SamSimpson

• UK Most Valuable Offensive Scout Team Player by UK coaches (2009)

Played well in the spring, moving up the depth chart to second-team center behind returning starter Matt Smith … Has the playing savvy one would expect from the son of a coach … Also has the ability to be a long snapper.

2010 (Redshirt Freshman): Did not see game action in 2010 … Was the Offensive Scout Team Player of the Week for the Akron game.

2009 (Freshman): Redshirted … Coaching staff named him the team’s Most Valuable Offensive Scout Team Player for the season … Offensive Scout Team Player of the Week twice during the season.

High School: Among the nation’s top center prospects … Rated No. 3 in the country by Scout.com, No. 10 by Rivals.com … One of the nation’s top-50 players as chosen by the Old Spice Red Zone Player of the Year program … First-team all-state as a senior by the Louisville Courier-Journal … Secondteam all-state by The Associated Press … Named to the Lexington Herald- Leader “Class of the Commonwealth” list of the top-22 seniors in the state … Honorable-mention all-state as a junior … Three-year member of the allregion, all-district and all-city teams … Played for his father, Coach Sam Simpson, at Henry Clay HS in Lexington … Helped Henry Clay to three consecutive playoff appearances, including a 12-2 record and trip to the state semifinals his sophomore season … Also saw action at defensive tackle and as a long snapper … “Sam is a smart player; he’s been around the game so long he’s like a coach on the field,” Coach Simpson said. “Physically, he has size, speed, quickness and good hands.” … Also played basketball in high school … Member of the National Honor Society and graduated with a weighted grade-point average of approximately 4.1 … President of his senior class … Member of the Youth Leadership Council for the city of Lexington … Was a volunteer youth basketball coach three years, including one season in which he helped coach a team with former Lexington Mayor Jim Newberry.

Personal: Born in Lebanon, Ky. … Son of Sam and Sheri Simpson … The elder Simpson played at Kentucky from 1977-79 and was a teammate of current Wildcat assistant coach Chuck Smith … The younger Simpson has a brother, Salin, who played football at Middle Tennessee and Georgetown … Major is business administration.

Community Cats: Participated in a youth football banquet (2009) … Additional events with Read Across America, the UK Hospital Dance Blue fundraiser, Dixie Elementary School and Partis Elementary School (2010).