Ex-Cat Dewalt back in Lexington as Horsemen wide receiver

By James Pennington / jpennington@herald-leader.com

Combing through the Southeastern Conference record books, University of Kentucky stars Tim Couch and Jared Lorenzen stand out at the top of several career lists.

One former Cat, now back in Lexington after a five-year trek around the Southeast, is responsible for sharing a career record so unsung it’s not even printed in the league’s record book.

The man: Lonnell Dewalt, who lasted one year at UK (2004). His record: blocked kicks (seven).

Dewalt, from Bowling Green, made waves as a high school wide receiver (Class of the Commonwealth) and a power forward (first-team All-State, 2004 state champions) at Warren Central. The 6-foot-6 “athletic freak,” according to Warren Central basketball coach Tim Riley, became known for his spectacular catches on the gridiron and his monster dunks on the court.

In both sports, Riley said, Dewalt carried the same flare for entertaining an audience.

“No doubt, he’s got that flash. I know he’s a big-time athlete, I don’t care where he’s from,” Riley said. “His record at UK, that’s kind of freaky. That tells you how exceptional he is as an athlete.”

When Dewalt came to Lexington as a football recruit, rumors swirled that he would join the basketball team as a walk-on. Dewalt even worked out with Tubby Smith’s team several times. But as the football season progressed and academic trouble became apparent, Riley said Dewalt nixed the idea.

As it turned out, Dewalt said it was too late at that point. After his freshman season, he was ruled academically ineligible for spring practice in 2005 and, after two months of focusing solely on coursework, ineligible for the entire 2005 season.

“I wish I could’ve gone back to then and changed some things,” Dewalt said. “I’m 23 now and I was 19 or 18 back then. If I was 23 then, I probably would’ve played all four years.

“I just learned different things from different people along the way, and they all point to me that I should’ve been at UK.”

Dewalt transferred to Northeast Mississippi Community College with hopes of returning to UK after a year. In Mississippi, though, his academic struggles continued. Dewalt, ineligible to return to UK, transferred to Division II North Alabama and left after one year, never earning a diploma.

Riley said Dewalt’s three-colleges-in-three-years record exemplifies his problem of devoting himself entirely to one task or another.

“I’ll never forget his Christmas of his freshman year at UK. He came home, we went out to eat, and I told him he had a chance to make a million dollars,” Riley said. “He asked what it was. I told him to go back and do whatever Joker Phillips tells him to do.

“If he says to be somewhere at 4:30, you get there at 4:15. He didn’t go back and do it, though.”

Dewalt left North Alabama and signed a contract with the Louisville Fire, an arenafootball2 team, in 2007. He played in Louisville for two seasons, putting together what Dewalt called “pretty good numbers.”

Earlier this year, the Fire folded, and Dewalt was offered a contract in the Arena Football League, one step up from af2. Dewalt was ready to sign when the AFL canceled its 2009 season.

“I logged on to ESPN.com and just saw that the league flopped,” Dewalt said. “I don’t even remember what team wanted to sign me, but I was ready.”

At that point, Horsemen Coach Mike Harmon stepped in. Harmon said the chance to play in Lexington wasn’t as lucrative as the AFL’s offer, but the opportunity to play in front of a familiar crowd sold Dewalt.

Eight games into the season, Dewalt has caught 67 passes for 760 yards and is tied for fifth in the league with 24 touchdowns. (No blocked kicks, Harmon said, because of the nature of the league).

Both Harmon and Riley said Dewalt has the talent to be an NFL-caliber receiver if he puts his mind to the task. But Harmon said Dewalt won’t let his goal distort reality, adding that Dewalt is even-keeled and “just wants to have fun.” So much fun, Harmon labeled Dewalt the locker room’s reigning jokester.

“I’m the jokester, and Jared (Lorenzen) is the prankster,” Dewalt said. “I just make jokes, but Jared will get in people’s phones and change passwords so people can’t use their phones. I just joke around. I’m all jokes until I get on the field.”

Dewalt has always played that way, Riley said, both to his benefit and his fault. Dewalt said his SEC record came both as a result of good special teams play and poor play at receiver, “so they had to play me in special teams.”

But Dewalt is thankful for his record, even though he said he’s shocked it doesn’t appear in the SEC record book. Record printed or not, Dewalt said he cherished his experience at UK and is enjoying his second stint in Lexington.

But, no offense he said, he hopes it doesn’t last long before he gets promoted.

“It feels good, but I didn’t come back like I wanted to in the first place. But I can’t complain,” Dewalt said. “I messed up a little bit the first time, but it feels nice to be back. We’ll see how long it lasts.”