Dean Wells, Homegrown Kentucky Football Standout, Passes Away at 54

by:Nick Roush•04/03/25•

RoushKSR

Kentucky defensive lineman Dean Wells, via UK Athletics

Big Blue Nation lost one of its best. Former Kentucky football star Dean Wells passed away Thursday morning after a two-year battle with cancer. He was 54.

A Louisville native, Wells starred at Holy Cross before suiting up for the Kentucky Wildcats between 1989 and 1992. A team captain during his senior season, he set the single-season sack record with 10. Five of those sacks were against Indiana, a school record that still stands today.

A fourth-round draft pick by the Seahawks in the 1993 NFL Draft, the linebacker spent nine years in the league, six with Seattle and three with the Carolina Panthers. He totaled more than 500 career tackles, six forced fumbles, and three interceptions.

Wells signed to play for the defending Super Bowl Champs ahead of the 2002 season. The story goes that he only needed one day of training camp to learn that he didn’t want to spend his last season working for Bill Belichick.

Dean Well hits the South Carolina QB via UK Athletics

Following his successful NFL career, Dean Wells returned to his Old Kentucky Home. He was a proud and passionate Kentucky football fan.

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Wells was diagnosed with leukemia in the spring of 2023. He received a bone marrow transplant in May of 2024. His ultimate goal was to get healthy enough to watch the Wildcats play at Texas.

Outside of the Cats, Wells was passionate about two things: his family and horses. He’s survived by his wife, Lisa, and their two sons.

This is an unpleasant post to write. I was one of hundreds of Dixie Highway kids who grew up attending Wells’ summer football camps at Holy Cross. We learned that if he could make it in the NFL, we could reach our dreams too. This time a year ago, we spent almost an hour on the phone talking about his time at Kentucky, his fight with cancer, and who he liked in the Derby. He was optimistic throughout his courageous fight against cancer.

He went public with his fight against leukemia to help others, encouraging people to donate blood and join the Bone Marrow Registry. You can continue his legacy by signing up at BeTheMatch.org.