "Transactions". New York Times. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
1 2 Mullenax, Steven (30 August 2011). "Whatever happened to the dancing Kenny "The Shark" Gant?". The Landry Hat. Retrieved 25 May 2014.

External links

Dallas Cowboys 1990 NFL draft selections

Emmitt Smith Alexander Wright Jimmie Jones Kenneth Gant Dave Harper

Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl XXVII Champions

2 Lin Elliott 4 Mike Saxon 7 Steve Beuerlein 8 Troy Aikman (MVP) 20 Ray Horton 22 Emmitt Smith 23 Robert Williams 24 Larry Brown 26 Kevin Smith 27 Thomas Everett 27 Curvin Richards 28 Darren Woodson 29 Kenneth Gant 30 Issiac Holt 34 Tommie Agee 37 James Washington 39 Derrick Gainer 40 Bill Bates 47 Clayton Holmes 48 Daryl Johnston 50 Bobby Abrams 51 Ken Norton, Jr. 52 Mickey Pruitt 53 Mark Stepnoski 55 Robert Jones 57 Vinson Smith 58 Dixon Edwards 61 Nate Newton 63 John Gesek 66 Kevin Gogan 67 Russell Maryland 68 Frank Cornish 70 Dale Hellestrae 71 Mark Tuinei 73 Danny Noonan 75 Tony Casillas 76 Alan Veingrad 77 Jim Jeffcoat 78 Leon Lett 79 Erik Williams 80 Alvin Harper 81 Alexander Wright 82 Jimmy Smith 83 Kelvin Martin 84 Jay Novacek 87 Alfredo Roberts 88 Michael Irvin 89 Derek Tennell 90 Tony Hill 92 Tony Tolbert 94 Charles Haley 95 Chad Hennings 97 Jimmie Jones 98 Godfrey Myles -- Greg Briggs

Head Coach: Jimmy Johnson Coaches: Hubbard Alexander Joe Avezzano Joe Brodsky Dave Campo Butch Davis Robert Ford Steve Hoffman Bob Slowik Norv Turner Dave Wannstedt Tony Wise

Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl XXVIII Champions

2 Lin Elliott 3 Eddie Murray 8 Troy Aikman 17 Jason Garrett 18 Bernie Kosar 19 John Jett 22 Emmitt Smith (MVP) 23 Robert Williams 24 Larry Brown 25 Derrick Lassic 26 Kevin Smith 27 Thomas Everett 28 Darren Woodson 29 Kenneth Gant 31 Brock Marion 34 Tommie Agee 37 James Washington 38 Chris Hall 39 Derrick Gainer 40 Bill Bates 41 Dave Thomas 43 Elvis Patterson 44 Lincoln Coleman 46 Joe Fishback 48 Daryl Johnston 50 Bobby Abrams 51 Ken Norton, Jr. 53 Mark Stepnoski 55 Robert Jones 56 John Roper 58 Dixon Edwards 59 Darrin Smith 61 Nate Newton 62 James Parrish 63 John Gesek 65 Ron Stone 66 Kevin Gogan 67 Russell Maryland 68 Frank Cornish 70 Dale Hellestrae 71 Mark Tuinei 75 Tony Casillas 77 Jim Jeffcoat 78 Leon Lett 79 Erik Williams 80 Alvin Harper 81 Tim Daniel 82 Jimmy Smith 83 Joey Mickey 84 Jay Novacek 85 Kevin Williams 86 Tyrone Williams 88 Michael Irvin 89 Scott Galbraith 89 Jim Price 89 Kelly Blackwell 91 Matt Vanderbeek 92 Tony Tolbert 94 Charles Haley 95 Chad Hennings 97 Jimmie Jones 98 Godfrey Myles

Head Coach: Jimmy Johnson

Coaches: Hubbard Alexander Joe Avezzano John Blake Joe Brodsky Dave Campo Butch Davis Jim Eddy Robert Ford Steve Hoffman Hudson Houck Norv Turner

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