Aug. 5, 2009
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky football signee Anthony Kendrick will join the team in August while signee Donte Rumph plans to go to junior college, Coach Rich Brooks has announced.
Kendrick is a 6-3, 220-pound tight end/wide receiver from Katy, Texas. He was a two-sport star in football and basketball, receiving Division I offers in both sports. He was the nation’s No. 30 tight-end prospect as listed by Rivals.com. He was a big-play performer for Seven Lakes High School, averaging more than 17 yards per catch as a junior and senior.
Rumph, a defensive lineman from St. Matthews, S.C., originally signed with Kentucky in 2008, then signed again in February after attending Fork Union Military Academy in 2008-09. He was a first-team all-state honoree at Calhoun County High School.
Brooks also announced that wide receiver signee Brian Adams (Gainesville, Ga.) will report to campus for the beginning of school on Aug. 26, but will not participate in the contact portions of practice this season. Adams had rib surgery in July and hopes to return to full action in spring practice.
Earlier, Brooks announced that three other signees, wide receiver Justin Bean (Tupelo, Miss.), defensive end Demetri Merritt (LaGrange, Ga.) and tight end Terrell Mitchell (Hiram, Ga.) will attend prep school or junior college in the fall of 2009.
Lyons Signs With Falcons: Former Kentucky wide receiver Dicky Lyons Jr. signed a free-agent contract with the Atlanta Falcons on Tuesday, marking the 17 th Wildcat to sign a National Football League contract over the last two years.
Lyons played for the Wildcats in 2004 and 2006-08 and is one of the most prolific receivers who ever wore the blue and white. He ranks fifth in school history in pass receptions (141), fourth in receiving yardage (1,752 yards) and third in touchdown catches (18).
Lyons college career came to a premature end after sustaining a knee injury midway through his senior season. Although he played in only six games in 2008, he was still the team’s leading receiver for the season, making 33 catches.
The sure-handed Wildcat snagged 56 balls as a junior, good for 655 yards and seven TDs. His best game as a Wildcat came that season, as he had eight catches for a career-high 124 yards and three touchdowns against Florida. As a sophomore in 2006, he caught 50 passes for 822 yards (16.4-yard average) and nine touchdowns.
Lyons became the first player to catch two TD passes in three consecutive games when he did so in 2006. He is the son of Dicky Lyons, Sr., whose jersey is retired as one of the greatest players in Kentucky history. Lyons Sr. and Jr. are believed to be the only father-son combination in NCAA history that has each caught a touchdown pass of 80 or more yards.
Lyons also returned kicks for the Wildcats, averaging 23.7 yards per kickoff return and 10.1 yards per punt return.
Off the field, Lyons completed his degree in community communications and leadership development and was a two-year member of the Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll.
Following his knee injury last October, Lyons has worked hard to regain his speed. Internet reports state that he ran a sub-4.5 second 40-yard dash recently, prompting the Falcons to sign him.
Lyons is now the ninth player from the 2008 squad that has signed an NFL contract. A total of 17 Wildcats have signed NFL deals over the last two years.
Brooks, Leach Have Book Signings Tuesday and Wednesday: Coach Rich Brooks and UK play-by-play announcer Tom Leach have autograph sessions scheduled Tuesday and Wednesday for Leach’s new book, “Rich Tradition.”
The book focuses on Brooks’ revival of Wildcat football fortunes. Both signing events will be in Lexington.
- Tuesday, Aug. 4, 4-5 p.m., at the Central Bank branch in Hamburg
- Wednesday, Aug. 5, 7-8 p.m., at the Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Lexington Green
A portion of the book’s proceeds will benefit the Rich Brooks Foundation.
