On the football field, Kentucky cornerback Antoine Huffman does his best to change the opponent?s plays.
Off the field, he does his best to change people?s lives. He?s succeeding on both accounts.
As a player, Huffman has totaled 15 pass breakups during his career, more than any other current Wildcat. Away from football, his dedication to community service has landed him a spot on the 2004 Good Works Team announced Wednesday by the American Football Coaches Association. It?s a national honor, as only 11 players are chosen from among the NCAA?s 117 Division I-A teams.
Huffman?s record of service is remarkable. He is the outreach chairman for all of UK?s student-athletes. As part of the Cats Cultivating Character program, he developed a character lesson plan for third-grade students at Russell Cave Elementary, then taught the lesson each week for a full academic year. For three years he has been a mentor for middle-school students as part of the Kentucky Excel Program.
Huffman has made countless visits and speaking appearances at area hospitals and schools. He?s been involved with projects with the Ronald McDonald House, Richmond Retirement Place, 4-H Club, Boys and Girls Club, Salvation Army, the Hope Center, Family Care Center, and St. Agnes House, among many others.
Huffman also is active in sharing his faith. He has been involved with the Athletes In Action, serving as vice-president, and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He also has preached sermons at area churches.
Huffman is serving a two-year term as president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, comprised of representatives from all 22 UK athletic teams. He has been the student-athlete representative on the UK Athletics Board of Directors, the governing body of Wildcat athletics.
One might think that his academics would suffer between all this activity and his football commitment, but actually, he?s done very well in the classroom. He carries a 3.45 grade-point average with a major in telecommunications, has been a member of the Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll, and earned a nomination for Academic All-America. He was chosen for an academic scholarship at UK and already has received several other awards for his achievements.
?Antoine is an amazing individual who manages to find time for his athletics, academics, and service,? said Martina Martin, who works in UK?s Center for Academic and Tutorial Services and is coordinator of the student-athlete outreach program. ?Antoine does a lot of events through our office and he also finds things for himself and the other students to do on their own.?
How does he do it all?
Antoine is quick to credit his mother, Aspie, for teaching him to succeed. And, as Antoine likes to joke, he figures he?ll sleep when he gets old.
UK Ranks Second All-Time on the Good Works Team: With Antoine Huffman becoming the eighth player in school history to earn a spot on the National Good Works Team, Kentucky now ranks second all-time in that category.
Nebraska is the leader among the nation?s 117 Division I-A schools with nine honorees. Kentucky and Georgia are tied for second with eight, followed by South Carolina with six. The Good Works Team was sponsored by the College Football Association from 1992-96 and by the AFCA from 1997-present.
Huffman joins an elite list of Wildcats who have been selected for the National Good Works Team, including Doug Pelfrey (1992), Leon Smith (1994), Kurt Supe (1996), Jimmy Carter (1998), Seth Hanson (1999), Matt Layow (2000), and Antonio Hall (2002).
