Kentucky Professional Athletes

Za'Darius Smith Is Already Owning Atlanta

The Falcons knew what they were getting when they signed Za'Darius Smith, but his Week 1 performance against Pittsburgh was a statement all the same. The Kentucky product racked up two sacks in his Atlanta debut, earning rave reviews from teammates and coaches alike. The performance came with flair — Smith's "Dog Crawl" celebration became an instant talking point — but more important was the edge presence the Falcons desperately needed heading into a tough NFC South slate.

Off the field, Smith's first week in Atlanta included a gesture that turned heads for a different reason: the veteran pass rusher announced he'd be paying for his entire church congregation to attend the Falcons' home opener against Carolina. First impressions don't get much better than this.

Deone Walker Is Becoming a Household Name in Buffalo

If Za'Darius Smith owned the headlines for Kentucky alums in Week 1, Deone Walker is quietly building toward a bigger story. The Bills' defensive tackle notched a sack against Houston in a 36–31 Bills win, but the individual stat barely captures the buzz surrounding him. Edge rusher Bradley Chubb — no stranger to elite athletes — went on record calling Walker's abilities "honestly insane" and described them as "once in a lifetime" for someone his size. Yahoo Sports even launched a crowdsourced effort to find Walker a nickname worthy of his imposing presence on the Bills' interior line. The hype is real, and the production is backing it up.

Around the Rest of the Wildcats

Week 1 produced scattered but notable contributions from other Kentucky alumni across the league:

Wan'Dale Robinson had a solid debut for the Titans, hauling in 5 receptions for 38 yards in a 23–10 loss to the Jets. It wasn't enough to move the needle in Tennessee's favor, but Robinson showed he remains a reliable option out of the slot.

Josh Hines-Allen continued to anchor the Jaguars' pass rush, adding a sack in Jacksonville's dominant 34–10 win over Cleveland. Chris Rodriguez Jr. also contributed in that game, logging 23 rushing yards in a balanced Jaguars effort.

Seth McGowan made his NFL debut for the Colts in a tough 41–23 loss to Baltimore, and while the rookie RB didn't get a carry, he made his presence felt with a reception out of the backfield — a quiet but meaningful first step for a player still finding his footing.

Carrington Valentine had a rougher go of it in Green Bay. The Packers cornerback was targeted repeatedly in the red zone by Minnesota and struggled in coverage across just 13 snaps, leaving the coaching staff with questions heading into Week 2.

Barion Brown saw action for the Saints in a heartbreaking 31–30 loss to Detroit, contributing 3 rushing yards on a gadget touch. The Saints' offense still has sorting out to do, but the Kentucky wideout is in the mix.

The Wildcats' NFL footprint continues to expand — and with Smith setting the tone and Walker emerging as one of the league's most talked-about young defenders, the Big Blue alumni chapter is off to a strong start in 2026.

Two Kentucky alumni headlined a busy week for Wildcats in the NFL — one closing a chapter, the other opening one.

Levis Cut Loose in Tennessee

The Will Levis experiment in Nashville is officially over. The Tennessee Titans waived the former second-round pick on Sunday as the league trimmed rosters to 53 men, ending a three-year tenure that never fully delivered on the promise of an early 2023 draft investment. Levis had served as the Titans' starter but struggled to seize the job long-term, and with the franchise pivoting at quarterback, he was among the more prominent names to hit the wire at the cutdown deadline.

Titans GM Mike Borgonzi issued a statement following the move — a notable gesture that underscored Levis' standing in the building even if the football relationship had run its course.

The market responded quickly. By Thursday, Levis had worked out for the New York Jets, who despite naming rookie Cade Klubnik as their backup quarterback this week, haven't closed the door on bolstering the depth chart. The Jets' interest signals that Levis — still just 25 and carrying legitimate starting experience — remains a credible option for teams shopping for insurance at the position. Multiple outlets identified New York as among the most logical landing spots, and the workout suggests mutual interest is real.

Whether a deal materializes remains to be seen, but Levis has the profile of a quarterback who gets a second act somewhere: arm talent, size, and starts on the résumé.

Hairston Earns His Spot in Buffalo

While Levis navigates free agency, Maxwell Hairston is settling into something more stable. The Bills' second-year cornerback — a first-round pick out of Kentucky in the 2025 draft — has locked down a starting job in Buffalo's secondary heading into the 2026 season.

Per Sports Illustrated, Hairston leaned on his faith and the relationships he built within the locker room to grow through his first NFL year and arrive at camp ready to run with the opportunity in front of him. The Bills didn't hand it to him unconditionally — but he answered the moment.

For a Kentucky program that has produced a string of defensive backs, Hairston's ascension into a full-time starting role on an AFC contender is a meaningful data point. Buffalo's defense is built around playmakers, and a young corner cementing himself in that system is no small development.

Around the Rest of the Roster

The week wasn't without turbulence for other Wildcats. Linebacker Trevin Wallace — listed on the Jets' roster — was among the players caught up in Sunday's league-wide cutdown activity, with reports indicating the Panthers waived him after he had started for them a season ago. Wallace's path forward will depend on whether a team claims him or brings him in off the street.

Elsewhere, the depth of Kentucky's NFL footprint remains striking. From Ray Davis and Deone Walker contributing in Buffalo alongside Hairston, to Jamin Davis in Pittsburgh and Za'Darius Smith in Philadelphia, the Wildcats have alumni spread across contenders and rebuilding teams alike — a testament to the program's consistent pipeline into the league.

Kentucky's NFL alumni had a week that ran the full emotional spectrum — from a young corner locking down a starting job to a veteran reclaiming his career after profound personal loss, and a former first-round pick hitting the pavement before the regular season even begins.

Maxwell Hairston Is Buffalo's CB2 — Full Stop

The Bills didn't need preseason games to make up their minds about Maxwell Hairston. Head coach Joe Brady confirmed the rookie cornerback is a starter, and Buffalo backed it up by keeping him on the field against Pittsburgh even while resting most of the first-team offense. Brady's public declaration as CB2 is a remarkable landing spot for a first-year player, and it signals that the Bills view the Kentucky product as a legitimate piece of their defensive backfield — not a depth option waiting his turn. For a program that has quietly produced secondary talent, Hairston's ascent is a statement.

Za'Darius Smith's Comeback Carries Real Weight

The story behind Za'Darius Smith's return to the NFL is not about football. Smith retired after just five games with the Eagles last season when he learned his mother was terminally ill. He stepped away to be with her in her final days — a decision that, by his own account, caught Philadelphia off guard and drew some scrutiny. Now signed with the Falcons, Smith addressed the situation publicly in his first press conference since coming out of retirement, laying out the full picture.

The Falcons are getting a motivated, experienced pass rusher who has something to prove on multiple fronts. Whether Smith can recapture his form as a disruptive edge presence remains the football question. But the context around his return makes this one of the more humanizing stories of the preseason.

Jamin Davis Cut Loose in Steelers' Final Moves

Jamin Davis, once the 19th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by Washington, won't be playing in Pittsburgh this season. The Steelers released the linebacker as part of their final roster cuts. Davis had bounced from Washington to the Steelers in search of a second act, but the opportunity didn't materialize. At 26, his NFL career isn't necessarily over — a player with his draft pedigree will draw interest — but clearing waivers and landing somewhere meaningful is far from guaranteed.

Around the Commonwealth

Elsewhere in the weekly Kentucky alumni log: Bills running back Ray Davis provided an inadvertent comic moment during the preseason game against Pittsburgh, muffing a punt return in what announcers called a textbook jinx situation. No harm done in a preseason context, but Davis will want cleaner work as the regular season approaches.

Will Levis saw meaningful second-half action for the Titans in their preseason win over Seattle, playing alongside Cam Ward and Mitchell Trubisky in a three-quarterback audition. His standing on the depth chart remains fluid as Tennessee evaluates its options at the position.

And in Jacksonville, coach Liam Coen addressed how the Jaguars plan to deploy their backfield — a conversation that includes Kentucky's Chris Rodriguez Jr., who figures into a committee approach rather than a featured role.

The Wildcats' NFL footprint is wide. This week proved it cuts in every direction.