J.J. Weaver returned his first UK interception 20 yards against Florida. (Vicky Graff Photo)
I remember when J.J. Weaver was a high school senior and friends in Louisville told me what a special player he was — something that became obvious when Kentucky recruiting coordinator Vince Marrow made him a UK priority.
Rivals.com had Weaver as a top 225 player nationally and one of the top 15 linebackers nationally coming out of Moore High School in Louisville.
Weaver redshirted in 2019 and then had 33 tackles, including 6.5 tackles for loss, in nine games in 2020. His season was cut two games short because of a season-ending knee injury suffered against Florida.
But Weaver certainly made his presence felt for UK in Saturday’s 20-13 win over Florida. He had his first UK interception in the fourth quarter and returned it 20 yards. He had two tackles, a quarterback hurry, and one tackle for loss. He’s now had a tackle for loss in all five games this season.
That was the impact UK coaches told him he could have at Kentucky if he picked the Cats over Louisville, Miami and Purdue.
“This was most definitely the dream. I’m still living in it now,” Weaver said after Saturday’s win. “Coach White, coach Stoops, they’ve all believed in me since day one. And redshirting, I doubted them.
“But, last year, I took so many losses, so they came in together as a family, so that made me open up more and made me show up a lot better. So, it made me believe in the system.
“That helped me deliver my game, my communication. My teammates have been working hard, we’ve been more open, trusting the coaches and it helped a lot.”
Weaver has had a traumatic last year. He hurt his knee, his father was murdered and his high school football coach died. Weaver never wavered in his commitment to rehab and getting back on the field. Mark Stoops says what he is doing is remarkable because he still is not 100 percent or back to quite as fast and athletic as he was.
His work ethic has carried over to pregame film work that helped pay off with the key interception against Florida.
“We watched film all week. The tight end was going to go straight up and avert, so I was on the cutting,” Weaver said.
He was overwhelmed by the UK fan turnout for the Florida game.
“That’s the biggest crowd I’ve ever played in front of. Love the fans for that,” Weaver said.
