Career
After attending Taft College, a junior college in Taft, California, he played college football for Cal State-Fullerton for two seasons, with five interceptions his junior year (1979) and three his senior year (1980). He was selected by the Bengals in the eighth round of the 1981 NFL Draft. During his rookie season (1981), Kemp was the starting strong safety as the Bengals defeated the San Diego Chargers in the coldest game in NFL history, the AFC Championship Game dubbed the "Freezer Bowl" on January 10, 1982.
Kemp was the Bengals starter at strong safety in that game.
During his seven seasons as a strong safety and free safety with the Bengals, he played in 83 games, starting 69 of those. In 1983 he had three interceptions, and a career-best four in 1984.
His last year in the NFL was in 1987 for the Buccaneers, for whom he started and played in 12 games as a strong safety with one interception. Kemp later became a paramedic in Glendale, California, after retiring from football due to knee problems.
On February 7, 1998, Kemp died in his North Hollywood, California home.
He was 38.
