Max Hairston Named SEC Defensive Player of the Week

Max Hairston made history Saturday against Vanderbilt. Now the Kentucky cornerback is receiving recognition for his outstanding play.

Hairston was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week on Monday after the cornerback became the first Wildcat to return two interceptions for touchdowns in the same game. He returned one AJ Swann interception 29 yards to the end zone in the first quarter, then followed it up with a 54-yard house call in the final period of Kentucky’s 45-28 win.

The pick sixes only tell a small part of the story. Hairston had his hands on passes all day. He broke up three and made four tackles. He has 23 tackles through four games, second only to Trevin Wallace.

In addition to the stats, the graders at Pro Football Focus are also big fans of his work. Hairston is the highest-graded cornerback in the conference. The folks at ESPN’s College Football Final also saluted him on Saturday with a ceremonial helmet sticker.

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“He gets more and more confidence the more and more he plays,” head coach Mark Stoops said after the Wildcats’ victory over Vanderbilt. “Both him and Andru (Phillips) are really playing at a good level right now. They both are doing some really good things. It’s good for him.”

“I was proud of my boy,” UK senior linebacker D’Eryk Jackson said postgame. “He got two picks — I think that was the first time that happened in Kentucky history. I’m proud of him.”

Hairston, a first-year starter at cornerback, will return return to action this Saturday in front of a sold out crowd at Kroger Field. Kickoff is at noon on ESPN.

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