Former Kentucky DE, All-SEC performer Vincent Burns dead at 43

The Kentucky football team announced that former Wildcat and All-SEC defensive end Vincent ‘Sweet Pea’ Burns has died.

A three-year starter for UK, Burns was a two-time captain and All-SEC performer who went on to be a third round pick for the Indianapolis Colts in 2005. He finished his Kentucky career with 168 tackles, including 47 for loss where he was a two-time SEC second-teamer.

Despite his high draft position, Burns never played a game during an NFL regular season despite signing a three-year, $1.39 million deal that warranted a $464,100 signing bonus.

Vincent “Sweet Pea” Burns was a three-year starter and a big-play performer, totaling 168 tackles, including 37 tackles for loss.  He was All-SEC two seasons and went on to play in the NFL for Indianapolis.  A two-year team captain at UK, he was beloved by his teammates and known… pic.twitter.com/Vp6mr9bCH1

— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) July 17, 2024

The Valdosta, Ga. native transferred to Kentucky ahead of the 2001 season from Northern Arizona. During that time, the transfer rule forced players to sit out for a season before becoming eligbile to play for their new teams. In 2002 and 2003, he developed into one of the premier defensive ends in the SEC.

As a junior in 2002, he started all 12 games for the Wildcats, leading the defensive line in tackles with 65. Totating 14.5 tackles for loss, he also recorded three sacks during his first year rocking Kentucky blue. The first sack of his UK career came against Mississippi State, which resulted in a safety. He also had three tackles for loss against Georgia in 2002 and recorded at least one TFL in each of the last six games.

Kentucky finished the 2002 season with a 7–5 record, however UK was not bowl eligible due to NCAA sanctions stemming from the Hal Mumme era.

In 2003, he gained a reputation as an edge rusher boasting high-intensity off the whistle. Leading a defense that returned just four starters from the previous season, Sweet Pea, a name that he was given from family members since birth, continued on the same path to once again earn All-SEC honors.

The Wildcats werent as fortunate in their win-loss record during his final season, finishing the year 4-8 including a 1-7 finish in SEC play in the program’s first season under Rich Brooks. They finished tied for last place with Vanderbilt and Mississippi State in the league that season.

He moved on to the NFL, where then Colts head coach Tony Dungy was high on him. However, he was injured in the preseason of his rookie year and was placed on injured reserve. A May 2006 arrest in Lexington kept him on the sidelines and was cut at the end of his second season and placed on the practice squad.

In 2007, he was reportedly in Lexington working on finishing his degree. His life hasn’t been very public since.

His cause of death was not released as of the writing of this report.