Riley Gaines is a four-time SEC champion. (UK Athletics Photo)
Obviously, every athlete at the University of Kentucky would like to become an All-American and win a national championship. However, for years I have felt one of the most meaningful honors for any UK athlete is to be inducted into the Frank G. Ham Society of Character.
I still remember former UK basketball player DeAndre Liggins crying after he found out he was being inducted into the Society of Character that honors UK athletes who have shown an “extraordinary commitment to academic excellence, athletic participation, personal development, career preparation and serving as a role model” during their time at Kentucky.
Seventeen athletes were picked for induction this season and all certainly were worthy candidates. However, I was especially glad to see a few of them I know and have written stories about had been selected.
— Abule Abadi-Fitzgerald left his family in Nigeria at age 12 and moved to Florida where he was eventually adopted by Teri and Steve Fitzgerald. He was a basketball player who decided to try football after he got to the United States and chose UK over several schools in Florida. He played in 30 games, including nine starts. He made the academic honor roll at UK and participated in Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He has already graduated with a degree in communications.
— Riley Gaines is the 2022 SEC Swimming Scholar Athlete of the Year and is the SEC record holder in the 200-meter butterfly. She is a four-time SEC champion and owns the school records in the 100 freestyle, 200 free, 200 fly and contributed to the 200 medley, 400 free, and 800 free relay records. She is a human health science major who plans to attend dental school.
— Kenneth Horsey was the 2020 Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year after becoming a fixture in the UK lineup even though he had heart surgery at the end of his high school senior year. He was one of 11 players nationally named to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team in 2021 because of his volunteer work with the American Heart Association. He was also named to the 2021 SEC Community Service Team. Horsey has already started 21 games and is one of the key returning offensive linemen for UK. He has already graduated with a degree in communications.
— Tatum Spangler plans to be a veterinarian and has been on the SEC Academic Honor Roll. She hit .344 with two homers and 23 RBI’s in 2021, and also scored 37 runs. She had a 2.44 ERA on the mound. Spangler, an FCA member, was one of the first UK female athletes to sign a NIL deal.
The other 13 athletes picked this year have terrific credentials just like Horsey, Spangler, Gaines, and Abadi-Fitzgerald do. It’s an elite group to be part of at UK and always will be.
