Kevin Mawae Kevin James Mawae ( ; born January 23 , 1971 ) is a retired American football center who played in the National Football League ( NFL ) for sixteen seasons . He played college football for Louisiana State University ( LSU ) , where he was a four - year starter . He was picked by the Seattle Seahawks in the 1994 NFL Draft , and also played for the New York Jets and Tennessee Titans . Mawae is one of the top centers of recent times , having been selected for the Pro Bowl on six consecutive occasions ( 1999 – 2004 ) , and was an eight - time All - Pro . He also served two terms as NFLPA president , which coincided with the 2011 NFL lockout . Early years . A military brat , Mawae grew up wherever his father , Sgt . 1st Class David Mawae , was stationed . Born in Savannah , Georgia , while his father served at Hunter Army Airfield , he spent three years of his childhood ( ages 5 – 7 ) in Fort Riley , Kansas , and then five years ( ages 8 – 12 ) in Hanau , Germany when his father was stationed at Fliegerhorst Army Airfield . It was in Hanau where Mawae began playing football . His father then was deployed to Fort Polk , near Leesville , Louisiana . Mawae attended Leesville High School , where he was an all - state football selection and earned all - academic honors . College career . Mawae attended Louisiana State University , where he played for the LSU Tigers football team from 1989 to 1993 . He was redshirted in 1989 . He started seven games at left tackle and was a freshman All - SEC selection in 1990 , and also was the Tigers ' long snapper . After his sophomore season , he was a first - team All - SEC selection , having played three different positions : left tackle ( 8 games ) , center ( 3 games ) , and left guard ( 1 game ) . As a junior , he played left tackle and was chosen second - team All - SEC and was a third - team All - American . For his senior season he moved from left tackle to center for all 11 games . He played in the Blue - Gray Game and Senior Bowl after his senior season . Mawae was inducted into the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007 . Professional career . Seattle Seahawks . Mawae was originally drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round ( 36th overall ) of the 1994 NFL Draft . He was Louisiana State ' s highest selected offensive lineman since Bo Strange in 1961 . Mawae saw his first pro action at right guard against the Oakland Raiders on September 11 , and never left the lineup after taking over early in the game versus the Indianapolis Colts . He finished the season playing in 14 games , starting the final 11 at right guard . After the season Mawae earned first - team All - Rookie honors from Pro Football Weekly / Pro Football Writers Association , College and Pro Football Newsweekly and Football News . In 1995 he started all 16 games at right guard , seeing time at center in two games . He was moved to the center position at the start of his 1996 season and has remained at that spot ever since . New York Jets . In 1998 , Mawae was signed by the New York Jets . In his first season at New York , Jets offense averaged 357 . 2 yards per game ( second - best in AFC and fourth - best in NFL ) , while controlling the ball for an average of 32 : 17 minutes per game ( second - best in AFC and third - best in NFL ) , also helped running back Curtis Martin to rush for franchise - record eight 100 - yard rushing games en route to 1 , 287 - yard season . He started all 16 games . In 1999 , he was named to his first Pro Bowl on December 22 , he did not miss a play for the second straight season and paved the way for Martin ' s then franchise - record of 1 , 464 yards rushing , and snapped to four different quarterbacks ; Vinny Testaverde , Tom Tupa , Rick Mirer and Ray Lucas . During the 2000 NFL season , he was member of the line that tied Indianapolis Colts for fewest sacks allowed during regular season with 20 . Also helped Jets offense average 337 . 2 yards per game was the 12th best in NFL and the passing offense averaged 245 . 3 yards per game ( sixth in NFL ) . Mawae earned his second consecutive starting spot as AFC team Pro Bowl center he was selected to the Pro Bowl on six consecutive occasions ( 1999 – 2004 ) . In 2002 , he underwent offseason shoulder surgery to repair damage to left rotator cuff , he missed two preseason games but kept his consecutive games started streak by making 124th consecutive start in season opener against the Buffalo Bills . His unbroken streak of 177 games came to an end in October 2005 with a serious triceps injury to his left arm , and he missed the rest of the season . On March 5 , 2006 , he was cut by the Jets . Tennessee Titans . After being cut by the Jets , Mawae was signed by the Tennessee Titans nine days later on March 14 , 2006 . In his first season with Tennessee , he helped the offense rank third in the AFC and fifth in the NFL in rushing with 2 , 214 yards . The Titans set a franchise record by averaging 4 . 7 yards per carry , and the offensive line , led by Mawae , finished tied for 10th in the league with only 29 sacks allowed , Titans running back Travis Henry finished 2006 with 1 , 211 rushing yards and rookie quarterback Vince Young was named AP Offensive Rookie of the Year . In 2007 , Mawae was voted team captain and started 14 games , helping LenDale White register his first career 1 , 000 - yard season as he finished with 1 , 110 . In 2009 , Mawae was ranked fifth in a " Sports Illustrated " poll of " dirty players " . The magazine surveyed 296 NFL players to come up with the ranking . Mawae was quoted on the Titans ' site as saying he was " proud " of the recognition because he plays the game hard , but conceded , " I ’ ve been known to leg whip a time or two . I ' ve paid the price for those , both physically and in the pocket . " On September 10 , 2010 , Mawae announced that he was retiring from the NFL after 16 years in the league . His last game was the 2010 Pro Bowl . NFL Players Association . Kevin Mawae joined the NFLPA ' s executive committee in 2002 , was elected its president in March 2008 , and was re - elected in 2010 . In September 2010 , Mawae announced his retirement from the NFL , however he continued to serve as president until the end of his term in March 2012 . Mawae ' s term coincided with the death of longtime NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw , and the 2011 NFL lockout , which Mawae has stated he believes hastened the end of his playing career . During the NFL kickoff game broadcast in 2010 , players from the New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings " raised an index finger " as they took the field , a gesture Mawe has called " one of the proudest moments I ever had " . According to Mawae , it was under his presidency that active players were present for negotiations of the collective bargaining agreement . He has also served as an assistant coach in the annual NFLPA Collegiate Bowl . Personal life . Mawae is of Hawaiian descent . Mawae is married to Tracy Dale Hicks , he proposed to her in the summer of 1992 at LSU Fan Day in front of 140 teammates , 10 coaches and 3 , 000 fans over the public address system , the couple has a son , Kirkland ( born 1997 ) , and a daughter , Abigail ( born 2000 ) . The Mawae ' s were residing in Franklin , Tennessee , until selling the property in 2012 . Kevin and his family have since settled back in their home in Baton Rouge , Louisiana . A few years into his NFL career , Mawae lost his brother , John , in a car accident . John , a former nose guard at LSU , left a profound effect on Kevin by establishing a strong faith prior to his death . Mawae ' s tragic loss has allowed him to develop a strong Christian faith . Off the field . During the 2008 offseason , Mawae and his family spent two weeks in Africa with Children ’ s Cup International Relief , a missions organization that the Mawae family has helped support financially . They traveled primarily in Swaziland , Mozambique , Zambia and Tanzania . He was Eddie Towne ' s favorite player in ESPN ' s hit show " TILT " . He created the First and Goal Challenge , a unique program to benefit Winthrop University Hospital ' s outstanding Child Life Program and Pediatric Services .