Christopher Johns on Danny Trevathan
Today begins Pool 3 of the first round of the “Who Wants to be a Blogger” contest. Like yesterday, we will have four contestants, each profiling a different UK footballer. One will be eliminated tonight at 8:30 pm. Today’s judge is Hunter Campbell
Name: Danny Trevathan
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 220 lbs
Class: Sophomore
Position: Linebacker
Number: 41
High School: Leesburg, FL
Intro
So who is Danny Trevathan? Honestly, I am a season ticket holder that loves the D, but I didn't really know about the man. Then again, considering the near embarrassment of talent that last year's line-backing squad put on the field, just about any freshman would be overlooked. This year, Micah Johnson returns to anchor the unit and Trevathan is being asked to fulfill the Braxton "Don't Call Me Toni" Kelly role on the weak side. This is also the spot where Wesley Woodyard threw down a couple of years back. Danny has big shoes to fill, but most prognosticators and coaches are confident that he has the athleticism and football smarts to flourish. You might not know him now, but by the end of the year, number 41 will be one of the players that helps determine the fate of Kentucky football's 2009 season.
Background
For starters, Danny was born in Youngstown, Ohio and then moved to Florida with his family. He traded a state with brutal winters, insufferable sports fans, and election issues for a state with warm weather, insufferable sports fans, and election issues. I think, when given the choice, you make that move every time.
Trevathan attended Leesburg High School and got off to a rocky start. His coach, Charles Nassar, states that his star player was "an atroscious student" as a freshman and sophomore before experiencing an epiphany his junior year. Coach Nassar said, "it was the realization that, 'Oh no, I am going to screw up this opportunity that I have.' (that motivated Trevathan)". Danny is very close to the coaches at his old school and credits the coaching staff of Leesburg High with helping him realize his potential. By his senior year, Trevathan was racking up the accolades. He was tabbed as the Defensive Player of the Year by the local newspaper, The Daily Commercial, and selected as first-team All-Central Florida by The Orlando Sentinel.
When it came time to choose a college, the Leesburg High stand-out was offered scholarships from Kentucky, Purdue, Central Florida, Indiana, Arkansas, Mississippi and Buffalo. I'm not sure how Buffalo got into the mix. Perhaps the city was considered for being the hometown of Rick James. I'm guessing it wasn't for the female population who I assume all look like Marv Levy in drag. Due to the tenacious recruiting work of UK's Defensive Line Coach Rick Petri and a "family environment", Danny chose to join Kentucky's football team. In an interview with The Daily Commercial, Trevathan said, "The people (at UK) showed me a lot of love and treated me like I already was a Wildcat." Southern hospitality, people. It is a good thing.
UK
His freshman year, Mr. Trevathan played in a few games, mostly on Special Teams, and only racked up 5 tackles. Considering the talent ahead of him, the fact he was a true freshman, and the brutal SEC schedule, his performance wasn't bad. Clearly, number 41 is making strides as he was everywhere in the last Blue-White game. Trevathan posted a team high 11 tackles, returned a kickoff 31 yards, and served the 110% Club and Boy Scout Troop #4 nachos at halftime.
The UK player that people compare Trevathan to the most? Wesley Woodyard. UK Linebackers Coach Chuck Smith says Danny has a similar frame, speed, and tenacity. Word is still out on his Rich Brooks impression, though. Honestly, since Woodyard left, nobody has really stepped up to the plate and, frankly, it is about time.
Attributes
There is one word that is most used to describe Trevathan: fast. He ran a 4.45 in the 40. The College Football News says that Danny has "fantastic speed" and "might be the fastest weakside linebacker (UK) has had in several years with the high-end motor to go along with the athleticism". Coach Smith agreed and says Trevathan has a "motor". Trevathan said he is "ready to bring my motor to Kentucky and see what I can do." In response, the medical team has added an AAMCO associate to the staff and filled one of the Gatorade tubs with high grade synthetic.
His school coach is quick to point out another positive part of Trevathan's game: Football IQ. Coach Nassar says, "He plays fast. A lot of kids are fast, but Danny plays fast. He is a very gifted natural athlete". Chuck Smith says that Trevathan has "fast eyes". That is coach speak which means Mr. Trevathan makes decisions quickly and can use his speed to position himself for the greatest chance for success on the field. Considering the number of flags thrown UK's direction as a result of poor decision making (re: Vanderbilt game) last year, such adept thinking is a much needed asset.
.
Weaknesses
Inexperience. Hopefully this will be nullified by the sage presence of Micah Johnson and Trevathan's commitment to learn and study the game. He needs to be a damn prodigy during the Miami-Louisville matchups because a baptism of fire comes immediately after with the Florida-Alabama-South Carolina-Auburn gauntlet.
Conclusion
According to everyone close to the program, Trevathan has impressive speed, athleticism, and football acumen. Also, there is a strong possibility he is a cyborg. Being compared to Wesley Woodyard is enough to make any Big Blue fan salivate. If he can live up to his potential, he should put up huge numbers playing with Micah Johnson and Sam Maxwell. Fans should get used to hearing Tom Leach proclaim "Cut down by number 41" early and often during the season. So who is Danny Trevathan? Rich Brooks probably said it best when he simply called Trevathan "a playmaker".
Hunter's Take: Chris (Christopher? Topher?), after debating whether to immediately eliminate you due to the staggering number of links I had to format for your piece, I opted to go ahead with reading it, and I'm glad I did. It was very well done. While it was a little lengthy, it still did the job very well. I must say, though, that had you been a contestant of a slightly more female persuasion, starting your entry off by proclaiming how much you 'love the D' probably would have caused our comments section to melt down. Luckily this isn't an issue and we can continue on as planned. You were heavy on information with enough humor to balance it out, and the humor even seemed to not be too forced. You did a great job of informing us on a player that could be a big part of things this season. Not the best we've seen thus far and you'll have to improve to go all the way, but overall a great start for you.
Name: Danny Trevathan
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 220 lbs
Class: Sophomore
Position: Linebacker
Number: 41
High School: Leesburg, FL
Intro
So who is Danny Trevathan? Honestly, I am a season ticket holder that loves the D, but I didn't really know about the man. Then again, considering the near embarrassment of talent that last year's line-backing squad put on the field, just about any freshman would be overlooked. This year, Micah Johnson returns to anchor the unit and Trevathan is being asked to fulfill the Braxton "Don't Call Me Toni" Kelly role on the weak side. This is also the spot where Wesley Woodyard threw down a couple of years back. Danny has big shoes to fill, but most prognosticators and coaches are confident that he has the athleticism and football smarts to flourish. You might not know him now, but by the end of the year, number 41 will be one of the players that helps determine the fate of Kentucky football's 2009 season.
Background
For starters, Danny was born in Youngstown, Ohio and then moved to Florida with his family. He traded a state with brutal winters, insufferable sports fans, and election issues for a state with warm weather, insufferable sports fans, and election issues. I think, when given the choice, you make that move every time.
Trevathan attended Leesburg High School and got off to a rocky start. His coach, Charles Nassar, states that his star player was "an atroscious student" as a freshman and sophomore before experiencing an epiphany his junior year. Coach Nassar said, "it was the realization that, 'Oh no, I am going to screw up this opportunity that I have.' (that motivated Trevathan)". Danny is very close to the coaches at his old school and credits the coaching staff of Leesburg High with helping him realize his potential. By his senior year, Trevathan was racking up the accolades. He was tabbed as the Defensive Player of the Year by the local newspaper, The Daily Commercial, and selected as first-team All-Central Florida by The Orlando Sentinel.
When it came time to choose a college, the Leesburg High stand-out was offered scholarships from Kentucky, Purdue, Central Florida, Indiana, Arkansas, Mississippi and Buffalo. I'm not sure how Buffalo got into the mix. Perhaps the city was considered for being the hometown of Rick James. I'm guessing it wasn't for the female population who I assume all look like Marv Levy in drag. Due to the tenacious recruiting work of UK's Defensive Line Coach Rick Petri and a "family environment", Danny chose to join Kentucky's football team. In an interview with The Daily Commercial, Trevathan said, "The people (at UK) showed me a lot of love and treated me like I already was a Wildcat." Southern hospitality, people. It is a good thing.
UK
His freshman year, Mr. Trevathan played in a few games, mostly on Special Teams, and only racked up 5 tackles. Considering the talent ahead of him, the fact he was a true freshman, and the brutal SEC schedule, his performance wasn't bad. Clearly, number 41 is making strides as he was everywhere in the last Blue-White game. Trevathan posted a team high 11 tackles, returned a kickoff 31 yards, and served the 110% Club and Boy Scout Troop #4 nachos at halftime.
The UK player that people compare Trevathan to the most? Wesley Woodyard. UK Linebackers Coach Chuck Smith says Danny has a similar frame, speed, and tenacity. Word is still out on his Rich Brooks impression, though. Honestly, since Woodyard left, nobody has really stepped up to the plate and, frankly, it is about time.
Attributes
There is one word that is most used to describe Trevathan: fast. He ran a 4.45 in the 40. The College Football News says that Danny has "fantastic speed" and "might be the fastest weakside linebacker (UK) has had in several years with the high-end motor to go along with the athleticism". Coach Smith agreed and says Trevathan has a "motor". Trevathan said he is "ready to bring my motor to Kentucky and see what I can do." In response, the medical team has added an AAMCO associate to the staff and filled one of the Gatorade tubs with high grade synthetic.
His school coach is quick to point out another positive part of Trevathan's game: Football IQ. Coach Nassar says, "He plays fast. A lot of kids are fast, but Danny plays fast. He is a very gifted natural athlete". Chuck Smith says that Trevathan has "fast eyes". That is coach speak which means Mr. Trevathan makes decisions quickly and can use his speed to position himself for the greatest chance for success on the field. Considering the number of flags thrown UK's direction as a result of poor decision making (re: Vanderbilt game) last year, such adept thinking is a much needed asset.
.
Weaknesses
Inexperience. Hopefully this will be nullified by the sage presence of Micah Johnson and Trevathan's commitment to learn and study the game. He needs to be a damn prodigy during the Miami-Louisville matchups because a baptism of fire comes immediately after with the Florida-Alabama-South Carolina-Auburn gauntlet.
Conclusion
According to everyone close to the program, Trevathan has impressive speed, athleticism, and football acumen. Also, there is a strong possibility he is a cyborg. Being compared to Wesley Woodyard is enough to make any Big Blue fan salivate. If he can live up to his potential, he should put up huge numbers playing with Micah Johnson and Sam Maxwell. Fans should get used to hearing Tom Leach proclaim "Cut down by number 41" early and often during the season. So who is Danny Trevathan? Rich Brooks probably said it best when he simply called Trevathan "a playmaker".
Hunter's Take: Chris (Christopher? Topher?), after debating whether to immediately eliminate you due to the staggering number of links I had to format for your piece, I opted to go ahead with reading it, and I'm glad I did. It was very well done. While it was a little lengthy, it still did the job very well. I must say, though, that had you been a contestant of a slightly more female persuasion, starting your entry off by proclaiming how much you 'love the D' probably would have caused our comments section to melt down. Luckily this isn't an issue and we can continue on as planned. You were heavy on information with enough humor to balance it out, and the humor even seemed to not be too forced. You did a great job of informing us on a player that could be a big part of things this season. Not the best we've seen thus far and you'll have to improve to go all the way, but overall a great start for you.
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