Kevin Mawae
A cerebral and durable center who anchored offensive lines for 16 NFL seasons while becoming a forceful advocate for player rights.
Born 1971 (age 55)·American football player and coach·Birthday: January 23·Generation X
Biography
Kevin Mawae's journey through the NFL was one of sustained excellence and evolving leadership. After a standout career at LSU, the center spent 16 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, New York Jets, and Tennessee Titans. He was the technical and emotional core of every offensive line he played on, known for his intelligence, agility, and remarkable durability—he started 241 games. His peak years with the Jets saw him recognized as perhaps the best center in football, earning multiple All-Pro honors. Mawae's impact extended beyond the field; he served as president of the NFL Players Association during a critical period that included the 2011 lockout, negotiating fiercely for the welfare of his fellow players. This dual legacy—as a dominant player and a respected labor leader—secures his unique place in football history.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Kevin was born in 1971, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Kevin Was Born
The biggest hits of 1971
#1 Movie
Fiddler on the Roof
Best Picture
The French Connection
#1 TV Show
Marcus Welby, M.D.
Kevin's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1971Born
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1976Started school
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1984Became a teenager
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Could drive
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1989Could vote
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1992Turned 21
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2001Turned 30
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 40
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 50
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 55 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Selected to the Pro Bowl eight times and named First-Team All-Pro six times during his career.
- Served as the President of the NFL Players Association from 2008 to 2012, guiding the union through the 2011 lockout.
- Started 241 NFL games over 16 seasons, a testament to exceptional skill and longevity at a demanding position.
- Was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2019.
Did You Know?
He is of Hawaiian descent and was born in Savannah, Georgia, while his father was stationed there in the military.
Mawae played in the NFL at the age of 40 during his final season with the Tennessee Titans.
He later worked as an offensive analyst for the Arizona State University football program.
His brother, John Mawae, also played in the NFL as a long snapper.
“The offensive line is a fist, not five individual fingers.”
