Athletes Who Competed in Two Sports at Kentucky

Matt Ponatoski could join an exclusive club not just at Kentucky, but in all of college athletics. On Sunday, he became the highest-ranked player to commit to Nick Mingione’s baseball program, and also gave Mark Stoops a Top 10 quarterback in the 2026 recruiting class. The talented athlete from Cincinnati Moeller intends to play both sports at Kentucky.

“I’m going to try and do both for as long as possible,” he said. “The goal for me is to be drafted in both [sports]. It sounds crazy, but Kyler Murray did it not too long ago.”

It’s a tall task, but he might be cut out for the job. Here are the few that have dabbled on both during their time in Lexington.

Kentucky’s Original Multi-Sport Star

You will not find a more accomplished athlete to ever suit up for the University of Kentucky than Wallace “Wah Wah” Jones. The Harlan native scored 1,151 points while winning two National Championships and an Olympic Gold Medal for Adolph Rupp. He also starred for Bear Bryant’s Wildcats and was an All-American in both sports. During his free time, he was a pitcher and first baseman for the baseball team. He is the only player with his Kentucky jersey retired in both football and basketball.

Close, but No Cigar

There were a number of players who planned on playing two sports, and for a myriad of reasons never suited up for two teams.

Dennis Johnson and Tim Couch were Hal Mumme’s two stars in the late 90s. Bill Keightley had a jersey ready for them, but Mumme did not want his stars to get injured while pressing in Rick Pitino’s practices.

Around that same time, Jared Lorenzen’s Highlands teammate Derek Smith was the Wildcats’ star tight end who succeeded All-American James Whalen. He caught 89 passes for 1,224 yards and nine touchdowns over three years. Once his football career ended, he played college hoops for NKU, who was Division II at the time.

Lonnell Dewalt claims the honor for the most ferocious dunk in KHSAA Sweet 16 history. He started his career on the football field and set an unbreakable record by blocking seven kicks in 11 games. Unfortunately, it was a short-lived career. He was academically ineligible and only lasted in Lexington for one season.

Ravi Moss was a walk-on for Tubby Smith who came off the bench and regularly knocked down big shots. Once his football eligibility expired, he planned on joining Rich Brooks’ football team. After two spring practices, he had a change of heart and joined a barnstorming and autograph tour with other former Kentucky basketball players. Over the summer, he changed his mind again. Since he accepted money on that autograph tour, the NCAA handed him a 6-game suspension, effectively ending his football career before it started.

Kentucky Stars in the 70s

Darryl Bishop was the first African-American to play for the Kentucky freshman basketball team. The Louisville Seneca product appeared in five varsity games before focusing on football. It was a wise career choice. He still holds the Kentucky career interceptions record (14) and has the most tackles ever by a Kentucky defensive back (348).

Similar to Bishop, Derrick Ramsey appeared in just two Kentucky basketball games before turning his attention to football. He served as the starting quarterback for two of the most successful seasons in Kentucky football history, guiding the Wildcats to an 8-4 record and a Peach Bowl victory in 176, followed by 10-1 campaign in 1977.

Baseball and Football Combo

The fall and spring schedules make baseball and football the best tandem for two-sport players. There have been a few exceptional talents in recent memory.

Steve Phillips caught a touchdown pass from Freddie Maggard in 1989. He spent four years on the gridiron, then joined the baseball team for one season before getting drafted by the New York Yankees. Vince Harrison was a wide receiver who caught five passes and two touchdowns in 1998-99 while playing in the infield for Keith Madison. Brian Adams was a pass-catcher who had eight receptions for 69 yards from 2010-11, while playing in the infield at Cliff Hagan Stadium.

There were two Kentucky starting quarterbacks who spent a few years dabbling on the diamond. Pookie Jones ran the triple option for Bill Curry in the early 90s. Over three years, he threw for 3,459 yards and rushed for 854 yards with 29 total touchdowns. He was selected in the 14th round of the 1994 MLB Draft and spent three years grinding in the Minor Leagues. Jones picked up the football one more time and played for the Louisville Fire in the Arena Football League.

Shane Boyd did quite a bit of juggling during his time at Kentucky. He played a little wide receiver, but also shared quarterback duties with Jared Lorenzen and Andre Woodson between 2001-04. He had 13 career passing touchdowns, 13 rushing touchdowns, and one receiving touchdown. Boyd had a strong arm that Coach Madison used as a reliever during his time on the diamond.

The Most Recent Two-Sport Athletes at Kentucky

Ben Jordan spent a couple of seasons pitching for the Kentucky Wildcats. The 6-foot-9 athlete walked onto the basketball team for the 2019-20 season. As the world began to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, he died unexpectedly in January of 2021.

Jordan Anthony was one of the nation’s top sprinters when he committed to Kentucky. The wide receiver appeared in a few games during his freshman season, but did not record any statistics. He was much more successful in track, setting the Kentucky freshman record in the 60 meters while earning All-American honors.

His focus was more on track than football, which ultimately led him to the transfer portal. He caught 11 passes over two seasons at Texas A&M and Arkansas, including a touchdown last fall for the Hogs. Earlier this month, he won an NCAA Championship in the 100 meters (10.07). One day later, Anthony signed with Adidas to pursue a professional track career.