< PreviousPLAYER DEVELOPMENT Kentucky football introduced #4for40 in 2018, an initiative which guides players during their four years on campus, and their 40 years after. UK also instilled programs to help prepare players for changes in life and to better connect with every player while at the same time bringing former players back who can offer career advice. Tim Owens Director of Player Development Devin Haygood Football Sports Nutritionist/DietitianPERFORMANCE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT Many Kentucky players choose to take part in serving the community in a variety of projects, including mentoring, hospital visits, speaking engagements and food drives. In 2019, along with other UK engineering students and a team of Toyota Manufacturing engineers, offensive guard Luke Fortner worked for months to help design, test and manufacture a specially-built push cart vehicle through a project called “Lift Them Up.” The push cart vehicle provides a Kentucky Children’s Hospital patient the chance to both accompany the Wildcats on the Cat Walk and attend a game at Kroger Field. Every college football program puts a premium on developing student-athletes, but the Performance program is unique to Kentucky. From strength and conditioning, led by director of performance Corey Edmond, director of performance/head strength coach Mark Hill, and assistant directors Tyler Malone and Rafael Horton, to nutrition led by registered dietitian Devin Haygood, to the latest in athlete-tracking technology spearheaded by director of applied science Dr. Chris Morris, the Performance program brings all aspects of performance under one umbrella.KENTUCKY n Record retention and graduation rates and bold goals for continued growth in our strategic plan n More than 8,000 degrees and 1,000 certificates awarded in the last academic year n Diverse, inclusive campus community with students from all 120 Kentucky counties, all 50 states and more than 100 countries n $4 billion in campus transformation, much of it financed in collaboration with private and public partners, focused on student living and learning communities, modern research laboratories, innovative teaching and learning spaces and one of the fastest growing academic medical centers in the country n A $6.8 billion enterprise, UK is the region’s largest employer n $494 million in revenue from research grants and contracts —the third straight year UK’s research enterprise would top $400 million n UK students compete successfully for prestigious scholarships and awards, such as the Fulbright, Astronaut, Truman, Goldwater, Marshall, Udall, Rhodes and Gates Cambridge n The hospitals and clinics of UK HealthCare provide advanced subspecialty care for the most critically injured and ill patients from Kentucky and beyond. UK HealthCare is also home to the state’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer center, the region’s only Level 1 trauma center and Kentucky’s top hospital ranked by U.S. News & World Report. THE UNIVERSITY OFHOUSINGTalbott Todd Way is the site of UK’s pregame Cat Walk, where fans cheer the Wildcats on their arrival to Kroger Field each game day. Players and coaches walk from outside Gate 1 down Talbott Todd Way to the Joe Craft Football Training Facility two hours and 15 minutes prior to kickoff. The alley was dedicated to former Wildcat Talbott Todd (1963-65). Todd, who passed away from ALS in August 2017, was an avid supporter of the program. GAME DAYThanks to Nike’s extensive research and product development, the Kentucky Wildcats stay on the cutting edge of quality and style with all of their gear. Thanks to Nike’s extensive research and product development, the Kentucky Wildcats stay on the cutting edge of quality and style with all of their gear. All 23 sports use Nike shoes and equipment and over the course of the current eight-year contract, one of the lengthiest contracts in collegiate sports, the Wildcats will receive MILLIONS of DOLLARS worth of clothing and equipment. New for 2023, the Wildcats received new football uniform combinations that are sure to excite players and fans alike. Each uniform features a blue collar which signifies Kentucky’s working- class background. The classic “Kentucky” wordmark reads across the chest, the pants feature classic stripes and the Wildcat logo adorns the sleeves. “We’ve got a state that is all about hard work and effort, and we want people to understand that that’s what it takes. If you put that jersey on, that’s part of what it means at the University of Kentucky to represent the Commonwealth. — UK Athletics Director, Mitch Barnhart NIKE SWAGKENTUCKY ROAD THE Brand Protection, Enhancement, and Engagement Kentucky has advanced to a school-record seven straight bowl games, winning four of the last five.UK Athletics Department has intensified its commitment to providing best-in-class experiences and opportunities for student-athletes throughThe Kentucky Road,which describes the incomparable developmental experience provided for student-athletes during their time as Wildcats. Benefits include, but are not limited to: Providing industry-leading support for leveraging individual social media presence through education, opportunity and data-backed insights. Extended scholarships until a bachelor’s degree is achieved. Former Wildcat and NFL veteran, Avery Williamson (2010-13), returned to Kentucky in the spring of 2019 and graduated with a degree in integrated strategic communication (pictured above). In December of 2020, cornerback Derrick Tatum, who played from 1999-2002, and wide receiver Steve Johnson, who played at UK in 2006-07 and went on to an eight-year career in the NFL, came back to earn their degrees. Financial Education Lifetime Scholarships UK Athletics strives to offer a world-class student- athlete experience, with a strong emphasis on helping athletes maximizetheir personal branding to position themselves to monetize their NAME, IMAGE and LIKENESS The “BBNIL” program builds upon Kentucky’s college- sports leading suite of benefits featuring opportunities to enhance each student-athlete’s personal brand. “The fanbase and the local market of people who are bought into the team and bought into us players, those are going to be where most of the opportunities come from. There’s definitely going to be opportunities for some guys on a national scale, but I think that the local markets are really the most important pieces of the puzzle for this because those are the people that are most passionately connected to the team and are willing to pour into us.” - Former quarterback Will Levis Visit BBNIL.com for more information. The BBNIL enhanced suite of benefits includes, but is not limited to: n Representing one of college athletics’ most iconic and nationally recognizable brands. n Access to licensing partnership with Fanatics, UK’s industry-leading sports merchandise partner, alongside specialist agency OneTeam Partners. n The opportunity to be an influencer in the diverse and vibrant Kentucky economic market. n Providing industry-leading support for leveraging individual social media presence through education, data-backed insights and first access to content created by UK’s elite team of media professionals. n Professional advice on potential deals that have already been proposed. n Extended scholarships until a bachelor’s degree is achieved. n Financial education. The BBNIL program will also include a multimedia campaign featuring testimonial videos with Kentucky student-athletes testifying in their own words how the first year of NIL went for them. Some of UK Athletics’ most recognizable athletes will be featured throughout the coming weeks telling their own stories of how they’ve benefited and what they’ve learned. The University of Kentucky is a leader empowering student- athletes to win at NIL as well as athletic competition. Kentucky Athletics remains committed to building and sustaining championship level programs, educating student-athletes and competing at the highest level. Several organizations accept collective donations to support Wildcat NIL opportunities, including n Commonwealth Causes n Charities for Kentucky n The Kentucky 15 Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart: “We wholeheartedly embrace our athletes’ ability to earn from their NIL and continue to do everything we can to empower them to succeed.” Fans can buy their favorite Wildcats jerseys as well as other apparel items at the UK Team Shop.Next >