Offensive Line
Kris Comstock, RT, So. — Started the last nine games … Moved from left tackle to right tackle following the injury to Jonas Liening … Saw his first significant game action this season … Champions Club vs. LSU and Mississippi State.
David De La Perralle, LT-LG, TFr. — Named to the Freshman All-SEC team by the Knoxville News-Sentinel … Started three games at left guard and started the last three games at left tackle.
DeAnthony Honaker, OG, Sr. — The only senior on the offensive line … Started twice, at right guard vs. Louisville and at left guard at Alabama.
Jonas Liening, RT, So. — Started the first eight games, but was lost for the season after suffering a broken leg in the Georgia game … Champions Club vs. Louisiana State.
John Schlarman, OG, Jr. — Named team’s Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman for the second straight year … The leader of the UK line … A three-year starter … Started the last six games at left guard after starting four games at right guard … Made an amazing recovery after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee last April. He had reconstructive surgery on April 23, then returned to game action at Cincinnati — just four months and 15 days after the operation … Named to the Champions Club for five games.
Jeremy Streck, RG, So. — Moved from defense to offense in the spring … Was sidelined three times by a dislocated kneecap, which occurred in August pre-season practice and again in the Cincinnati and Indiana games … Played courageously and was able to start seven games, twice at left tackle and five games at right guard.
Jason Watts, C, So. — The only offensive lineman who started every game … Champions Club vs. LSU, Georgia, and Mississippi State.
Tight Ends
Isaac Curtis III, Sr. — Named team’s Most Outstanding Receiver … Started every game … Second on the team in receptions with 20 catches for 188 yards and two touchdowns … Had the most catches by a UK tight end since Rodney Jackson caught 27 in 1990 … Selected to the Champions Club for four games.
Chad Spencer, TFr. — Earned a spot on the Freshman All-SEC team … Started nine games … Had 10 receptions for 134 yards … Had a touchdown catch at LSU called back by penalty.
Quarterbacks
Tim Couch, TFr. — Played in seven games, starting two … Completed 32 of 84 passes for 276 yards with one touchdown and only one interception … Threw for 101 yards and a TD against Louisville and 102 yards vs. S. Carolina.
Billy Jack Haskins, Jr. — Chosen UK’s Most Outstanding Offensive Back … Team co-captain … Started nine games … Completed 93 of 175 passes for 967 yards … Led team in passing and total offense … Set career highs with 17 completions, 30 attempts, and 217 yards against Vanderbilt … Had a 41-yard touchdown run at Alabama … Champions Club for five games.
Running Backs
Michael Daies, TB, TFr. — Played only two games because of a succession of injuries (sprained ankle, hamstring pull, pulled plantarus muscle) … Rushed for 92 yards on 22 carries against Indiana in his first collegiate start … Also started at Florida … Finished with 98 yards on 27 attempts and caught three passes for 17 yards.
Derick Logan, TB, TFr. — The SEC Freshman of the Year by the Associated Press … SEC Offensive Freshman of the Year by the Knoxville News-Sentinel … Led the team in rushing with 700 yards on 190 carries and scored five touchdowns … Started the last six games, averaging 114.2 yards in those six games … Rushed for 140 yards and two TDs on a school-record 41 attempts in the win over Georgia … Followed with 41 attempts for a UK freshman record 186 yards in the win over Mississippi State … Also threw a 55-yard touchdown pass vs. MSU … Led team in all-purpose yardage (763) and touchdowns (five) … Champions Club for the Georgia, MSU, and Vanderbilt games.
Raymond McLaurin, TB, Sr. — Second on the Wildcats in rushing with 209 yards on 74 carries and one TD … Best game was 82 yards on 19 carries at Cincinnati … Suffered a broken ankle in a motorcycle accident on Oct. 20 and missed the remainder of the season.
Lee Wesley, FB, RFr. — Had five carries for 12 yards, including a one-yard touchdown plunge against Vanderbilt.
Wide Receivers
Kevin Coleman, So. — Started three games … Seven receptions for 73 yards … Best game was at Cincinnati, three catches for 22 yards.
Norman Mason, Jr. — Transfer from Murray State was in his first season of game action at UK … 14 receptions for 173 yards and three touchdowns … Best game was five catches for 64 yards and two TDs in win over Mississippi State … Had a 24-yard TD grab at Tennessee … Champions Club vs. Mississippi State and Vanderbilt.
Quentin McCord, TFr. — Started the first six games … Had 12 catches for 122 yards … Best output was three grabs for 32 yards at Florida.
Kio Sanford, Jr. — Five receptions for 51 yards … Had three catches for 22 vs. Louisville.
Jaysuma Simms, Sr. — Had five receptions for 52 yards but his best asset was his ferocious blocking … Champions Club vs. Indiana, Florida, and Georgia.
Craig Yeast, So. — Led the team in receiving with 26 catches for 378 yards and two touchdowns … Had 23 of those receptions in games 6-10 … Had single-game highs of seven catches at LSU and 89 yards vs. Mississippi State … Champions Club for four games.
Defensive Line
Ben Bird, DE, Sr. — A reserve who had 12 tackles … Caused and recovered a fumble against South Carolina.
Gordon Crowe, DT, TFr. — Made 14 tackles in a reserve role … Season-high three tackles vs. South Carolina … One-half sack vs. Vanderbilt.
Mark Jacobs, DT, So. — Started every game at right tackle … 44 tackles, including two quarterback sacks … Career-high six tackles in three separate games … Champions Club vs. South Carolina and Georgia.
George Massey, DT, TFr. — Named to the Freshman All-SEC team by the Knoxville News-Sentinel … Made 38 tackles … Season-high seven tackles vs. South Carolina … Had one sack and two tackles for loss.
Andre’ Smith, DE, Jr. — Junior college transfer made nine tackles, including a season-high four vs. Cincinnati … Also had two tackles for loss and a fumble recovery … Missed four games because of a sprained knee.
Kurt Supe, DE, Sr. — Started every game at left end … Had 48 tackles, including a season-high of six vs. Indiana, Alabama, and Tennessee … Had three quarterback sacks, three tackles for loss, caused two fumbles, and had two pass breakups … Champions Club for five games … Earned team’s Community Service Award.
Jeff Tanner, DT, Sr. — Made the move to tackle this season after three years at end … Started every game at left tackle … Made 50 tackles, including a career-high eight against Louisville and Mississippi State … Four tackles for loss, one and one-half sacks, two caused fumbles, and two pass breakups … Champions Club vs. South Carolina, Georgia, and Mississippi State.
Chris Ward, DE, Sr. — Second-team All-SEC by Associated Press … Team’s Most Valuable Senior and Most Outstanding Defensive Lineman … Led the defensive line with 54 tackles, including three for loss, and a career-high nine stops vs. S. Carolina … Broke UK single-season record for sacks with 10.5 … Second on UK career list with 17 sacks … Also had four pass breakups and three caused fumbles … Champions Club for six games.
Anthony Watson, DE, RFr. — A reserve who had 21 tackles, including five against Alabama and South Carolina … Had five quarterback sacks and three tackles for loss … Champions Club vs. Vanderbilt.
Linebackers
Dele Ali, OLB, Jr. — Played in 10 games, starting nine, missing one game for injury … 45 tackles, including a career-high seven in two different games … Second on the team in tackles for loss with six … Has four pass breakups and also intercepted a pass against Alabama … Champions Club vs. Georgia and Vanderbilt.
Bob Holmberg, MLB, Jr. — Backup MLB had 29 tackles, including a career-high 11 at Tennessee … Had a pass interception and caused a fumble vs. Vanderbilt, and was named to the Champions Club for that game.
Mike Schellenberger, MLB, Sr. — UK’s Most Outstanding Linebacker for 1996 … Started every game … Led the LBs and was second on the team with 77 tackles … Named SEC Defensive Player of the Week after the Georgia game, when he had a season-high 11 tackles, one sack, an interception, and a pass breakup … Four tackles for loss, four fumble recoveries, and five pass breakups on the season … Champions Club for five games.
Lamont Smith, OLB, Jr. — Started the first eight games before being sidelined by a sprained ankle … Made 52 tackles, including three for loss, and a season-high nine stops at Cincinnati … His fourth-quarter interception against Indiana set up the game-winning field goal … Broke up three passes … Champions Club vs. Indiana and Georgia.
Jeff Snedegar, OLB, RFr. — Named team’s Most Outstanding Special Teams Player for the 1996 season … Started the last three games in place of the injured Lamont Smith … Had 42 tackles, including a career-high 13 at Tennessee … Had two pass breakups, one-half sack, and three tackles for loss … Champions Club vs. Vanderbilt.
Anwar Stewart, OLB, RFr. — A reserve whose 28 tackles included a season-high nine vs. Indiana … Blocked a field goal vs. South Carolina.
Secondary
Leman Boyd, SS, Sr. — Team’s Most Outstanding Defensive Back … Started every game … Led the team in tackles with 97, which was tops among SEC strong safeties … Led the team with seven tackles for loss, also had five pass breakups, two interceptions, and two fumble recoveries … Got married to UK nursing student Kelly Gripshover on the team’s Sept. 14 open date … Came back the next week with a career-high 16 tackles, including two for loss, two pass breakups, and a fumble recovery in the win over Indiana … Champions Club for six games.
Chris Ford, CB/FS, So. — Started at corner-back at LSU and at free safety against Georgia … Had 20 tackles on the season, with a career-high nine at LSU … Champions Club vs. LSU.
Van Hiles, CB-FS, Sr. — Named second-team All-SEC by Associated Press … Team co-captain … Led all SEC cornerbacks in tackles with 64 … Led team in pass breakups with 10 and also had three interceptions … Set UK career record for pass breakups with 25 … Career-high nine tackles vs. Louisville … Champions Club for six games.
Tremayne Martin, SS, Jr. — A junior college transfer who had 32 tackles this season (including four for loss) and an interception at Florida … Season-high nine tackles against Georgia.
Littleton Ward, CB, Jr. — Started every game … Had 43 tackles, including two for loss … Made first interception of his career in the Vanderbilt game … Eight pass breakups, all in the last five games … Career-high eight tackles in the win over Indiana … Champions Club for five games.
Kiyo Wilson, FS, Sr. — Started the first six games before missing two with two broken bones in his right hand … Had surgery on Oct. 18 and returned for Miss. State … 60 tackles, including five for loss, and three pass breakups … His interception of Florida’s Danny Wuerffel broke Wuerffel’s school-record streak of 121 consecutive passes without a pickoff … Career-high 10 tackles vs. Indiana … Champions Club vs. Louisville, Indiana and Vanderbilt.
Tony Woods, CB, So. — Started the first four games but his season was ended by a cracked vertebra in his back … Hopes to return to action next year … 26 tackles, caused one fumble, and had three pass breakups … Career-high eight tackles vs. Louisville … Champions Club vs. Indiana.
Kickers
Jimmy Carter, P, So. — Averaged 39.3 yards, up from 35.6 a year ago … Placed 18 punts inside the 20-yard line … Had a career-long punt of 68 yards against Georgia … Best game was a 43.4-yard average at LSU … Set school record for most punts in a game (13 at Florida) and season (91) … Also set school records for most punting yards in a game (539 at Florida) and season (3,597) … Won team’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes Award.
Brian Johnson, K, Jr. — Team’s placekicker was 16-16 on extra points, tying the school record for extra point accuracy … Was 5-8 on field goals … Made the game-winning 26-yard field goal with 14 seconds remaining in the 3-0 win over Indiana … Chosen for the Champions Club for his clutch kick against the Hoosiers … Has made all 25 extra points and 6-9 field goals in his UK career.
