KU's Scholar Athlete

UK’s Big Catch: Landon Young

KU-SASchool: Lafayette High
Sport: Football, wrestling, track & field
Academics: Landon has a 4.6 weighted GPA, is a National Honor Society member and scored 25 on his ACT.
Parents: Angela & Randall

Here is what just everybody knows about Landon Young, a 6-foot-7, 305-pound offensive tackle and one of the best athletes in Lafayette High history.

Football: Landon, 18, led the Generals to the State final last fall and is a 5-star recruit who has committed to play at UK. He is a two-time All-State and three-time All-City selection and is rated the No. 12 player in the country.

He played every offensive snap in the prestigious U.S. Army All-American game in January before a crowd of 40,000 at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

Wrestling: Landon capped a four-year varsity career by winning the State championship in the 285-pound weight class. In nearly 130 high school matches, he lost only seven times.

Track & Field: A two-time Junior All-American and Junior Olympics qualifier, Landon has won the State discus title twice and shot put title once heading into this year’s State meet May 28.

In recognition for excellence in three high school sports, Landon was presented the Wah Wah Jones Award in March as the state’s top all-around athlete.

The award is named after the former UK three-sport star who played for both Adolph Rupp and Bear Bryant.

Academics: Landon carries a 4.6 weighted GPA (and he’s strong enough to carry that number around).

He is a National Honor Society member, scored 25 on his ACT and will enter UK with 20 credit hours, thanks to his dual credit classes in high school.

He plans to study animal science and wants to be a large animal vet.

Landon is a hunter and fisherman who has worked the family farm in Western Kentucky.

Now, here is what most people don’t know about Landon – his knitting skills and the story behind his uniform number, 67.

Landon’s grandmother taught him to knit and crochet. To prove the (needle) point, Landon displayed a scarf he is knitting during a recent interview, and all admired his handiwork.

“That’s herringbone knit and it’s very tight, which is hard to do,” said his father, Randall, who also knits. Randall played football, wrestled and threw the discus and shot put at Lafayette.

He also wore No. 67, but that’s not why Landon chose that number.

As a Little Leaguer (he played in the Cal Ripken World Series), Landon was asked to pick a number. Randall’s mother had just passed away at the age of 67. So, Landon picked that number to honor his grandma.

And then, as fate would have it, Landon grew to be 6-foot-7.

And now you know the rest of the story.

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