Josh Kattus wins Judge’s Champion Award at 2025 Dancing with the Lexington Stars

Kentucky tight end Josh Kattus is known for kicking ass on the gridiron, but did you know he also kicks ass on the dance floor? And he does it for a good cause, too!

The senior pass-catcher was back for round two at the Dancing with the Lexington Stars after winning the People’s Choice Award with partner Mattie Lewis last year. This time around, Kattus and dance partner Allison Fliehman tied with Whittney Allen for the Judge’s Champion Award to earn a second straight Mirror Ball trophy.

The best part? He did it for charity, raising nearly $11K for his efforts in the event.

Held at The Carrick House on Saturday, the event was presented in partnership with the Rotary Club of Lexington and Arthur Murray Dance Studio. Kattus, who leads Clark’s Pump-N-Shop’s marketing and community engagement efforts, supported Baby Health Services and the Rotary Club of Lexington’s scholarship and service initiatives.

Kattus helped raise more than $34K for the Lexington Rotary Club Endowment Fund and Surgery — a nonprofit that provides essential outpatient procedures at no cost to income-eligible individuals who are either uninsured or under-insured and do not qualify for federal or state assistance — at the 2024 edition of Dancing with the Lexington Stars last spring.

His off-field leadership is nothing new, representing the Wildcats on the SEC Community Service Team while also being named a finalist for the Pop Warner College Football Award. He also represented the football team on UK’s prestigious Frank G. Ham Society of Character, which recognizes student-athletes who give their best to everything they do.

Other contributions include weekly visits to the Kentucky Children’s Hospital to provide the children respite from doctors and various treatments since 2022 while also volunteering at Lexington’s Ronald McDonald House. There, he packs meals and writes get well cards for patients. Elsewhere, he has also volunteered with the Scott County Humane Society, helping find foster homes and raising awareness of fostering. Because of his work with the Humane Society, it has doubled their adoption rate since he started volunteering.

On the field, Kattus is a three-year letter winner who has played in 33 career games with 15 starting assignments, racking up 21 catches for 310 yards and five scores.

Other accolades include his status as a three-time Dean’s List honoree and a two-time member of the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll while also being named to the First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll as a freshman. In 2024, he was named to the Division I Academic All-District Team by College Sports Communicators (CSC). Kattus also represents UK Football on UK’s Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC), is a member of the SEC Football Leadership Council and represents the SEC on the NCAA Football Oversight Committee’s Student-Athlete Connection Group.

Dude kicks a lot of ass, clearly — but we already knew that. What you really care about is how he earned that second trophy? That’s what really matters here.

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