AlfonsoSmith

• SEC Academic Honor Roll (2008)
• UK Most Outstanding First-Year Offensive Player by UK coaches (2006)
• UK Offensive Scout Team Player of the Year by UK coaches (2005)

Speedy tailback and special-teams standout … Opens preseason camp as the starting tailback … Has made notable improvement in pass receiving … Does an excellent job in kick coverage and has 22 tackles and a forced fumble in his career in that role … Seen action in 34 games with six starts … Has rushed for 712 career yards … Best game of his career came when he played a lead role in the win at Mississippi State in 2006, rushing for 92 yards and one touchdown and also providing 57 receiving yards.

2008 (Junior): Saw action in all 13 games, including making five starts … Set a career high with 313 rushing yards … Also added career bests of 16 receptions and 204 receiving yards during the year … Scored a touchdown on a career-long reception of 71 yards against Arkansas; had career highs of five catches for 108 yards in that game … Had a season-high 67 rushing yards against Western Kentucky … Had a career-long run of 38 yards in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl … Had 12 tackles in special teams coverage and a forced fumble … Served as the game captain against Alabama.

2007 (Sophomore): Played in 10 games, missing three in mid-season because of a sprained ankle at Arkansas … Rushed for 149 yards, averaging a sparkling 7.1 yards per carry … Ran for 53 yards and a touchdown and also caught a TD pass vs. Eastern Kentucky, his first multi-scoring game … Scored in back-to-back weeks for the first time in his career as he found the endzone against Kent State on a 12-yard scamper … Carried the ball six times for 54 yards against the Golden Flashes … Notched seven tackles in kick coverage and also recovered a fumble … Earned the game captain role for the Louisville and Georgia games.

2006 (Redshirt Freshman): UK’s Most Outstanding First-Year Offensive Player as picked by UK coaches … Emerged as a big-play tailback … Rushed 60 times for 285 yards and two touchdowns … Also caught six balls for 96 yards … As gunner on punt coverage he recorded three tackles … Played a lead role in the win at Mississippi State, rushing for 92 yards and one touchdown and also providing 57 receiving yards against the Bulldogs.

2005 (Freshman): Redshirted … Named Offensive Scout Team Player of the Week three times during the season, leading to him being chosen UK’s Offensive Scout Team Player of the Year.

High School: Excellent athlete who was a three-year starter at Waggener HS in Louisville, playing running back on offense and cornerback and linebacker on defense … Rushed for 1,071 yards and 11 touchdowns as a senior, despite missing some or all of several games because of injury … District Player of the Year as a senior … Honorable-mention all-state by the Louisville Courier-Journal … All-district as a junior when he rushed for 841 yards and nine TDs … Team went to the state playoffs all three years he was on the varsity, with a best mark of 10-2 as a senior … Career rushing stats feature 2,312 yards, 7.6 yards per carry, and 24 touchdowns … Caught 21 passes for 286 yards and four TDs; career defensive stats feature four interceptions, four fumbles, caused, and three interceptions … The No. 7 prospect in Kentucky by SuperPrep and listed No. 10 in the state by Rivals.com … Coached by Chris Wolfe … “Alfonso has incredible athletic skills,” Wolfe said. “He’s a track star and will only continue to get better. He has incredible work ethic, great leadership skills, and is outstanding in the classroom. When you combine those with his great character, the sky’s the limit for him. I believe he’ll be a phenomenal SEC player.” … Played in the Kentucky-Tennessee All-Star Game in June 2005 … A three-year letterman on the track team, running the 100- and 200-meter dashes and two relays … Won two Class AAA state championships as a senior, the 100-meter dash and the 4×100 relay … Top time in the 100 is 10.52 seconds … Received a U. S. Marine Corps Distinguished Athlete Award … Member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes … Honor-roll student … Picked Kentucky with final consideration to Boston College, Louisville, and Indiana.

Personal: Born in San Bernardino, Calif. … Family of Tammi Mitchell and Joey Mitchell … Major is community communications and leadership development.

Community Cats: Volunteer at the American Cancer Society Relay for Life and participated in events at Johnson Elementary School and Hayes Middle School (2007) … 2008 service included events at Deep Springs Elementary, Picadome Elementary, Hayes Middle School and Rosa Parks Elementary.