The 2024 NFL season officially kicked off and many of the 18 former Kentucky football players on active rosters had solid performances in their season openers.
Many of those players were defenders who came up with big plays in moments their teams needed them.
One of them was former Pro Bowler Za’Darius Smith of the Cleveland Browns, who is entering his tenth season in the league after playing for the Cats from 2013-14.
Toward the end of the second quarter in Cleveland’s 33-17 loss to the Cowboys, Smith sacked quarterback Dak Prescott on third down in the red zone, which forced Dallas to settle for a field goal.