Kennedy was born in Saltcoats, North Ayrshire, Scotland but by 1932 he was a junior player on the south coast of England at Portsmouth.
He made a handful of appearances for Carlisle before moving in September 1935 to join fellow Third Division North side Crewe Alexandra.
In August 1936 he was one of several players signed by Southampton manager George Goss as he attempted to rebuild the team that had struggled for several years in the Second Division.
Kennedy formed a useful partnership with fellow half-backs Cyril King and Billy Kingdon, but once again the Saints struggled to avoid relegation, finishing 19th in the table.
After a period with Hamilton Academical, he returned to Southampton and joined the merchant navy serving on RMS Queen Mary.