Former Kentucky edge Josh Hines-Allen named to All-Decade team

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The Kentucky Wildcats football program has had some great players throughout its history despite not having a lot of major success. Under Mark Stoops, however, they experience a bit of a revival, making multiple bowl appearances and more than one winning season. That was, in part, because of their ability to find talent that other teams missed. One of those players was Josh Hines-Allen.

Coming out of high school, Hines-Allen (just Allen then) was a lightly recruited two-star player. He had a few offers, but chose the Wildcats, and quickly established himself as a star. He racked up 19.5 sacks in his first three years, then exploded as a senior. He recorded 88 tackles, 21.5 tackles for a loss, 17 sacks, 4 passes defended, 5 forced fumbles, and 2 fumble recoveries. This led to him winning the Bronko Nagurski Award, the Chuck Bednarik Award, the Ronnie Lott Trophy, SEC Defensive Player of the Year, and he was named a consensus All-American.

It was one of the most dominant seasons ever, and now, it helped earn him another honor. Pro Football Focus released their All-Decade team with their highest graded players over the past ten years, and Hines-Allen was one of the two edge rushers listed, along with former Alabama Crimson Tide great Will Anderson.

They are the only two SEC edge defenders with more than 30 sacks over the past decade. Hines-Allen was remarkably efficient at converting pressures into sacks, while Anderson was a disruptive force throughout his career at Alabama.

They didn't include any other Wildcats on the team, but Hines-Allen was certainly a worthy inclusion. He was one of the most dominant players in Kentucky history, and an all-time SEC great.

This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Former Kentucky edge Josh Hines-Allen named to All-Decade team

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