For the first time in school history, the Kentucky football team has a Paul Hornung Award winner.

Wide receiver-turned-quarterback Lynn Bowden was named the 2019 Paul Hornung Award winner on Wednesday morning by the Louisville Sports Commission. The award recognizes the most versatile player in major college football.

He earns the award after starting at quarterback for the Cats in their last seven games of the season. The junior star helped the Cats bounce back from a paltry 2-3 start, after season-ending injuries to starting quarterback Terry Wilson, to finish the year 7-5 and become bowl eligible for fourth consecutive year. 

Bowden broke multiple records down that stretch, including setting a school record for career and single-season rushing yards by a quarterback. He finished the year rushing for 1,235 and 11 touchdowns. He currently leads the SEC and ranks eighth nationally in all-purpose yardage, averaging 153.0 yards per game.

No one player in the nation leads their team in both rushing and receiving yards except Bowden, who has 1,235 and 348 each in those respective categories. The Associated Press and ESPN both named Bowden a First-Team Midseason All-American as an all-purpose. 

On Monday, Bowden announced that he was declaring for next spring’s NFL Draft. He will, however, still play in the Belk Bowl in Charlotte on New Year’s Eve. The Louisville Sports Commission will honor Bowden on Mar. 4, 2020 at the Galt House in Louisville, KY.