Media Days kick off pre-season

UK'S LINDLEY, DUNCAN TO SPEAK THIS WEEK

By Chip Cosby / ccosby@herald-leader.com

UK Athletics Department

Trevard Lindley

The college football pre-season gets under way this week when the SEC Media Days kick off Wednesday at the Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Ala. UK Coach Rich Brooks, defensive back Trevard Lindley and offensive lineman Zipp Duncan will address the media Wednesday afternoon. Arkansas Coach Bobby Petrino is also on tap for that first day.

Here's the entire schedule:

Wednesday — Arkansas (Petrino, DT Malcolm Sheppard); Vanderbilt (Coach Bobby Johnson, C Bradley Vierling, CB Myron Lewis); Mississippi State (Coach Dan Mullen, OT Derek Sherrod, LB K.J. Wright); Kentucky

Thursday — Alabama (Coach Nick Saban, OL Mike Johnson, LB Rolando McClain); Georgia (Coach Mark Richt, QB Joe Cox, DT Jeff Owens), Mississippi (Coach Houston Nutt, QB Jevan Snead, DB Kendrick Lewis); Florida (Coach Urban Meyer, QB Tim Tebow, LB Brandon Spikes)

Friday — Auburn (Coach Gene Chizik, TE Tommy Trott, DE Antonio Coleman); South Carolina (Coach Steve Spurrier, WR Moe Brown, LB Eric Norwood); LSU (Coach Les Miles, OT Ciron Black, LB Jacob Cutrera); Tennessee (Coach Lane Kiffin, DB Eric Berry, TB Montario Hardesty)

Kickoff Luncheon Friday

The UK Football Kickoff Luncheon will be Friday, July 31, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Lexington.

Individual tickets cost $40, and a table of 10 costs $400. For reservations, contact Leslie Bray at (859) 257-2589.

Brooks and Louisville Coach Steve Kragthorpe will also be appearing at the annual Governor's Cup Classic, featuring a luncheon, news conference and golf outing, on Thursday at the Cardinal Club in Simpsonville.

Key dates

The players report for fall camp on Thursday, Aug. 6, with the first practice on Friday, Aug. 7. Fan Day will be Saturday, Aug. 8, at Commonwealth Stadium.

Student season tickets are sold out

UK football student season tickets have sold out for the second consecutive year.

The total of about 6,300 surpasses last year's record mark of 5,909. For the general public, fewer than 50 season tickets remain, upper-level sideline tickets that cost $235 each. Information is available at UKathletics.com, by calling 1-800-928-2287 or at the Joe Craft Center Ticket Office.

Peters is runner-up for Emmitt Smith Award

UK senior defensive tackle Corey Peters was the runner-up behind South Florida defensive end George Selvie for the Emmitt Smith Award at the Phi Beta Sigma international bi-annual awards conference in New Orleans.

The award, named in honor of Smith, the NFL's all-time leading rusher, is given to a student who demonstrates athletic achievement, academic success, and fraternity and community involvement. It is only awarded to Phi Beta Sigma members.

"I just think it's such a great award because Emmitt Smith's name is on the award," Peters said. "Anything with his name on it is usually good."