Football
Darius West - Football - University of Kentucky Athletics 25

DariusWest

  • position Safety
  • height 6-0
  • Weight 210
  • class Senior
  • Hometown Lima, Ohio
  • High school Central Catholic

Career

  • Played in 36 games with 24 starting assignments
  • Invited to play in the 2018 Reese’s Senior Bowl where he totaled three tackles for the South
  • Despite just playing three seasons due to an injury in 2016, totaled 189 tackles, five PBU, five TFL, four interceptions, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one block in his Wildcat career
  • Led the team in 2018 with three interceptions for 51 yards, which tied for seventh in the SEC standings
  • All four of his career pickoffs were against SEC foes (Texas A&M, Florida twice and South Carolina)
  • Ranked second on the team in total tackles (86) and PBU (6) as a senior
  • Helped the senior class win 29 games over the last four seasons, the second-most of any senior class since freshmen became eligible in 1972, trailing on the 2009 class with 30 wins
  • Posted a team-high 10 tackles in the win over Penn State in the VRBO Citrus Bowl, UK’s first postseason victory since Jan. 2, 2009
  • His career high of 11 tackles happened twice in his junior season, vs. EKU and Northwestern 
  • Graduated in December with a degree in community and leadership development

2018 – Senior

  • Started in 12 of 13 games played 
  • Second on the team in total tackles (86)
  • Tied for seventh in the SEC in total interceptions (3)
  • Ranked 18th in the SEC in tackles per game (6.6)
  • Had a team-high three INTs and a team-high tying six PBUs
  • Led the Wildcats with 10 tackles in the win over Penn State in the VRBO Citrus Bowl
  • Although only playing in the second half due to a targeting call in the Georgia game, tied for the team lead with six tackles at Tennessee, including one for loss
  • Blocked a field-goal attempt in the first quarter at Missouri, the first blocked kick of his career and UK’s first blocked kick of the season … Also had eight tackles and a pass breakup
  • Had a magnificent game at Texas A&M, scoring a touchdown on a 40-yard fumble return, grabbing an interception, and leading the Wildcats with 10 tackles
  • Had a team-high nine tackles and picked off his second interception of the season, third of his career in the win over South Carolina … Also had a career-high tying two pass breakups
  • Led Kentucky with nine tackles, adding a career-high two pass breakups in the win over No. 14 Mississippi State
  • Charted eight tackles and also picked off a pass in the fourth quarter at Florida
  • Midseason All-America Team (The Athletic, second team)

2017 – Junior

  • Played in all 13 games with 12 starting assignments
  • Ranked third on the team in tackles with 86
  • Recorded 4.0 TFL which tied for fifth on the team
  • Two forced fumbles
  • Made his first career interception in the third quarter and returned it 21 yards vs. Florida
  • Had a career-high tying 11 tackles in the Music City Bowl vs. Northwestern
  • Also had 11 stops vs. EKU
  • Had a game-high seven tackles at Georgia
  • In addition to causing a fumble at Southern Miss, he also made seven tackles, including one for loss

2016 – Sophomore

  • Missed the season due to a preseason knee injury

2015 – r-Freshman

  • Played in 10 of 12 games as a reserve member of the secondary, also excelling on special teams
  • Finished with 17 tackles, including a season-high seven in a win over Charlotte

2014 – Freshman

  • Redshirt season

High School

  • Four-star recruit by Rivals, Scout, 247Sports.com and ESPN
  • Ranked as the No. 219 overall prospect in Rivals Top 250 and ninth-best in the state of Ohio
  • ESPN ranked him the eighth-best player in the state of Ohio and the 18th-best cornerback in the nation
  • ESPN also ranks him No. 248 on the ESPN Top 300
  • Scout ranks him the No. 21 safety in the nation
  • Played in only two games as a senior because of injury
  • Had 47 tackles as a junior with five interceptions, two fumbles forced, one fumble recovery and one interception returned for a touchdown leading his team to the second round of the state tournament
  • Earned all-conference honors while helping team win league championship
  • As a sophomore, he had 69 tackles, one interception and one fumble forced as his team went to the state semifinals
  • Won the team’s Sophomore Leadership Award
  • Coached by Jerry Cooper
  • Played forward on the basketball team and was a sprinter for the track team
  • Picked Kentucky over Cincinnati, Illinois, Louisville, Michigan State, Minnesota, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Vanderbilt, West Virginia and Wisconsin

Personal

  • Born in Lima, Ohio
  • Son of Yvonne Robinson and Doug West
  • Has two sons, Keon and Keelan
  • Doug played college football at North Dakota State
  • A cousin, William White, played 11 years in the NFL with Detroit, Kansas City and Atlanta
  • Community Cats
  • Backpack Program volunteer (2017)
  • Stayed after practice to spend time with the Special Olympics (2015)

Darius Says

  • Nickname is “Kendre”
  • Most people don’t know he has a son, Keon J. West
  • One word to describe him on the field is “energy”
  • His sports hero is Kobe Bryant because he’s the greatest of all time
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