By Sean Cartell
UK Media Relations
LEXINGTON, Ky. ? On football fields all across the country, the sound of a coach?s whistle is a universal call to action. But for three former Kentucky football players, their call to duty is now just a little different.
Policemen Daniel Burnett (UK 2001-03) and Kio Sanford (1994-97) and firefighter Mike Kamphake (1998-2002) have hung up their football cleats for an opportunity to serve the Lexington community.
And while the trio has traded in Wildcat jerseys in favor of police and fire uniforms, each of the three credits his time in the Blue and White for inspiring him to give back to the town that gave him his start.
Sanford, a potent kick returner for the Wildcats during his playing days, grew up wanting to go into law enforcement after having two relatives in similar professions.
?I always wanted to be a policeman,? Sanford said. ?My uncle was a sheriff and my cousin was in the FBI. They always talked and told stories about things they had seen and done. I knew after football ended, I wanted to do the same thing.?
Burnett, who has now been on patrol in Lexington for a little more than three months, was seeking a way to give back to the community and found the perfect opportunity in police work.
?I love Lexington,? Burnett said. ?I am from here and all my family lives here. Every day I go out and continue to develop relationships with people in town and that makes me love it here that much more. I want to get as much experience as I can in a wide variety of areas, but I want to do it here in Lexington.?
Kamphake cannot remember a time that he did not want to become a firefighter. Despite not having any family members in that profession, he can remember being in awe of fire trucks and their sirens from an early age. He attributes much of his success to the academics staff at Kentucky for helping him break into his chosen field.
?I always wanted to be a fireman,? Kamphake said. ?When I came to UK, I told that to [Associate Athletics Director for Academics] Bob Bradley and he suggested that I major in social work. I graduated early and, one day, Bob called me in and asked if I?d be interested in getting an internship with the fire department. I went down there, met a lot of people and especially loved the teamwork aspect of it.
?Playing football, you really rely on everyone else,? Kamphake said. ?With the fire department, I get the same feeling. I get a sense of being a part of something bigger than myself.?
Like Kamphake, Burnett and Sanford also enjoy the teamwork aspects of their jobs and credit their experiences as football players for teaching them how to effectively function as a team.
?The camaraderie that you have working as a policeman is so similar to what you have in football,? Burnett said. ?The camaraderie that we have in the police department is the closest thing I have found to being a part of team sports. You know that every day that you go to work, there is a whole team of people who will be there for you to back you up and help you out.?
Sanford agrees, saying that the mental aspect of playing football goes along with the responsibility of being a role model.
?When you are a college athlete, people always treat you differently and look at you differently, and it?s the same thing when you are a police officer,? Sanford said. ?A lot of times, people think that football is 90 percent physical, but it?s actually the other way around. Playing football is 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical. Police work is the same way. You have to try and be a problem-solver in situations.?
Not only did playing football prepare the three for life in public service, the experiences they had as a student-athlete at UK gave them the skills they would need to be successful in life.
?Looking back on my days at UK, it?s the same thing as being a policeman,? Sanford said. ?Going to school and getting a great education was tremendous. It?s like the police academy, you train mentally and physically. You meet new people from different backgrounds and experiences.?
Burnett notes the importance of time management in school and in life, saying that it was the most valuable lesson he learned during his stay on the UK campus.
?Learning time management as a student-athlete really helped me the most,? Burnett said. ?College athletes are always stretched thin with school work and practice. It was great preparation for work. I learned the value of time management and that is imperative with my job.?
Though each of the three has ambitions to advance to officer rankings in their chosen profession, it is important to them to remain in Lexington and continue serving the place that they call home.
?It?s really special being from Lexington that I am able to give back to the community,? Sanford said. ?One day, I?d like to be a supervisor, but right now I am happy doing what I am doing. I plan on being here a long time. I?m a local hometown boy that played at UK and I really like being close to home.?
?I really am planning on taking it one step at a time,? Burnett said. ?I think in several years I might want to go into a supervisory position or specialize in a certain unit like narcotics or crimes against children. For now, I just want to get as much experience in as many facets as I can.?
?I would love to stay here and retire here,? Kamphake said. ?I have no plans on leaving Kentucky. One day, I?d like to run my own truck or be an officer. I strive to be like the officers that I have now. It is unbelievable to hear their stories and what they have been through. If I won the lottery, I would probably still keep my job because I love it so much.?
