Football
Denzil Ware - Football - University of Kentucky Athletics 35

DenzilWare

  • height 6-2
  • Weight 245
  • class Junior
  • Hometown Opp, Ala.
  • High school Senior

2017 – Junior

  • Phil Steele All-SEC Third Team
  • Saw action in 12 of 13 games with six starting assignments
  • Totaled 47 tackles, seventh on the team
  • Second on the team in tackles for loss (9.0) and third in sacks (6.5)
  • Ranked 12th in the SEC in sacks
  • Recorded a sack in six games this season, including three of his last five
  • Had two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries
  • Caught a pass batted by junior DT Adrian Middleton for the first interception of his career in the win over Vanderbilt … Also notched two of UK’s five quarterback sacks, tying his career high
  • Named Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week for his play against the Commodores
  • Recorded a career-high tying nine tackles with one sack and two tackles for loss in the win over Tennessee … His 10-yard sack was on Tennessee’s final possession as UK held on to win
  • Charted a season-high seven tackles, including a TFL for four yards vs. Florida
  • Named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week in Week 1 after finishing with two tackles, a tackle for loss, a sack, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries vs. Southern Miss
  • Late in the third quarter, Darius West made a jolting tackle that caused a fumble, which Ware scooped and scored from 20 yards out
  • Marked his first collegiate touchdown but his second collegiate score … Also had a fumble return for a 2-point defensive PAT at South Carolina in 2015
  • Athlon Sports Preseason All-SEC Third Team
  • Preseason All-SEC Second Team (Media)
  • Preseason All-SEC Second Team (Coaches)

2016 – Sophomore

  • Has started in 24 of 25 career games played, including 19 consecutive
  • For his career, has 109 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks
  • Had 70 tackles in 2016 (fourth on the team) and five QB hurries (second on the team)
  • Ranked second on the team with 5.5 total sacks and 12.0 tackles for loss
  • Recorded a career-high tying nine tackles in the bowl game … Also had nine at Tennessee
  • Tallied seven tackles with one TFL in the win over No. 11 Louisville
  • Also had seven tackles in wins over Mississippi State and Austin Peay
  • Had six tackles, including a career-high 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in UK’s win over Vanderbilt
  • Named SEC Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week after totaling a season-high five tackles, two sacks and two TFLs in the win over South Carolina
  • The two sacks vs. USC are the most sacks by a UK player against an SEC opponent since Ridge Wilson against South Carolina in 2011
  • With South Carolina in UK territory, threatening to tie the game late in the fourth quarter, Ware sacked the quarterback for a 19-yard loss on fourth down; it turned out to be USC’s final offensive play of the game

2015 – r-Freshman

  • Played in all 12 games with 11 starts at the outside linebacker/defensive end position
  • Ranked seventh on the team with 39 tackles, adding 5.5 tackles for a loss and one sackHad two quarterback hurries, and recovered and forced a fumble
  • With South Carolina threatening to tie in the fourth quarter, he picked up a fumble and raced the length of the field for a defensive two-point conversion, the final points of UK’s 26-22 win
  • Had seven tackles in the season opener vs. UL Lafayette
  • Forced a fumble vs. Florida
  • Recorded first career sack in UK’s win over No. 23 Missouri

2014 – Freshman

  • Redshirt season

High School

  • A four-star prospect by 247Sports.com, Scout and ESPN and a three-star recruit by Rivals
  • Scout ranked him the No. 26 defensive end in the nation, while ESPN ranked him No. 113 in its ESPN Top 300 list and the 20th-best prospect in Florida and the 12th-best defensive end in the nation
  • Class 7A third-team all-state as a senior
  • Accumulated 56 tackles, 12 quarterback sacks and three caused fumbles
  • Was a first-team all-state selection as a junior and second-team all-state as a sophomore
  • Selected to play in the 2014 Offense-Defense All-American Bowl
  • Three-year starter
  • Coached by Tim Hatten
  • Played power forward and center on the basketball team
  • Selected to the school’s Minority Council
  • Chose Kentucky over Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Texas, USC and Vanderbilt

Personal

  • Born in Enterprise, Ala.
  • Son of Keena Ware
  • Has a son, Denzil Ware Jr.
  • Set to graduate in May with a degree in community and leadership development
  • Participated in a one-week service/educational trip to the Dominican Republic in May of 2017 where he interacted with residents of impoverished communities, visited an orphanage, constructed park benches in a sugar cane village, distributed food to the hungry, visited a nursing home and a daycare for special needs children

Community Cats

  • Participated in a one-week service/educational trip to the Dominican Republic in May of 2017 where he interacted with residents of impoverished communities, visited an orphanage, constructed park benches in a sugar cane village, distributed food to the hungry, visited a nursing home and a daycare for special needs children
  • Stayed after practice to spend time with the Special Olympics (2015)
  • “Breakfast with Santa” volunteer (2015)
  • Indian Summer Camp visitor (2015)

Denzil Says

  • His nickname is “Zel”
  • His pregame routine consists of mom texting a prayer and him reading it before the team leaves the hotel
  • His advice to young players is to stay in the books and make your grades
  • His favorite part of game day is coming out of the tunnel with all the smoke and fireworks
  • Most people don’t know that he loves shoes
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