Feb. 15, 2012
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Five University of Kentucky football players, including 2011 seniors Winston Guy, Danny Trevathan and Ryan Tydlacka, and juniors La’Rod King and Larry Warford, have been named to the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame 2011 All-Commonwealth Collegiate Team, it was announced this week.
Trevathan earned the Defensive Player of the Year Award by the organization, while Guy, King, Tydlacka and Warford received nods on the 44-member team.
This is the second year for the All-Commonwealth Team, which was created to give recognition to youth at a local level and empower them to develop expectations of greatness. According to the organization’s release, these athletes represent the best college football players that the state of Kentucky has to offer, while their dedication to the game has contributed significantly to their teams.
The announcement follows the recent introduction of the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame 2012 Inductees. The induction ceremony will take place June 15th at the Louisville Palace Theater, as part of the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 10th Anniversary Celebration, taking place June 14-16. Tickets for the induction ceremony will be available March 1.
A native of Leesburg, Fla., Trevathan made 143 tackles during the 2011 season for the Wildcats, leading the Southeastern Conference in tackles for the second-consecutive season. Trevathan ranked fifth in the nation in tackles with an 11.92 average per game and led the nation’s linebackers in fumbles forced (five), while ranking second among the nation’s linebackers in interceptions with four. Trevathan finished the season with 11.5 tackles for loss, three quarterback sacks, five pass breakups and two quarterback hurries.
Trevathan ended his UK career ranked 10th all-time on Kentucky’s career tackle list with a total of 374 stops. The All-American had a total of 20 games with double-figure tackles in his career, including a career-high 17 tackles in 2010 against Auburn, the eventual national champion, and also against Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Georgia.
Guy was just behind his teammate in tackles, ranking second in the SEC with 120 stops. The native of Lexington, Ky., also ranked tied for 22nd in the nation in tackles, averaging 10 per game. Guy had eight games of double-figure tackles this season, including a high of 14 at South Carolina and against Tennessee. The senior was named National Defensive Back of the Week for the Western Kentucky game when he had 10 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and two interceptions. Guy was second-team All-SEC by The Associated Press and league coaches.
Guy finished his career at Kentucky with 297 tackles after recording back-to-back seasons of 100 tackles or more the past two seasons.
King, who was named a Mid-Season All-SEC selection by Phil Steele’s College Football, led Kentucky in receiving in 2011 with 40 catches for 598 yards and seven touchdowns. The native of Radcliff, Ky., finished ninth in the SEC in receptions per game with 3.3 and 10th in receiving yards per game with 49.8. King, who started all 12 games last season, was also second on the UK team in scoring with 42 points.
Tydlacka, a native of Louisville, Ky., ranked fourth in the SEC by averaging 43.6 yards per punt in 2011. His outstanding hangtime and punt placement helped UK rank second in the league last season in net punting with 39.6 net yards per punt. Tydlacka had 20 punts of at least 50 yards, leading the SEC in that category, and he also placed 19 punts within the 20-yard line.
Tydlacka was named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Week in his final game as a Wildcat, the 10-7 win over Tennessee. With field position at a premium for that game, Tydlacka kept Tennessee backed up all day long, as the Volunteers did not begin a drive outside their 30-yard line the entire game. He punted nine times that day for a 43.6-yard average and his placement and hangtime did not allow UT to return a punt.
Warford, from Richmond, Ky., allowed only one quarterback sack during the season and was graded at 87.5 percent for the season. Warford, who was a second-team All-SEC pick by The Associated Press and league coaches, led the Wildcats in knockdown blocks with 34.
For more information on the Kentucky football team, follow “UKFootball” on Twitter, or visit UKathletics.com.
