MorganNewton

– SEC All-Freshman Team by SEC coaches (2009)
– UK Most Outstanding First-Year Offensive Player by UK coaches (2009)
– SEC Freshman of the Week for the Eastern Kentucky game (2009)
– SEC Academic Honor Roll (2011)

Hopes to be fully ready in August after recovering from shoulder surgery at the end of the 2011 season … Participated in non-throwing drills during the spring … Showed his dedication to the team with an unselfish act last season … Sustained his shoulder injury in late October and needed surgery … However, he chose to delay the surgery for a month in case the team needed him to finish a game with handoffs and short passes, which happened when the Wildcats played Georgia … Coach Joker Phillips gave him the honor of downing the ball in the final series of the win over Tennessee as the Wildcats ran out the clock … The delay set his recovery back by a month … Has noteworthy attributes, with good size, a strong arm and also is a capable runner … Did an admirable job in 2009 when he had to play as a true freshman … Was in the midst of a redshirt season when he was called into action after starting quarterback Mike Hartline was injured … Started the last eight games, helping UK post a 5-3 record … Has played in 23 games, starting 17 … Has thrown for 1,764 yards and 14 touchdowns during his career.

2011 (Junior): Played in 10 games, starting the first eight … Completed 83 of 174 passes for 793 yards and eight touchdowns … Threw for a career-high 255 yards and two touchdowns vs. Louisville … Rushed for a net 272 yards and two touchdowns … Ran 12 times for a career-best 75 yards and a TD in the win over Jacksonville State … Had a career-long run of 58 yards to set up a touchdown vs. Western Kentucky University.

2010 (Sophomore): Started the BBVA Compass Bowl … Completed 21 of 36 passes for 211 yards in the bowl tilt and added 18 net rushing yards … Saw backup duty in four other games.

2009 (Freshman): Selected to the SEC All-Freshman Team by the league coaches … UK’s Most Outstanding First-Year Offensive Player as chosen by UK coaches … Completed 55.6 percent of his passes for 706 yards and six touchdowns … Completed 20 of 29 passes for 187 yards, all season highs, along with two touchdowns in the win over Eastern Kentucky … Earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors for that performance … Hit nine of 17 passes for 137 yards and a season-best three TDs in the upset win at Georgia … Guided UK to its first win over Auburn since 1966 and first win at Auburn since 1961.

High School: All-America quarterback as named by Parade, SuperPrep, The Sporting News, MaxPreps and ESPN/Rise Magazine (Grid-Hoop) … ESPN/Rise Magazine “Athlete of the Year” in Indiana … The Gatorade Indiana Football Player of the Year and also “Mr. Football” in the state … Threw for 1,938 yards and 22 touchdowns as a senior, along with 1,664 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns, accounting for 3,602 yards total offense and 48 TDs … Led Carmel High School to three consecutive state championship games, winning the Class AAAAA title his junior season … Team went 38-7 over those three years … Passed for 1,882 yards and 25 touchdowns as a junior, adding 753 rushing yards and 11 scores … First-team all-state as a junior and senior by The Associated Press and the state coaches’ association … Indianapolis Star Football Player of the Year as a senior … Also named the Star’s Suburban Athlete of the Year for his combination of football and basketball accomplishments … Career totals feature 4,284 passing yards and 37 touchdowns, plus 2,617 rushing yards and 37 scores … Broke 10 school records, eight of which were held by former NFL and Purdue quarterback Mark Herrmann … The No. 6 quarterback prospect in the nation by Scout.com … The No. 7 QB by SuperPrep, which also listed him as the No. 6 overall prospect in the six-state Midwest Region … Picked for the Detroit Free Press “Best of the Midwest” team … Played his freshman year at Pike HS in Indianapolis, where he was a teammate with current Wildcat Dakotah Tyler … Coached by Mo Moriarity … “Morgan is an intelligent kid, and athletically he’s as good as there is out there,” Moriarity said. “He throws the deep ball well. He can kill you (running the ball) if he doesn’t have a throw. He’s also an unbelievable competitor.” … Was an all-conference basketball player and also played baseball in high school … Member of the Student-Advisory Committee, the Student-Athlete Advisory Board and the Diversity Club … Graduated with honors … Guest speaker to elementary students through the NCAA’s “Stay in Bounds” program.

Personal: Born in Indianapolis … Son of John and Ruby Newton … John played football at Grambling State University … Major is management.

Community Cats: Participated in an event at a youth football banquet (2009) … Took part in events with Read Across America, Paris Elementary School, Dixie Elementary, South Heights Elementary, the UK Hospital Dance Blue fundraiser, the Christian Appalachian Project and Ashland Elementary (2010) … Took part in the “Gameday Ready” football clinic with the Birmingham Boys and Girls Club and the Big Blue U Move-In (2011) … Helped with God’s Pantry (2012).