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Blake Best - Football - University of Kentucky Athletics 53

BlakeBest

  • position Long Snapper
  • height 6-1
  • Weight 215
  • class Senior
  • Hometown Duluth, Ga.
  • High school Peachtree Ridge
BIO Stats

2018 – Junior

  • Started in all 13 games as the long snapper for field goals and PATs
  • Perfect on all snaps (9 field goals, 43 extra points
  • Second-Team 2018 Google Cloud Academic All-American® 
  • 2018 Google Cloud Academic All-District® Football Team
  • Named to SEC Academic Honor Roll
  • Dean’s List (Fall 2018) with a perfect 4.0 GPA


2017 – Sophomore

  • Started in 13 games as the long snapper for field goals and PATs
  • Perfect on all snaps (13 field goals, 32 extra points)
  • Named to the Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll
  • Dean’s List (Fall 2017)


2016 – r-Freshman

  • Started in 13 games as the long snapper for field goals and PATs
  • Perfect on all snaps (19 field goals, 45 extra points)
  • Integral part of setting up kicker Austin MacGinnis to hit two game-winning field goals (51-yarder vs. Mississippi State and a 47-yarder at No. 11 Louisville)
  • Named to the Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll
  • Dean’s List (Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017)


2015 – Freshman

  • Redshirt season
  • Dean’s List (Fall 2015)


High School

  • Three-year starter at long snapper and offensive line, helping the Lions chart a 7-4 record in his senior season
  • Also was a two-year letter winner in baseball at Peachtree Ridge
  • Earned a National Merit Scholarship to Kentucky 
  • Named to the All-Academic first team in 2014 with a 4.1 grade point average
  • Founder of MENtoring, a mentoring group for freshman student-athletes
  • Also a member of the Student-Athlete Leadership Team at PRHS
  • Coached by Mark Fleetwood
  • Applied only to Kentucky but had interest from Clemson, Southern Methodist and Princeton
  • Personal
  • Born in Dallas, Texas
  • Son of Tom and Lynne Best
  • Tom played football at Princeton from 1985-88, while uncle, Paul Gunsallus, played baseball at Louisiana Tech and his brother, Billy Best, played baseball at Greater Gwinnett College
  • Graduated in December with a double major in economics and finance with a perfect 4.0 GPA


Community Cats

  • Stayed after practice to spend time with the Special Olympics (2015)


Blake Says

  • He chose Kentucky because his mom is an alumna and it was a great opportunity to play for a great school
  • One word to describe him on the field is “consistent”
  • He couldn’t live without his dogs and family
  • His favorite part of game day is running out of the tunnel
  • His sports hero is any long snapper because they are living his dream
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