Dawson to Represent Kentucky at SEC Legends Dinner: Former UK offensive lineman Dermontti Dawson will represent the Wildcats at the annual Southeastern Conference Legends Dinner on Fri. Dec. 5.
Dawson played guard and center at UK from 1984-87 under Coach Jerry Claiborne. He blocked for three of the top six running backs on the UK career rushing list, Mark Higgs, George Adams, and Marc Logan. He was a member of the 1984 Hall of Fame Bowl championship team and was named All-SEC in 1987 following his senior season. He is one of UK?s retired-jersey honorees.
After his time at UK, Dawson was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the 1988 draft and enjoyed a 13-year career with the Steelers. He was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection from 1992-98 and is known as one of the top centers in the history of the National Football League.
A native of Lexington, Dawson was an all-state performer at Bryan Station High School. Dawson and his family have returned to Lexington and he is involved in multiple business enterprises in the area.
The SEC Legends Dinner is held annually in conjunction with the SEC Championship Game and honors one former player or coach from each of the 12 SEC schools.
Abney, Begley, Anderson, Burns Leading the SEC: The following is a list of Kentucky Wildcats who are at or near the top of NCAA and Southeastern Conference statistics. Final standings will be released in January, however, as bowl games are included in final statistics (per 2002 rule change).
All-Purpose Yardage: Derek Abney first in the SEC and 13th nationally with 151.8 yards per game
Kickoff Return Average: Derek Abney first in the SEC with an average of 24.1 yards per return
PAT Kicking Percentage: Taylor Begley tied first in the SEC with 100 percent
Tackles Per Game: Chad Anderson first in the SEC with 11.4 tackles per game (total of 125 tackles in 11 games); Dustin Williams fourth in the SEC with 10.2 tackles per game (total of 122 tackles in 12 games)
Tackles For Loss: Vincent ?Sweet Pea? Burns first in the SEC with 1.5 TFL per game (total of 18 TFL)
Team Sacks: UK second in the SEC with 30 sacks
Fourth-Down Conversions: UK second in the SEC, converting 71.4 percent on fourth down
Kickoff Coverage: UK first in the SEC, 16.8 yards allowed per kickoff return
Coaches on the Road: With the 2003 season completed, the Kentucky coaches are on the road for recruiting. The December signing period (usually junior college players) begins Wed. Dec. 17. The February signing period (mostly high school players) begins Wed. Feb. 4.
Players in the Weight Room: The Kentucky players are wasting no time in getting ready for the 2004 season. The Wildcats have begun off-season strength and conditioning workouts.
