The 2024 NFL season officially kicked off and many of the 18 former Kentucky football players on active rosters had solid performances in their season openers.
Many of those players were defenders who came up with big plays in moments their teams needed them.
One of them was former Pro Bowler Za’Darius Smith of the Cleveland Browns, who is entering his tenth season in the league after playing for the Cats from 2013-14.
Toward the end of the second quarter in Cleveland’s 33-17 loss to the Cowboys, Smith sacked quarterback Dak Prescott on third down in the red zone, which forced Dallas to settle for a field goal.
Josh Hines-Allen of the Jacksonville Jaguars, the other active former Wildcat who has made the Pro Bowl, also recorded two total tackles and defended one pass against the Miami Dolphins.
Elsewhere, linebacker Jamin Davis of the Washington Commanders also had a solid outing in week one against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, making three total tackles including one for a loss of four yards in the second quarter.
A couple of former Wildcats also played their first games for new teams over the weekend including Buffalo Bills safety Mike Edwards and Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Bud Dupree. Dupree defended a pass in the Chargers’ 22-10 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.
On the offensive side, Will Levis was the only former Wildcat to start under center in week one, doing so for the Tennessee Titans against the Chicago Bears.
Levis had some solid plays but could not lead the Titans to a win over an elite Chicago defense that added many stars during the offseason. He finished 19-for-32 with 127 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, one of which went for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
New York Giants receiver Wan’Dale Robinson, a former target of Levis in his lone season as a Wildcat, was targeted a team-high twelve times during the 28-6 home loss against the Minnesota Vikings.
He caught six of those targets — also a team-high — for 44 yards, and also rushed once for 14 yards, maintaining his case for having a potential breakout year.
In that same game, rookie cornerback Andru Phillips recorded three solo tackles, including one for a loss.
Bills running back Ray Davis, another former Kentucky star who is now an NFL rookie, also had a solid outing in his pro debut.
In the first drive of the third quarter, Davis caught a 14-yard pass and ran for 13 yards on consecutive first down plays in Cardinals’ territory in a game Buffalo ended up winning 34-28.
The Cats in the pros will return to action in week two starting on Thursday, September 10, when Davis, Edwards and the Bills will face the Miami Dolphins. The game will kick off at 8:15 p.m. EST and can be viewed live on Prime Video.
