Joe Kenny’s tremendous collegiate football career in 2021 included earning All-American honors at the University of Rhode Island.
Now, Kenny has been selected to play in the prestigious Hula Bowl, which is set for Jan. 15, 2022, in Orlando, Fla. The game will be played at Bounce House Stadium, the home of the University of Central Florida, starting at noon.
Kenny is a 2016 graduate of Wayne Hills, where he stood out for the Patriots’ football team. He led Hills to the 2015 state sectional championship game at MetLife Stadium.
At Rhode Island, Kenny played for four years. He’s also going to earn a double major in Criminal Justice and Psychology, and hopes to become a police officer one day.
“I’ve really enjoyed my time at Rhode Island,” said Kenny. “The football program was tremendous, and I’ve gotten a great education. I always knew this was the right school for me.”
Kenny suffered a serious knee injury during the 2019 season. A fullback, Joey bounced back in 2021 to earn third team, All-American accolades, as well as a NEFWA All-New England selection.
“I knew when I hurt my knee in 2019 that it would require a lot of work to come back,” recalled Kenny. “But I always knew I’d play again. I was fortunate in that I didn’t have a lot of injuries before that, and it felt great to come back. It took time, though.”
The son of Sandra and James Kelly, Kenny credits his strong will and love for the game to his playing days at Wayne Hills.
“There is no doubt that playing at Hills prepared for me for the next level,” said Kenny. “Coach (Wayne) Demikoff runs a great program. My sophomore year at Hills was Coach Dem’s first season as head coach (after 14 seasons as a Wayne Hills assistant), so I knew him, but learned quickly that he runs a tight ship. I remember being late for practice, once, and I never did it again.
“I’m so grateful to the entire coaching staff at Hills for what they taught me in my three varsity seasons.”
At Rhode Island this past season, Kenny caught seven passes for 126 yards and scored two touchdowns. A tenacious blocker, the 6’2″, 253 pounder has always been a force, going back to his high school days. He played in all 11 games at URI in 2021, starting seven of those contests. He helped lead URI to a 7-4 record.
Kenny’s selection to the Hula Bowl provided Joe plenty of happiness.
“I was so excited when I heard,” he said. “I’ll be heading to Florida on Jan. 10 and look forward to playing with some of the best players in the country.”
Brian Billick and Mike Smith will serve as head coaches at the Hula Bowl. Billick led the Baltimore Ravens to a Super Bowl championship in 2001 while Smith had a solid career at the helm of the Atlanta Falcons. A myriad of NFL coaches are also on the respective staffs, as assistants for the game.
The Hula Bowl was established in 1946. Starting in 1960, the Hula Bowl game was established as an All-Star game that would only invite NCAA college players from schools across the US. The teams were divided into two teams, one team from those colleges located in the Eastern and Western United States. The teams were then split into “Aina and Kai ” teams, the Hawaiian words for Land and Water.
When the Hula Bowl is completed, Kenny hopes to continue playing football.
“I’m working hard, putting in the time in the weight room and overall conditioning,” said Kenny. “I really want to keep playing this game. I love it and feel like I can keep going.”
A versatile player in high school, Kenny led the Patriots one season in receptions, and was the team leader another year, in tackles and sacks.
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