Lamar Jackson, Brendan McKay fight off Benny Snell, Nick Mingione for top-three finishes

The top 10 finishers in the 2017 Lexington Herald-Leader Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year voting:

1. JUSTIN THOMAS

1.) Highlighted by his victory in the 2017 PGA Championship, the Goshen product added his name to an illustrious golf list: Thomas, 24, joined Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth as the only players in PGA Tour history to win five times in a season, including a major, before the age of 25.

2.) On the day after Alabama’s overtime victory over Georgia in the College Football Playoff championship game last month, Thomas, a former University of Alabama golfer, called Nick Saban’s cell phone to leave the Crimson Tide football coach a congratulatory message. Instead, Saban answered the call. “I was actually shocked to get to talk to him,” Thomas told USA Today. “I just told him, ‘Unbelievable.’”

3.) Thomas is the first male golfer to finish in the top 10 in Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year voting since Kenny Perry (fifth) in 2013.

What the voters said

1.) “Five PGA Tour victories, including his first major, in a wicked sport that tests physical skill and mental toughness like no other makes selecting Justin Thomas as 2017 Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year a gimme putt.” — Darrell Bird, The Cats’ Pause

2.) “Best golfer ever produced in Kentucky? His PGA Championship (win), his Fed-Ex (Cup) title and $9.9 million in earnings confirms that for me.” — Bob White, Courier Journal, retired

2. LAMAR JACKSON

1.) In his three-year Louisville Cardinals career, Jackson ran for 50 touchdowns and and threw for 69. He joined four-year players Colin Kaepernick of Nevada (59, 82) and Tim Tebow of Florida (57, 88) as the only players in FBS history to both run and throw for more than 50 touchdowns.

2.) Jackson, a Pompano Beach, Fla., product, led the country in total offense in 2017 with 5,261 yards. That is more than 78 of the 129 FBS teams accumulated in total offense.

3.) Having finished first and second in the past two Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year votes, Jackson is the first person in the top two in back-to-back years since John Calipari was second in 2011 and ’12.

What the voters said

1.) “Another ‘Heisman-esque’ year. He should have been the second two-time Heisman Trophy winner. His overall performance in the second year was better than the first Heisman year. Too bad the overall team record did not truly reflect what he did personally.” — Rufus Friday, Lexington Herald-Leader

2.) “A phenom and a pleasure to watch — even when he was sticking it to you.” — Lee Cruse, WLEX-TV

3. BRENDAN McKAY

1.) After a dominant junior season as a left-handed starting pitcher (11-3, 2.56 ERA) and slugging first baseman (.341 BA, 18 HRs, 57 RBI), the University of Louisville star swept all seven major National Player of the Year awards, including the Golden Spikes Award and the Dick Howser Trophy. He also won the Jon Olerud Award, given to college baseball’s best two-way player, for the third straight year.

2.) A Darlington, Pa., native, McKay was chosen fourth overall in the 2017 MLB Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays. In recent rankings by MLB.com, McKay was tabbed the best first base prospect in minor-league baseball and the fifth-best left-handed starting pitching prospect.

3.) McKay is the first U of L baseball player ever to finish in the top 10 of Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year voting.

What the voters said

1.) “I personally saw McKay belt four home runs in one game in what turned out to be an incredible season for him. He was undoubtedly the best two-way player in the land and a nightmare for opposing teams.” — Steve Moss, WKYT-TV

2.) “We witnessed what many think is the career of one of the top five players in college baseball history.” — Jody Demling, CardinalAuthority.com

4. BENNY SNELL

1.) In 2017, the Westerville, Ohio, product became the first player in University of Kentucky football history to run for more than 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons. After gaining 1,091 yards as a true freshman in 2016, Snell followed that up with 1,333 yards as a sophomore in leading UK (7-6) to a berth in the Music City Bowl.

2.) With 2,424 career rushing yards, Snell needs to run for 1,412 yards — 117.7 yards a game in a 12-game season — in 2018 to pass Sonny Collins (3,835 yards) as Kentucky’s all-time leading rusher.

3.) Snell is the highest finishing UK football player in Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year voting since Randall Cobb (second) in 2010.

What the voters said

1.) “With at least one season to go at Kentucky, he’s already the best running back ever to play here.” — Mary Jo Perino, WLXG-AM

2.) “Loved watching this young powerhouse run for the tough yards for Kentucky football.” — Mark Mathis, Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer

5. NICK MINGIONE

1.) Inheriting a Kentucky baseball program that had failed to make the NCAA Tournament the prior two seasons, Mingione in his first season led UK to a 42-23 record, a 19-11 SEC mark and its first appearance in an NCAA Tournament super regional.

2.) A Tarrytown, N.Y., native, Mingione, 39, was named SEC Coach of the Year and Perfect Game/Rawlings National Coach of the Year.

3.) Mingione is the first college baseball coach to finish in the top 10 in Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year voting since Louisville’s Dan McDonnell (seventh) in 2007.

What the voters said

1.) “Amazing how in such a short time period so many now care about UK baseball.” — Alan Cutler, WLEX-TV

2.) “Great hire by UK who re-energized the baseball program in his first season.” — Chuck Jones, The News-Enterprise, Elizabethtown

6. MAKAYLA EPPS

1.) As a senior, the Kentucky guard (17.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.6 assists) joined Leslie Nichols (1984-86) as the only Wildcats women’s basketball players ever named First Team All-SEC by the league’s coaches three seasons in a row.

2.) The Marion County product finished her UK career with 1,790 points. Only three native Kentuckians — Louisville product A’dia Mathies (2,014 career points) and Lexington’s Leslie Nichols (1,797) in women’s hoops, plus Lexington’s Jack Givens (2,038) in men’s basketball — have scored more points in a UK uniform than Epps.

3.) This is the second time Epps has finished sixth in Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year voting. She first did so after leading Marion County to an unbeaten state title in 2013.

What the voters said

1.) “She’s from Kentucky and had an outstanding career at UK. She was so loved by fans. ... She came back (to UK) to graduate after she had been drafted (by Chicago of the WNBA), showing how much a degree from Kentucky meant to her.” — Caitlyn Stroh, Lexington Herald-Leader

2.) “Represented this state and Kentucky basketball, one of the best players in program history.” — Sam Draut, The Oldham Era, La Grange

7. TAVEION HOLLINGSWORTH

1.) The Paul Laurence Dunbar basketball star (28.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg) was chosen 2017 Kentucky Mr. Basketball and Gatorade Kentucky Player of the Year. Now a starting guard at Western Kentucky, Hollingsworth is the all-time leading career scorer (2,455 points) in Fayette County boys’ high school hoops history.

2.) Since the Mr. Basketball award began in 1956, Lexington has produced seven winners — Lafayette’s Billy Ray Lickert (1957), Lafayette’s Jeff Mullins (1960), Bryan Station’s Jack Givens (1974), Tates Creek’s Dom Fucci (1975), Lafayette’s Dirk Minniefield (1979), Henry Clay’s Steve Miller (1984) and Hollingsworth.

3.) No high school basketball player from Fayette County had ever finished in the top 10 of Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year voting before.

What the voters said

1.) “Kentucky Coach John Calipari made a mistake by not offering a scholarship to the Lexington-area all-time leading scorer in boys’ high school hoops.” — Fletcher Page, Courier Journal

2.) “(Hollingsworth) plays with a chip on his shoulder and is proving to everyone he could have played Division I basketball anywhere he wanted if given the chance.” — Scott Brown, WKDZ-FM, Cadiz

8. STEPHEN JOHNSON

1.) The senior from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., quarterbacked UK (7-6) to its second straight winning season and second consecutive bowl trip while throwing for 2,305 yards and 10 TDs and running for 375 yards and five TDs.

2.) Of all UK QBs with more than one career start since 1996, Johnson leaves Lexington with the highest winning percentage in games started. The top five: Johnson (12-10, .546 winning percentage); Mike Hartline (14-12, .538); Andre Woodson (19-19, .500), Dusty Bonner (6-6, .500) and Tim Couch (12-13, .480).

3.) With Benny Snell (fourth) and Johnson, this is the first time two UK football players have finished in the top 10 in Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year voting since 2007 — Andre Woodson (second) and Jacob Tamme (10th).

What the voters said

1.) “Through his leadership, determination and grit, Stephen Johnson set a new standard of excellence at the quarterback position for the UK football team.” — Jim Swinford, WCYN-AM/FM, Cynthiana

2.) “He’s everything UK fans could have asked for out of a football player. He came from nowhere, played with heart, played hurt and overachieved ...” — Jamey Johnson, WMDJ-FM, Martin

9. MALLORY COMERFORD

1.) As a sophomore, the University of Louisville swimmer supplied one of the singular individual achievements in Kentucky sports in 2017. In the 200 freestyle finals of the NCAA championships last March, Comerford tied Stanford’s Katie Ledecky — the dominant U.S. Olympic star — for first place (1:40.36).

2.) In July, the Kalamazoo, Mich., product won four relay gold medals as part of Team USA at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

3.) This is third year in a row that a U of L women’s swimmer has made the top 10 in Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year voting. Kelsi Worrell was 10th in 2015 and sixth last year.

What the voters said

1.) “(Comerford is) continuing Olympian Kelsi Worrell’s legacy for U of L women’s swimming. Comerford is a name we will be hearing more of in the near future.” — James Streble, WHBE-AM, Louisville

2.) “When we heard she tied Katie Ledecky in the 200 free, it was a wake-up call to swimming fans across the world. Mallory Comerford will be a HUGE name very soon.” — Andrew Chernoff, Spectrum Sports, Louisville

10. JEFF BROHM

1.) Inheriting a Purdue football program that was 9-39 over the prior four seasons, the ex-Western Kentucky head coach led the Boilermakers to a 7-6 record that included a bowl victory.

2.) Since going to Purdue, Brohm, the former Trinity High School and Louisville quarterback, has signed eight Kentuckians in his two recruiting classes and was expected to add Trinity star Rondale Moore as a ninth on signing day. Over the same time, UK has signed two in-state prospects and U of L one.

3.) Brohm is the first college football coach working outside the commonwealth to make the Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year Top 10 since 1999 when ex-Murray State head man Frank Beamer of Virginia Tech also finished 10th.

What the voters said

1.) “Won a bowl game at Purdue. Enough said, because Purdue doesn’t have ‘bowl-game talent’ ... yet.” — Freddie Maggard, KentuckySportsRadio.com

2.) “(Brohm has) proven now on a more-national stage what WKU fans already knew: He may be the best offensive/play-calling mind in college football right now.” — Nick Curran, Louisville Bats radio play-by-play announcer

This story was originally published February 7, 2018 at 8:42 PM with the headline "Lamar Jackson, Brendan McKay fight off Benny Snell, Nick Mingione for top-three finishes."