Kentucky Wildcats football

Kentucky Wildcats football
2017 Kentucky Wildcats football team
First season	1892
Head coach	4th season, 19–29 (.396)
Stadium	Kroger Field (capacity: 62,000)
Field surface	Field Turf
Location	Lexington, Kentucky
Division	Eastern
All-time record	597–607–44 (.496)
Bowl record	8–8–0 (.500)
Claimed national titles	1 (1950)
Conference titles	2
Consensus All-Americans	10
Colors	Blue and white
Fight song	On, On, U of K, Kentucky Fight
Mascot	Wildcat, Scratch
Rivals	Louisville Cardinals Tennessee Volunteers Indiana Hoosiers Vanderbilt Commodores Mississippi State Bulldogs
Website	ukathletics.com

The Kentucky Wildcats football program represents the University of Kentucky in the sport of American football. The Wildcats compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

History

For year-by-year results, see List of Kentucky Wildcats football seasons.

Early history (1881–1945)

A. M. Miller, Kentucky's first head football coach

Until about 1913, the modern University of Kentucky was referred to as "Kentucky State College" and nearby Transylvania University was known as "Kentucky University". In 1880, Kentucky University and Centre College played the first intercollegiate football game in Kentucky. Kentucky State first fielded a football team in 1881, playing three games against rival Kentucky University. The team was revived in 1891. Both the inaugural 1881 squad and the revived 1891 squad have unknown coaches according to university records in winning two games and losing three. The 1891 team's colors were blue and light yellow, decided before the Centre–Kentucky game on December 19. A student asked "What color blue?" and varsity letterman Richard C. Stoll pulled off his necktie, and held it up. This is still held as the origin of Kentucky's shade of blue. The next year light yellow was dropped and changed to white. The 1892 team was coached by A. M. Miller, and went 2–4–1.

The greatest UK team of this era was the 1898 squad, known simply to Kentuckians as "The Immortals." To this day, the Immortals remain the only undefeated, untied, and unscored upon team in UK football history. The Immortals were coached by W. R. Bass and ended the year a perfect 7–0–0, despite an average weight of 147 pounds per player. Victories came easily for this squad, as the Immortals raced by Kentucky University (18- 0), Georgetown (28–0), Company H of the 8th Massachusetts (59–0), Louisville Athletic Club (16–0), Centre (6–0), 160th Indiana (17–0) and Newcastle Athletic Club (36–0).

Head coach Jack Wright led the team to a 7–1 record in 1903, losing only to rival and southern champion Kentucky University.

Fred Schacht posted a 15–4–1 record in two seasons but died unexpectedly after his second season. J. White Guyn also had success leading the Wildcats, posting a 17–7–1 record in his three years.

Edwin Sweetland went 16–3 in three seasons (1909–1910 and 1912) but resigned due to poor health. Sweetland also served as Kentucky's first athletics director. The 1909 team upset the Illinois Fighting Illini. Upon their welcome home, Philip Carbusier said that they had "fought like wildcats," a nickname that stuck.

Doc Rodes.

John J. Tigert coached Kentucky for two seasons (1915–1916) with each season having one loss. 1915 captain Charles C. Schrader was All-Southern. The 1916 team fought the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) co-champion Tennessee Volunteers to a scoreless tie. The year's only a loss, 45 to 0 to the Irby Curry-led Vanderbilt Commodores, was the dedication of Stoll Field. Quarterbacks Curry and Kentucky's Doc Rodes were both selected All-Southern at year's end. Vanderbilt coach Dan McGugin stated "If you would give me Doc Rodes, I would say he was a greater player than Curry."

Coach Harry Gamage had a 32–25–5 record during his seven seasons from 1927 to 1933. A.D. Kirwan, who would go on to be the president of the university, coached the Wildcats from 1938 to 1944 and posted a 24–28–4 record in those six seasons.

Longtime athletics director Bernie Shively also served as Kentucky's head football coach for the 1945 season.

Paul "Bear" Bryant era (1946–1953)

Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant was Kentucky's head football coach for eight seasons.

Bear Bryant came to Kentucky from Maryland. Under Bryant's tutelage, the Wildcats won the 1947 Great Lakes Bowl, lost the 1950 Orange Bowl, won the 1951 Sugar Bowl and the 1952 Cotton Bowl Classic. In final AP polls, the Wildcats were ranked No. 11 in 1949, No. 7 in 1950, No. 15 in 1951, No. 20 in 1952 and No. 16 in 1953. The final 1950 poll was taken prior to the bowl games; Kentucky then defeated undefeated and No. 1 ranked Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl and finished with the number 1 ranking in 3 major polls, ending the Sooners 31-game winning streak. Bryant won SEC Coach of the Year honors in 1950 and then left after eight seasons to accept the head football coach position at Texas A&M.

Assistant coaches at Kentucky under Bryant who went on to become head coaches include Paul Dietzel, Frank Moseley, Jim Owens and Phil Cutchin. Notable players who played for Bryant at Kentucky include Howard Schnellenberger, Jim Mackenzie, Jerry Claiborne, Steve Meilinger, George Blanda, Vito Parilli, and Bob Gain.

Blanton Collier era (1954–1961)

Cleveland Browns assistant Blanton Collier was hired to replace Bryant as head football coach at Kentucky in late 1953. After completing his first season at Kentucky, Collier was named SEC Coach of the Year after posting a 7–2 record. Collier's assistants during his tenure at Kentucky included the likes of Bill Arnsparger, Chuck Knox, Howard Schnellenberger, and Don Shula.

Despite having a winning record, 41–36–3 in eight seasons, Collier was fired. Collier struggled to recruit for much of his tenure, about which frustrated fans wrote letters of complaint to the university. Collier is the last Kentucky head football coach to leave the Wildcats with a winning record.

Charlie Bradshaw era (1962–1968)

Charlie Bradshaw, an Alabama assistant under Bear Bryant, was hired to replace the fired Collier. Despite all the hype about being a Bear Bryant assistant, Bradshaw's tenure turned out to be a disappointment, as he was unable to have much success with the Wildcats. He had a 25–41–5 record in seven seasons. Bradshaw is the last Kentucky coach to defeat Tennessee twice in Knoxville, and the last Kentucky coach to defeat Auburn twice. He was also the last to defeat a No. 1 ranked team in the country until Rich Brooks in 2007.

Bradshaw, a harsh, brutal coach, was the head coach of the infamous Thin Thirty Kentucky team. Kentucky had 88 players when Bradshaw arrived, but by season's end, only 30 players were on the team. The story of that team is told in the 2007 book The Thin Thirty by Shannon Ragland. Bradshaw also recruited Nate Northington, the first African American to play in an SEC athletic contest (1967).

John Ray era (1969–1972)

Notre Dame assistant John Ray took over as head football coach in late 1969. Ray's teams consistently had solid defenses, but struggled to produce on the offensive end. Ray's teams failed to win more than three games in a single season, going a dismal 10–33 overall in Ray's four seasons. Ray's contract was not renewed after the 1972 season.

Fran Curci era (1973–1981)

A football signed by Kentucky head coach Fran Curci and gifted to President Gerald Ford.

Kentucky hired Fran Curci away from Miami after Ray was let go. The 1976 Wildcats tallied their first winning season in 13 years and won the Peach Bowl, finishing No. 18 in the final AP poll. For all intents and purposes, however, Curci's tenure ended soon afterward, when the NCAA slapped the Wildcats with two years' probation for numerous recruiting and amateurism violations. They were banned from postseason play and live television in 1977. The most damaging sanction in the long term, however, was being limited to only 25 scholarships in 1977 and 1978.

The 1977 Kentucky team went 10–1, went undefeated in SEC play, won a share of the SEC title and finished the season ranked No. 6 in the AP poll. Due to the sanctions, however, the Wildcats were not able to go to a bowl. Kentucky finished at No. 6 and Penn State at No. 5 despite the fact that Kentucky defeated Penn State at Penn State during the regular season. Curci was unable to put together another winning team as a result of the reduced scholarships, and was fired after the 1981 season.

Jerry Claiborne era (1982–1989)

Coach Claiborne

Coach Jerry Claiborne returned to his alma mater from Maryland. He led the Wildcats to the 1983 Hall of Fame Bowl and the 1984 Hall of Fame Bowl, defeating a Wisconsin team ranked No. 20 in the polls to finish the season with a 9–3 record and a No. 19 ranking in the final AP and UPI polls. Claiborne also won SEC Coach of the Year honors in 1983. The E.J. Nutter Training Facility was built in 1987. Coach Claiborne and Kentucky experienced an era of constant change at the quarterback position following the 1987 season through his departure that included Ransdell, Wright, and High School All-American and two way starter (Quarterback/Safety) Ricky Lewis, prior to landing Mr. Kentucky Football Awardee Pookie Jones of Calloway County. Claiborne retired following the 1989 season and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1999. He is the last coach to defeat Florida and was the last coach to defeat Tennessee until Joker Phillips in 2011. His final record at Kentucky is 41–46–3.

Bill Curry era (1990–1996)

Bill Curry surprised the college football world by leaving Alabama for Kentucky in late 1989. Despite the high hopes that the Kentucky football program would rise under his leadership, Curry's Wildcats teams never achieved much success. The Wildcats' best season under Curry was 1992, playing in the 1993 Peach Bowl. It would be his only winning season in seven years. On the other side of the spectrum, his 1994 team went 1-10, the worst record in modern program history. Curry was asked to resign after seven seasons and just a .33 winning percentage. Curry's record at Kentucky was 26–52.

Hal Mumme era (1997–2000)

Coach Hal Mumme came to Kentucky from Valdosta State and brought an exciting, high-scoring, pass-oriented offense known as the "Air Raid". He led the Wildcats to the 1998 Outback Bowl and the 1999 Music City Bowl. Mumme achieved a 20–26 record in his four seasons. Mumme coached star quarterback Tim Couch, the top overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft. Mumme was popular among the Kentucky fans, but the program was hit with severe sanctions for NCAA violations involving cash payments from an assistant coach to prospective recruits. Although Mumme himself was not implicated in any violation, he resigned after the 2000 season. Assistant coaches under Mumme at Kentucky included Mike Leach and Sonny Dykes.

Guy Morriss era (2001–2002)

Guy Morriss was promoted from offensive line coach to head coach of the Wildcats after Mumme's resignation. Under coach Morriss, the Wildcats went 2–9 in 2001 but improved to a 7–5 record in 2002. However, the Wildcats were not eligible for postseason play in 2002 due to NCAA sanctions from Mumme's tenure. The most significant event of that season came in a loss to LSU (See: Bluegrass Miracle). Morriss accepted an offer to become the head football coach at Baylor after the 2002 season.

Rich Brooks era (2003–2009)

The team's next head coach was former Oregon head coach Rich Brooks, who was hired in December 2002. He led the team out of the probationary years to an 8–5 regular season record in 2006, including a memorable upset over the defending SEC champion Georgia, snapping a nine-game losing streak to the Bulldogs. Brooks also led the football team to its first bowl game since 1999 and its first bowl game victory since 1984, as Kentucky defeated the Clemson University Tigers 28–20 in the Music City Bowl. In 2007, the Wildcats were ranked 8th in the nation before a loss to South Carolina on October 4. After the loss to South Carolina, Kentucky bounced back on October 13 to defeat No. 1 LSU in a historic triple overtime game.

Brooks took Kentucky to four consecutive bowl games, winning the first three. The 2007 Kentucky Wildcats football defeated the Florida State Seminoles 35–28 in the 2007 Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tennessee, on December 31, 2007. Quarterback Andre' Woodson was named the Music City Bowl MVP for the second year in a row. In 2008 the Wildcats opted to go to the Liberty Bowl instead of the Music City Bowl and defeated Conference USA champion East Carolina 25–19. In 2009, Brooks and Kentucky returned to the Music City Bowl, losing in a rematch to Clemson 21–13. Brooks retired after seven seasons with a 39–47 overall record.

Joker Phillips era (2010–2012)

Former Wildcat wide receiver and longtime assistant coach Joker Phillips was formally named head coach January 6, 2010 after Brooks' retirement; he had been Brooks' designated successor since 2008. Kentucky started off strong under Phillips with a win on the road against archrival Louisville. The 2010 squad snapped a long-standing losing streak to South Carolina Coach Steve Spurrier by defeating the Gamecocks at Kroger Field. However, they dropped games to both Ole Miss and Mississippi State, lost to a Florida team on a down year and once again failed to beat its other archrival Tennessee, having lost 26 in a row to the Vols, the longest losing streak by one team to another in college football. The Wildcats capped the season with a 27–10 loss to Pittsburgh in the BBVA Compass Bowl.

On November 26, 2011, Kentucky snapped the longest active FBS losing streak to any one team by defeating the Tennessee Vols 10–7 at Kroger Field.

On November 4, 2012, the day after a 40-0 home shutout by Vanderbilt resulting with a 1–9 record, UK athletics director Mitch Barnhart released a public letter to Big Blue Nation announcing that Phillips would not return for the 2013 season, but that he would finish out the 2012 season as head coach. With Joker's 5-year contract only being 3 years complete at the end of the season, the university has to pay $2.55 Million over the final 2 years of the contract.

Mark Stoops era (2013–present)

Florida State defensive coordinator Mark Stoops was hired as Kentucky's head football coach in late 2012. One of Stoops' first moves was hiring offensive coordinator Neal Brown, who brought back the "Air Raid" offense. After nine months as the head coach of the Wildcats, Stoops and his staff signed the highest ranked recruiting class in program history.

Stoops's first season at Kentucky was a struggle, as the Wildcats duplicated the 2–10 record from 2012. Kentucky's wins in 2013 were over a winless Miami (OH) and FCS opponent Alabama State.

In Stoops's second season, the Wildcats broke a 17-game SEC losing streak when they beat Vanderbilt the fourth game into the season. The Wildcats finished the 2014 season with a 5–7 record. After the season, offensive coordinator Neal Brown left to take the head coaching job at Troy.

In 2015, Stoops's third season, the Wildcats duplicated their 5–7 record from 2014. They lost to Florida, Auburn, Mississippi State, Tennessee, Georgia, Vanderbilt, and Louisville, and they defeated Louisiana-Lafayette, South Carolina, Missouri, Eastern Kentucky, and Charlotte.

On December 18, 2015, offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson, who was hired to replace Neal Brown, announced he would not return to the program for the 2016 season as the offensive coordinator, a result of the team's struggles over the previous few years. In his place Kentucky hired Cincinnati offensive coordinator Eddie Gran as the assistant head coach of offense at Kentucky. Cincinnati quarterbacks coach Darin Hinshaw has also joined the UK staff as quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator. Kentucky began the 2016 season with a loss to Southern Miss by a score of 44–35, after blowing a 25-point lead. Ironically, Shannon Dawson, who was fired by Kentucky as offensive coordinator just months earlier, had been hired to serve as Southern Miss' offensive coordinator. Kentucky would finish 7–6 (4–4 SEC) on the season, which included snapping a four-game losing streak to archrival Louisville by a score of 41–38, with a berth in the TaxSlayer Bowl, their first bowl berth since 2010, a game they lost to Georgia Tech by a score of 33–18.

Bowl games

UK has played in 15 bowl games, compiling a record of 8–7. Note that in the table below, the year references the season, and not the actual date the game was played.

Season	Bowl Game	Winner	Loser	Record
1947	Great Lakes Bowl	UK 24	Villanova 14	8–3
1949	Orange Bowl	Santa Clara 21	UK 13	9–3
1950	Sugar Bowl	UK 13	Oklahoma 7	11–1
1951	Cotton Bowl Classic	UK 20	TCU 7	8–4
1976	Peach Bowl	UK 21	North Carolina 0	9–3
1983	Hall of Fame Classic	West Virginia 20	UK 16	6–5–1
1984	Hall of Fame Classic	UK 20	Wisconsin 19	9–3
1993	Peach Bowl	Clemson 14	UK 13	6–6
1998	Outback Bowl	Penn State 26	UK 14	7–5
1999	Music City Bowl	Syracuse 20	UK 13	6–6
2006	Music City Bowl	UK 28	Clemson 20	8–5
2007	Music City Bowl	UK 35	Florida State 28	8–5
2008	Liberty Bowl	UK 25	East Carolina 19	7–6
2009	Music City Bowl	Clemson 21	UK 13	7–6
2010	BBVA Compass Bowl	Pittsburgh 27	UK 10	6–7
2016	TaxSlayer Bowl	Georgia Tech 33	UK 18	7-6
Totals	16			8–8

Current coaching staff

See also: List of Kentucky Wildcats football head coaches

Name	Position
Mark Stoops	Head Coach
Eddie Gran	Offensive Coordinator/Associate Head Coach, RB Coach
Matt House	Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach
Vince Marrow	Tight Ends Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
Steve Clinkscale	Secondary Coach
Lamar Thomas	Wide Receivers Coach
Darin Hinshaw	Co-Offensive Coordinator, Quarterbacks Coach
John Schlarman	Offensive Line Coach
Derrick LeBlanc	Defensive Line Coach
Dean Hood	LB Coach/Special Teams Coordinator

Rivals

Louisville

Main article: Governor's Cup (Kentucky)

First played in 1912, Louisville-Kentucky football series was revived in 1994 after the success of the basketball series that restarted in 1983. They played the first four games of the renewed series at Commonwealth Stadium (now Kroger Field) until Papa John's Cardinal Stadium (PJCS) was completed in 1997, at which time they began rotating the series between Louisville, Kentucky and Lexington, Kentucky. Kentucky leads the series at 15–14. Kentucky played Louisville in the Cardinals' first 4 seasons and twice in the 1920s, holding the Cardinals scoreless in all contests. Kentucky then left the SIAA in 1922 to become a charter member of the Southeastern Conference and limited its play of in-state schools. It would be 70 years before these two in-state rivals faced each other again.

In 2013, it was announced that the game would be moved to the final game of the season following Louisville's 2014 move to the ACC. This scheduling change fits with other end-of-year SEC vs. ACC rivalry games, such as Georgia vs. Georgia Tech, Florida vs. Florida State and South Carolina vs. Clemson.

Kentucky upset the #11 Louisville Cardinals 41-38 on November 26, 2016. The Wildcats were 27 point underdogs going into the game.

Tennessee

Main article: Kentucky–Tennessee rivalry

Tennessee and Kentucky have played each other 108 times over 114 years with Tennessee winning 75 games to 24 wins by Kentucky (.736). Tennessee has won the most games in Lexington, Kentucky with 35 wins to 14 by Kentucky (.702). Tennessee also has more wins than Kentucky in Knoxville, Tennessee with 45 wins to 10 (.787). Tennessee has the most wins in the series at Stoll Field with 19 wins to 11 Kentucky wins (.621). The Series is tied at 3 a piece at Baldwin Park. Tennessee leads the series at Neyland Stadium with 35 wins to 7 Kentucky wins (.792). Tennessee leads the series at Kroger Field with 17 wins to 3 Kentucky wins (.850). Like many college football rivalries, the Tennessee-Kentucky game had its own trophy for many years: a wooden beer barrel painted half blue and half orange. The trophy was awarded to the winner of the game every year from 1925 to 1997. The Barrel was introduced in 1925 by a group of former Kentucky students who wanted to create a material sign of supremacy for the rivalry. It was rolled onto the field that year with the words "Ice Water" painted on it to avoid any outcries over a beer keg symbolizing a college rivalry.

The barrel exchange was retired in 1998 after two Kentucky football players died in an alcohol-related crash.

Indiana

Main article: The Bourbon Barrel

More known for its basketball rivalry, the Indiana-Kentucky series was played annually from 1987 until 2005 in what was known as the "Battle for the Bourbon Barrel" game. The series rotated between Bloomington, Indiana and Lexington, Kentucky and the two teams played for a trophy called the "Bourbon Barrel" from 1987 until both schools mutually agreed to retire the trophy in 1999 following the alcohol-related death of two Kentucky football players. Indiana leads the series (18–17–1). The two haven't played since 2005.

Vanderbilt

Main article: Kentucky–Vanderbilt football rivalry

Having started in 1896, the Kentucky-Vanderbilt football series has been played annually since 1953. The two are divisional opponents in the SEC East. The series, which rotates between Nashville, Tennessee and Lexington, Kentucky, stands at 43–42–4 with Kentucky leading the series. The average score being Vanderbilt 17-Kentucky 15.6.

Mississippi State

Main article: Kentucky–Mississippi State football rivalry

The Mississippi State-Kentucky series became a rivalry when the SEC assigned cross-divisional opponents. The Bulldogs (of the SEC West) and Wildcats (of the SEC East) were assigned to each other. They play every year which rotates between Lexington, Kentucky and Starkville, Mississippi. Mississippi State has won 8 of their last 10 vs. Kentucky. The all-time series is tied at 22–22.

All-time record vs. current SEC schools

Opponent	Won	Lost	Tied	Percentage	Streak	First	Last
Alabama	2	37	1	.063	Lost 6	1917	2016
Arkansas	4	3	0	.571	Lost 1	1998	2012
Auburn	6	26	1	.197	Lost 2	1934	2015
Florida	17	50	0	.254	Lost 30	1917	2016
Georgia	12	56	2	.188	Lost 6	1939	2016
LSU	16	40	1	.289	Lost 2	1949	2014
Mississippi State	22	22	0	.500	Won 1	1914	2016
Missouri	4	3	0	.571	Won 2	1965	2016
Mississippi	14	27	1	.345	Won 1	1944	2011
South Carolina	10	17	1	.375	Won 3	1937	2016
Tennessee	24	79	9	.254	Lost 5	1893	2016
Texas A&M	1	1	0	.500	Lost 1	1952	1953
Vanderbilt	43	42	4	.506	Won 1	1896	2016
Totals	175	403	20	.309

Championships

National championships

Prior to the advent of the BCS in 1998, national champions were primarily chosen by a combination of national ranking systems and nation media poll rankings. During the last 142 years, there have been more than 30 selectors of national champions using polls, historical research and mathematical rating systems. Beginning in 1936, The Associated Press began the best-known and most widely circulated poll of sportswriters and broadcasters. Before 1936, national champions were determined by historical research and retroactive ratings and polls. It is important to remember that from 1936 to 1964, the Associated Press chose a "national champion" prior to bowl games.

The NCAA has never officially recognized a national champion from among the bowl coalition institutions, but in 2004 the NCAA commissioned Jeff Sagarin to use his computer model to retroactively determine the highest ranked teams for the years prior to the BCS. His champion for the 1950 season is Kentucky. The polls for the 1950 national champion, taken before the bowl games were played, list either Oklahoma (AP, Berryman, Helms, Litkenhous, UPI, Williamson), Princeton (Boand, Poling), or Tennessee (Billingsley, DeVold, Dunkel, Missouri,Don Faurot Football Research, National Championship Foundation, Sagarin (ELO-Chess)). Tennessee was the winner of the Cotton Bowl and the only team to beat Kentucky during the 1950 season. Oklahoma was named National Champion by AP and UPI Coaches' Poll, both which awarded their titles before the bowl games. Kentucky would go on to beat Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl. However they are still not recognized as national champions for that year.

Conference championships

Season	Conference	Coach	Overall Record	Conference Record
1950	SEC	Paul "Bear" Bryant	11–1	5–1
1976†	SEC	Fran Curci	9–3‡	5–1‡
Conference Titles:			2
† Denotes co-champions

‡ Mississippi State forfeited their 1976 win over Kentucky, giving Kentucky an official 5–1 conference record and a share of the SEC title with Georgia.

• Kentucky also finished the 1977 season with a 10–1 (6–0 SEC) record, but were not eligible for a share of the SEC championship or for postseason play due to NCAA probation.

All-Americans

Player	Position	Year	Unanimous	Consensus	Selectors
Clyde Johnson	T	1942	No	No	AP
Bob Gain	T	1949	No	No	All-Players, NY Sun, NEA
Bob Gain	T	1950	Yes	Yes	AP, UPI, INS, Camp, NEA, CP, FWAA-Look, AAB, FD, NYNews
Babe Parilli	QB	1950	Yes	Yes	AP, INS, Camp, Colliers, NY News, Sporting News, AA
Babe Parilli	QB	1951	Yes	Yes	UP, INS, Camp, NEA, CP, AAB, NY News, All-Player
Doug Moseley	C	1951	No	No	AP, FWAA-Look
Steve Meilinger	DE	1952	No	No	AP, NEA, All-Player
Steve Meilinger	DE	1953	No	No	NEA, Colliers, AAB
Ray Correll	DG	1953	No	No	FWAA-Look, Chicago Tribun
Howard Schnellenberger	DE	1955	No	Yes	AP
Lou Michaels	OT	1956	No	Yes	UPI, NA, Camp, Colliers,NY News
Lou Michaels	OT	1957	No	Yes	AP, NEA, Camp, FWAA-Look, Coaches, NY News, Sporting News
Irv Goode	C	1961	No	No	Time
Herschel Turner	T	1963	No	No	Time
Sam Ball	T	1965	No	Yes	UPI, NEA, Camp, FWAA-Look, Coaches, Time, Sporting New
Rodger Bird	HB	1965	No	No	Time, NBC
Rick Norton	QB	1965	No	No	Time, NBC
Elmore Stephens	TE	1974	No	No	Time
Rick Nuzum	C	1974	No	No	NEA
Warrant Bryant	T	1976	No	No	Camp, Coaches
Art Still	DE	1977	No	Yes	AP, UPI, NEA, Coaches, FWAA, Camp, Sporting News, Football News
Mike Pfeifer	T	1989	No	No	Football News, Mizlou
Tim Couch	QB	1998	No	No	Camp, FWAA, AAF
James Whalen	TE	1999	No	Yes	AP, Camp, FWAA, AAFF, CNN/SI, CBS SportsLine
Derek Abney	KR	2002	Yes	Yes	AP, FWAA, Camp, Sporting News, ESPN, CBS SportsLine, CNN/SI, College Football News
Glenn Pakulak	P	2002	No	No	CBS SportsLine
Randall Cobb	WR	2010	No	No	AP

First Team All-SEC

Year	Player	Position
1983	Duece Howerton	Running Back
1993	Marty Moore	Linebacker
1994	Melvin Johnson	Free Safety
1995	Moe Williams	Half Back
1997	John Schlarman	Offensive Guard
1998	Kris Comstock	Offensive Guard
1998	Tim Couch	Quarterback
1998	Craig Yeast	Wide Receiver
1999	Andy Smith	Punter
1999	Jeff Snedegar	Linebacker
1999	James Whalen	Tight End
2000	Derek Smith	Tight End
2000	Omar Smith	Offensive Tackle
2001	Derek Abney	Kick Returner
2001	Dennis Johnson	Defensive End
2001	Glenn Pakulak	Punter
2002	Derek Abney	Kick Returner
2002	Antonio Hall	Offensive Tackle
2002	Glenn Pakulak	Punter
2002	Artose Pinner	Running Back
2003	Derek Abney	Kick Returner
2003	Antonio Hall	Offensive Tackle
2005	Rafael Little	All-Purpose
2006	Keenan Burton	All-Purpose
2006	Jacob Tamme	Tight End
2006	Wesley Woodyard	Linebacker
2007	Jacob Tamme	Tight End
2007	Wesley Woodyard	Linebacker
2008	Micah Johnson	Linebacker
2008	Trevard Lindley	Defensive Back
2008	Tim Masthay	Punter
2009	Randall Cobb	All-Purpose
2010	Randall Cobb	All-Purpose
2010	Danny Trevathan	Linebacker
2011	Danny Trevathan	Linebacker
2014	Alvin Dupree	Defensive End
2014	Landon Foster	Punter
2016	Jon Toth	Center

Current players in the National Football League

See also: List of Kentucky Wildcats players in the NFL Draft

The following is a list of Kentucky players in the NFL.

Pos.	Name	Height	Weight	Hometown	Draft Year	Round	Overall	Current NFL Team
WR	Randall Cobb	5'11"	190 lbs.	Alcoa, TN	2011	2	64th	Green Bay
LB	Bud Dupree	6'4"	270 lbs.	Irwinton, GA	2015	1	22nd	Pittsburgh
LB	Josh Forrest	6'4"	240 lbs.	Paducah, KY	2016	6	190th	Los Angeles Rams
DB	Winston Guy	6'1"	218 lbs.	Lexington, KY	2016	6	181st	Indianapolis
WR	Steve Johnson	6'3"	210 lbs.	San Francisco, CA	2008	7	229th	Los Angeles Chargers
DT	Corey Peters	6'3"	295 lbs.	Louisville, KY	2010	3	83rd	Arizona
DE	Za'Darius Smith	6'6"	265 lbs.	Greenville, AL	2015	4	122nd	Baltimore
TE	Jacob Tamme	6'4"	220 lbs.	Danville, KY	2008	4	127th	Atlanta
LB	Danny Trevathan	6'1"	235 lbs.	Leesburg, FL	2012	6	188th	Chicago
OG	Larry Warford	6'3"	332 lbs.	Richmond, KY	2013	3	65th	New Orleans
LB	Avery Williamson	6'1"	238 lbs.	Milan, TN	2014	5	151st	Tennessee
LB	Wesley Woodyard	6'1"	230 lbs.	LaGrange, GA	2008	UD	–	Tennessee

Hall of famers

Pro

Inductee	Position(s)	Class	Team(s), Years
George Blanda	Quarterback Placekicker	1981	Chicago Bears, 1949, 1950–58 Baltimore Colts, 1950 Houston Oilers, 1960–66 Oakland Raiders, 1967–75
Dermontti Dawson	Center	2012	Pittsburgh Steelers, 1988–2000

College

Inductee	Position(s)	Class	Years
Art Still	Defensive End	2015	1974–1977
Paul "Bear" Bryant	Head Coach	1986	1946–53
Jerry Claiborne	Head Coach	1999	1982–89
Bob Gain	Guard Tackle	1980	1947–1950
Steve Meilinger	Defensive Line	2013	1951–53
Lou Michaels	Tackle	1992	1955–57
Babe Parilli	Quarterback	1982	1949–51

Individual award winners

Outland Trophy

• Bob Gain – 1950

University of Kentucky 100th Anniversary Team

Chosen in 1990 by Kentucky Newspapers

• Lexington Herald-Leader
• Offense
• OE – Tom Hutchinson
• OE – Steve Meilinger
• OL – Sam Ball
• OL – Warren Bryant
• OL – Irv Goode
• OL – Ray Correl
• OL – Doug Mosely
• QB – Babe Parilli
• RB – Sonny Collins
• RB – Rodger Bird
• RB – Shipwreck Kelly
• PK – Joe Worley
• Defense
• DE – Art Still
• DT – Bob Gain
• MG – Dave Roller
• DT – Lou Michaels
• DE – Jeff Van Note
• LB – Joe Federspiel
• LB – Jay Rhodemyer
• DB – Paul Calhoun
• DB – Jerry Claiborne
• DB – Darryl Bishop
• DB – Mike Siganos
• KR – Dicky Lyons, Sr.

• Louisville Courier-Journal
• Offense
• OE – Tom Hutchinson
• OE – Steve Mellinger
• OT – Sam Ball
• OT – Warren Bryant
• OG – Gene Donaldson
• OG – Dermontti Dawson
• OC – Jay Rhodemyer
• QB – Babe Parilli
• RB – Sonny Collins
• RB – Bob Davis
• RB – Mark Higgs
• PK – Joe Worley
• Defense
• DL – Art Still
• DL – Bob Gain
• DL – Dave Correl
• DL – Lou Michaels
• DL – Jeff Van Note
• LB – Joe Federspiel
• LB – Jim Kovach
• LB – Frank LeMaster
• DB – Paul Calhoun
• RB – Rodger Bird
• DB – Mike Siganos
• P – Ralph Kercheval

Retired numbers

• No. 21: Calvin Bird
• No. 22: Mark Higgs

Future opponents and schedules

Conference and non-conference opponents

SEC West opponents

Kentucky plays Mississippi State as a permanent non-division opponent annually and rotates around the West division among the other six schools.

Year	Alabama	Auburn	Arkansas	LSU	Mississippi State	Mississippi	Texas A&M
2017					AWAY	HOME
2018					HOME		AWAY
2019			HOME		AWAY
2020		AWAY			HOME
2021				HOME	AWAY
2022					HOME	AWAY
2023	HOME				AWAY
2024			AWAY		HOME
2025					AWAY		HOME

Non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of October 22, 2016

2017	2018	2019
at Southern Miss	vs. Central Michigan	vs. Toledo
vs Eastern Kentucky		at Eastern Michigan
vs Eastern Michigan	vs. Chattanooga	UT Martin
vs Louisville	at Louisville	vs Louisville

Schedules

2017 schedule

September 2at Southern Miss*

• M. M. Roberts Stadium
• Hattiesburg, MS

  September 9Eastern Kentucky*

• Kroger Field
• Lexington, KY

  September 16at South Carolina

• Williams-Brice Stadium
• Columbia, SC

  September 23Florida

• Kroger Field
• Lexington, KY

  September 30Eastern Michigan*

• Kroger Field
• Lexington, KY

  October 7Missouri

• Kroger Field
• Lexington, KY

  October 21at Mississippi State

• Davis Wade Stadium
• Starkville, MS

  October 28Tennessee

• Kroger Field
• Lexington, KY

  November 4Ole Miss

• Kroger Field
• Lexington, KY

  November 11at Vanderbilt

• Vanderbilt Stadium
• Nashville, TN

  November 18at Georgia

• Sanford Stadium
• Athens, GA

  November 25Louisville*

• Kroger Field
• Lexington, KY (Governor's Cup)

 

External links

• Official website