In the rich tapestry of UK football, some players stand as timeless legends. This article dives into the careers of the greatest UK football players, exploring where they went after leaving the University of Kentucky.
Dermontti Dawson
Dawson was born in Lexington, Kentucky where he played football for Bryan Station High School. However, Dawson didn’t join the football team until his junior year due to a bad experience playing football during his freshmen year. He was an all-state offensive tackle in high school and ended up accepting an athletic scholarship at the University of Kentucky where he lettered all four years. In 1988, Dawson was selected in the second round of the NFL Draft by the Steelers.
Joe Federspiel
Federspiel also started his football career as a Wildcat before playing ten seasons in the NFL. He played for the New Orleans Saints from 1972 until 1980. He played for the Baltimore Colts in 1981. After retiring, he was an umpire for the SEC football games.
Bert Johnson
Johnson played at the University of Kentucky in the 1930s. He was UK’s second All-SEC player, and his nickname in college was Man o’ War. He noted that his personal highlight of his college days was in 1934 when he scored two touchdowns against Alabama. He played professionally for six seasons.
Dave Roller
At his time at the University of Kentucky, Roller received several commendations and he was inducted into the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame. He was drafted in the 13th round by the Giants where he played for one season. In 1975, he played for the Packers for four seasons. In 1979, he played for the Vikings for two seasons. Afterwards, he retired in 1980.
Sam Ball
Sam Ball will forever be a Kentucky sports legend. His athletic success began before even stepping foot on a college campus. He was an All-American player at Henderson High School. His football career only grew once he became a Wildcat. Ball played on the freshmen team his first year before becoming a letterman for three years under Charlie Bradshaw. During his senior year, he was first team All-SEC and All American. His career didn’t stop after graduation. In 1966, he was drafted by the Jets in the second round, 15th overall. He made it to the Super Bowl twice, the first time being in 1969 with the Colts and the second time in 1971.
Ralph Kercheval
Kercheval attended UK where he was chosen as placekicker for an AP Southeast Area All-Time football team. Throughout his football career, he held several positions with running back and punter being the most notable. When he went professional, he played for the Brooklyn Dodgers for seven seasons before retiring from football and returning to his roots in the thoroughbred horse racing industry.
Tom Ehlers
Tom Ehlers, son of former NBA player Bulbs Ehlers, played as a linebacker for UK. He was drafted by the Eagles in the 13th round of the 1975 Draft. He played for the Eagles from 1975 until 1977 and joined the Bills team for the 1978 season. A decade later, in 1988, he was inducted into the Indiana Football Hall of Fame.
Keenan Burton
Burton played a total of 45 games as a Wildcat. In the school’s history, Burton ranks second in touchdowns. He was selected 128th overall in the fourth round Draft in 2008 by the Rams. He played professionally from 2008 until 2010.
Josh Paschal
In Paschal’s first year playing for UK, he finished the season with 17 tackles and 3.5 sacks. In his second year, he recorded 34 tackles and recorded 32 tackles for his third year. In the second round of the 2022 Draft, he was drafted by the Detroit Lions where he played as a defensive end.
Logan Stenberg
Stenberg redshirted all four years he played for the University of Kentucky. As a senior, he was named first-team All-SEC and a second-team All-American. Stenberg was drafted by the Detroit Lions in 2020. He signed a reserve/future contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in January of 2024.
As we close the chapter on the greatest UK football players, let’s not forget that the stories of these legends and many more continue to unfold. In an exclusive podcast episode, we delve deeper into the remarkable journey of late icon, Sam Ball. Tune in to hear more about his football career and a firsthand account from his son on Kentucky Sports Memories.
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