Kentucky lineman springboards to 'Top 10' fame

Steven Duff probably will never play a minute of college football for Kentucky, but he still managed to make SportsCenter's highlight reel on Thursday.

The 6-foot, 330-pound junior offensive lineman was No. 10 on ESPN's top 10 plays for his series of dives during the team's annual pool party on Tuesday.

"It was cool to do it," the Louisville native said. The show came on as the team was in the dining hall this morning.

"We just kind of looked up there and saw Kentucky football," said Duff, who perfected his diving technique in his backyard pool growing up. "We just erupted. It was pretty cool."

Coach Joker Phillips was in his office and offered that it was a "good thing I wasn't eating" when he saw the big guy make his big splash.

"He's a great athlete; don't let his physique fool you," Phillips said. "He's a really good athlete, real flexible. He's a little bit heavy, so he can't get all the way around on the gainers, more like half-gainers."

The coach also said the national attention couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.

"Nobody's more excited for Duff than me and this whole football team," Phillips said. "The dining hall erupted because of the type of teammate he is and the loyalty he has for this football team. The guy is all blue."

This story was originally published August 16, 2012 at 7:19 PM with the headline "Kentucky lineman springboards to 'Top 10' fame."