RyanTydlacka

• National Punter of the Week for the Ole Miss game by the College Football Performance Awards (2010)
• SEC Co-Special Teams Player of the Week for the South Carolina game (2010)
• All-SEC fourth team by Phil Steele’s College Football (2009)

Punted very well during spring practice and was named to the “All-Spring Team” by Rivals.com … Two-year starting punter … Has improved his average each season … Strong leg is complemented with good hang time and placement … Did an excellent job in 2008 as the team’s short-field punter … Also has placekicked during his career … Has played in 36 games … Has graduated with a degree in business management and is now working toward a second major in business marketing.

2010 (Junior): Averaged 43.8 yards per punt … SEC Co-Special Teams Player of the Week for the South Carolina when he landed three punts inside the 20-yard line … Launched a career-long 73-yard punt at Ole Miss, averaging a single-game best 50.5 yards per punt against the Rebels … Named the College Football Performance Awards National Punter of the Week for his performance against Ole Miss, pinning the Rebels at their own one-yard line and three-yard line.

2009 (Sophomore): A fourth-team All-SEC choice by Phil Steele’s College Football … Averaged 40.0 yards per punt … Single-game best was a 45.2-yard average in the win at Vanderbilt … Had a career-long 59-yarder at South Carolina … Did a fine job with hang time and placement as only 11 of his 64 punts were returned during the season … UK ranked fifth in the SEC in net punting … Dropped two punts inside the five-yard line vs. Alabama and did the same thing in the win at Auburn.

2008 (Redshirt Freshman): Made an appearance in 10 games, serving as the team’s pooch punter and backup kicker … Sixteen of his 22 punts stayed within the 20, with the other six going for touchbacks … Made 3-of-6 field goals, including a long of 51 yards against South Carolina … Made both field-goal attempts vs. Western Kentucky.

2007 (Freshman): Redshirted.

High School: First-team all-state as a junior and senior by The Associated Press … First-team all-state as a senior, third team as a junior by the Louisville Courier-Journal … Outstanding kicker/punter from perennial state power Trinity HS in Louisville … Averaged 45.6 yards per punt as a senior … Three-year starting punter with a career average of 40.3 yards … Also the team’s placekicker as a senior, making 68 of 70 extra points and five of seven field goals … Made his last five field goals, including a long of 42 yards against the wind and rain on a very muddy field … Had 73 touchbacks on 116 kickoffs during his career, 62.9 percent … Helped Trinity to a 37-5 record during his three seasons, including state championships in his final two seasons … The all-district and all-county punter for three years … Honorable-mention all-state his sophomore season by the Louisville Courier-Journal … Also all-district and all-county as a kicker as a senior … All-South Region selection by PrepStar magazine … Had one punt for 46 yards for the winning Kentucky squad in the Kentucky-Tennessee All-Star Game in June, 2007 … Coached by Bob Beatty … “What a weapon! Anytime you can gain 50 yards with a punt, it changes the game,” Beatty said. “Ryan is a student of the game who improved his consistency. He’s also a class kid from a tremendous family, some of the best people you’ll ever meet. UK is going to be proud they got this one.” … Chose Kentucky over Louisville and Rice.

Personal: Born in Louisville, Ky. … Last name is pronounced “tid-LOTCH-ka” … Son of Adrian and Ofelia Tydlacka … His brother, Wade, punted at the University of Louisville and also played professionally in arena football … Has completed his degree in business management and is working toward a second major in business marketing.

Community Cats: Salvation Army bellringer (2008) … Visited patients at the St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital (2008) … Visited patients at Birmingham Children’s Hospital and the Lexington Veterans Administration Hospital (2011).

Ryan says … Favorite college course so far: elementary art education … I couldn’t live without my: naps … The coolest thing about being at UK is: I am close enough to play in front of my friends and family … The one thing I like most about football is: anything can happen in a single play that can change the whole game …Something people might not know about me is: I have eaten over 130 wings, a bowl of ice cream and a slice of cake in a single sitting and was still hungry.