Burns Chosen All-SEC by Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Junior defensive end Vincent ?Sweet Pea? Burns has been named to the All-Southeastern Conference team selected by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Burns has 67 tackles on the season, including a league-leading 17 tackles for loss. He also has 2.5 quarterback sacks, nine QB hurries, one fumble recovery, one fumble caused, and one safety this season.
Huffman Featured on ESPN.com: Kentucky sophomore cornerback Antoine Huffman is the subject of a Thanksgiving feature on ESPN.com. The feature is written by Pat Forde of the Louisville Courier-Journal. To access the story, go to the front page of ESPN.com and click on ?do-gooder at Kentucky.? .
UK Superfan Jim Brown Featured on History Channel: You can always count on seeing legendary Kentucky football superfan Jim Brown in his seat in Commonwealth Stadium, Section 129, Row 41, Seat 22. On Friday night, however, you also can see him on the History Channel.
On Friday at 9 p.m. EST, Brown will be interviewed during the History Channel show ?Burma Bridge Busters.? Former President George H. Bush will be the host of the show. During World War II, Brown was a navigator/bombardier on a B-25 in Asia, part of the squadron known as the ?Burma Bridge Busters.?
A member of that squadron was Arnold Spielberg, father of a moviemaker named Steven. When the Burma Bridge Busters had a reunion in 2002, the younger Spielberg sent his movie production company to interview the men for a documentary.
While Brown will be in front of his television Friday night, you can rest assured that he will be at the Kentucky-Tennessee game on Saturday. It will be his 375th consecutive home football game. Brown has seen every UK home game since 1938 (with the understandable exception of the 1944 season when he was on military service).
Brown also has a 37-year streak of perfect attendance at the Lexington Rotary Club. He?s also a pillar of Crestwood Christian Church, where he is an elder emeritus. Asked about his consistency, Brown replied in what must be the understatement of the year.
?I?ve always had a tendency to be loyal,? he said.
Montgomery Gentry to Sing National Anthem: The country music superstar duo ?Montgomery Gentry? will sing the national anthem at the Tennessee game.
Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry are based in Lexington and are artists for Columbia Records.
Game-Day Activities:
The ?Wildcat Refuge,? featuring activities for children, opens at 10:30 a.m. outside Gate 9 of the stadium.
?Rally in the Alley,? located between the stadium and the Nutter Field House, begins at 10:30 a.m. and will feature a live band, ?Fun With Jello.?
The Alltel Tailgate Tour, with activities for fans, will be located near the Commonwealth Stadium Ticket Office outside Gate 4 of the stadium.
The Gillette Touchdown Challenge, co-sponsored by Kroger, will be located between the Blue and Orange lots. At 11:30 a.m., one fan, Barry Hickey, will have the opportunity to win $25,000 by throwing a ball through a target from 10 yards away. After Hickey?s try, Kroger employee Chance Cole will attempt the same throw; if successful, $25,000 will be donated to the ?Dare to Care? charity.
Just before the game, three Blackhawk UH-60 helicopters from the Kentucky Army National Guard will fly over Commonwealth Stadium.
During the game, the winner of the 16th annual ?Big Blue Crush? blood drive will be announced. Kentucky leads the series over Tennessee, 9-5, with one tie.
During the game, UK President Lee Todd and First Lady Patsy Todd will recognize several leaders from the Health Education through Extension Leadership (HEEL) program, which promotes good health practices in the state. Additional guests at the presentation will be representatives from CHA Health and Humana-Kentucky. This week, UK and Kentucky State University announced a new state-wide physical activity program administered by HEEL.
Tennessee Tickets Available: Unclaimed tickets from the UK student allotment are now available to the general public for the Tennessee at Kentucky football game on Nov. 29.
Tickets cost $29 for sideline seats and $22 for end zone tickets. The Memorial Coliseum Ticket Office is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets also may be ordered over the phone by calling 800-928-CATS or via the Internet by clicking the Tickets link at the top of the page.
The Volunteers and Wildcats will kick off Saturday at 12:30 p.m. in Commonwealth Stadium.
Abney Going for Milestone if He is Able to Play: Senior wide receiver/kick returner Derek Abney hopes to achieve a unique milestone in the Tennessee game on Saturday.
Abney needs one punt return yard to become the first player in NCAA Division I-A history to reach 2,000 receiving yards, 2,000 kickoff return yards, and 1,000 punt return yards. Abney has totaled 2,339 receiving yards, 2,313 kickoff return yards, and 999 punt return yards as a Wildcat.
Before taking on the visiting Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday, Abney?s toughest opponent this week is a foot injury sustained in last Saturday?s game at Georgia. He is listed as questionable for the Tennessee game.
Burress, VanSickel Named Game Captains for the Tennessee Game: Senior cornerback Leonard Burress and senior offensive guard Nate VanSickel have been named game captains for the Tennessee game, joining permanent captains Vincent ?Sweet Pea? Burns and Jared Lorenzen.
Burress rejoined the starting lineup last Saturday at Georgia and played well against the Bulldogs. VanSickel has played well as the top reserve in the offensive line this season and also has earned a pair of starting assignments.
Ralph Kercheval to Sign Autographs Friday Before Men?s Basketball Game: Former Wildcat football star Ralph Kercheval will sign autographs on Friday from 6:30 ? 7:30 p.m. at the UK Basketball Museum.
Kercheval played quarterback, defensive back, kicker, and punter for the Wildcats from 1931-33 and is best known for his punting. He still holds Southeastern Conference records for most punts in a season (101), most punting yards in a season (4,413), and the single-game record for punting average (52.0 yards per punt, min. 10 punts). He averaged 44.8 yards per punt during his career.
Kercheval went on to play in the National Football League from 1934-40 for the old Brooklyn Dodgers franchise. He once held the NFL record for longest punt with a boot of 91 yards.
A graduate of Lexington?s Henry Clay High School, the 91-year-old Kercheval still lives in Lexington.
The UK Basketball Museum is located in the Civic Center Shops adjacent to Rupp Arena. Kercheval will sign autographs prior to UK?s game vs. Tennessee Tech.
