Old School Kentuckians in the NFL Draft

The 2020 NFL Draft promises to be the most watched and scrutinized selection show in recent memory due to its virtual nature. The University of Kentucky has put several players in the professional ranks over the years. I thought I’d highlight four Kentuckians and teammates of mine that transitioned from Lexington to the pros. You may or may not be familiar with their names. They are as follows:

LINEBACKER: CHRIS CHENAULT

Chenault was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the eighth round of the 1989 NFL Draft. A Lexington native and Henry Clay graduate, Chenault dominated the Wildcats’ defensive stat line by racking up a whopping 482 career tackles. That mark is still good enough for second in the history of the program.

Chenault went on to a successful career in the Kentucky State Police following his professional football days. He’s one of the funniest Cats you could ever meet and a frequent guest on the Depth Chart Podcast.

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LINEBACKER: JEFF BRADY

Jeff Brady originally came to the University of Kentucky as a walk-on from Newport Catholic High School. He eventually earned a starting role at outside linebacker and was later drafted by the Pittsburg Steelers in the 12^th round. His professional career saw the Northern Kentucky native play for the Steelers, Packers, Rams, Chargers, Buccaneers, Vikings, Panthers, and Colts over the span of nine seasons. Brady finished his stay in professional football after playing in 115 games in which he started 53. He totaled 9 interceptions during that span.

Jeff Brady was hardest working player that I’ve ever been around—ever. Extremely dedicated, Brady simply worked his way into an NFL career.

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CORNERBACK: DJ JOHNSON

DJ Johnson hails from Louisville where he graduated from Male High School. Johnson was a longtime starter for Coach Jerry Claiborne and was eventually drafted by the Pittsburg Steelers in 1989. He went on to play eight seasons in the League and finished his career with 19 interceptions and 428 tackles. He played in 117 games with the Steelers, Cardinals, and Falcons.

Johnson was a kind soul that treated the freshmen (me) with respect. He took several of us under his wing and made the rookies feel a part of the team. 

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LINEBACKER: DEAN WELLS

Another Louisville product, Dean attended Holy Cross High School. A multi-year starter at UK, Wells earned All-SEC honors. He was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 1993 NFL Draft. Wells spent ten seasons in the NFL. He played in 129 games and registered 77 starts while producing 529 career tackles. He played for the Seahawks, Panthers, and Patriots.

Much like fellow Wildcat outside linebackers Josh Allen and Bud Dupree, Dean Wells was a physical freak. He recorded a 39-inch vertical and a 4.61 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine while measuring 6’3, 238 lbs.

This list could have been much, much longer. Kentucky has produced several NFL Draft picks over the years. However, in light of the 2020 NFL Draft being one day away, I wanted to share the stories of a few players that are from the Commonwealth who went on to have successful professional careers.

Kentucky Sports Radio has you covered for this year’s NFL Draft. Please join us as we chronicle the selections and provide analysis the KSR way.