Jeff Van Note, UK Athletics Hall of Famer, Has Died
Jeff Van Note, a member of the University of Kentucky Athletics Hall of Fame and a retired jersey honoree, has died at the age of 80.
“Jeff Van Note is one of the legends of Kentucky football,” said J Batt, UK Director of Athletics. “Known for his toughness as a player and for his many years of service on our radio broadcasts, Jeff loved being a Wildcat. His accomplishments during his long NFL career speak for themselves and he always will be a treasured part of our heritage. Our condolences are with Jeff’s family, friends and teammates.”
Van Note played fullback in 1965 on the UK freshman team, then moved to defensive end for his three seasons on the varsity (1966-68). He earned second-team All-Southeastern Conference honors as a sophomore and was named the team’s Most Valuable Senior in 1968.
Following his senior season, he played in the Blue-Gray All-Star Game and was drafted in the 11th round (262nd overall pick) of the NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons.
Upon reporting to the Falcons, Coach Norm Van Brocklin moved Van Note to center and a professional career was born. He played 18 seasons with the Falcons, playing in 246 games and missing only four games during his entire career.
Van Note’s numerous accolades included:
- Two-time All-Pro
- Six-time Pro Bowl
- Atlanta Falcons Ring of Honor
- Georgia Sports Hall of Fame
- In 1990 and ‘91, Van Note received two accolades of historical significance. In recognition of the 100th season of Kentucky football in 1990, the Louisville Courier-Journal named him to its All-Time Kentucky Team. Then, he was voted by fans as the franchise’s all-time favorite player during the Falcons’ 25th Anniversary Season in 1991.
Following his playing days, Van Note made a transition to the broadcast booth. He served as the analyst on UK Radio Network games from 1994-2001 and earned a reputation for insightful commentary.
“I was so fortunate that my first broadcast partner on the UK Network was ‘Noter’,” said play-by-play announcer Tom Leach. “He was an elite analyst but was even more humble than he was talented in that role. Jeff aspired only to be a great teammate but he was an All-Pro for our crew just like he was for the Falcons. He dearly loved his time at UK and his role on the UK Network. I’ll miss his friendship and his stories and his kindness.”
In addition to his work with UK Van Note was a member of the Falcons’ radio broadcast team for many years as an analyst and he also hosted pregame and postgame shows for the Falcons’ network. He also called games for Georgia Tech and the Tennessee Oilers (now Titans).
Born in New Jersey, Van Note lived in Michigan and Illinois prior to Kentucky. He played high school football, basketball and baseball at St. Joe Prep in Bardstown, earning all-conference honors in all three sports, before moving on to UK.
