Craig Yeast

He succeeded at every level as a player, now Craig Yeast finally has his chance to show he can be a successful head coach, too. The former Harrodsburg High School and University of Kentucky player was named head coach at Bryan Station High School in Lexington on Monday. “I am so excited,” said Yeast, 34. “I feel like God has blessed me with the ability to impact kids. I think I can make a difference. I am looking forward to this opportunity.” Yeast set a single-season scoring record at Harrodsburg in 1994 with 212 points when he ran for 1,629 yards and 28 touchdowns and returned two punts for touchdowns.

Every true competitor wants to win the ultimate prize. This simple logic explains why Craig Yeast decided to come out of retirement less than three months after being released by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and return to the Canadian Football League to help the Saskatchewan Roughriders during their playoff run as they compete for the Grey Cup. Yeast was getting used to life after football. He had started a new job and he was helping coach his 7-year-old son's little league football team when he received a call from his agent telling him that Saskatchewan really wanted him. "My agent called me after speaking with the general manager of the Roughriders.

Perhaps there's no one who can analyze the Class AAAA state title game better than Craig Yeast. The former Harrodsburg and University of Kentucky standout player was the offensive coordinator at Marion County this year and his team lost 26-21 to Bell County to open the season and fell 45-28 to Lone Oak to end the season in the state semifinals last week while Boyle County was beating Bell 13-10. Boyle and Lone Oak, both unbeaten, play in the championship game Friday in Bowling Green.

HAMILTON, Ontario - Harrodsburg native Craig Yeast, has been named the Canadian Football League's offensive player of the week after helping the Hamilton Tiger-Cats upset the Edmonton Eskimos 40-14 last weekend. Yeast caught six passes for 166 yards in Hamilton's 40-14 victory. In the first half, he made a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch that set up the Tiger-Cats' first touchdown. Yeast, a former Harrodsburg High School and University of Kentucky standout is in his third season in the CFL. He has 58 catches for 930 yards and three touchdowns this season for Hamilton, which is 3-10 with five games remaining.

Craig Yeast will continue his professional football career in the Canadian Football League. Yeast, a former player at Harrodsburg High School and the University of Kentucky, signed a two-year contract with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats Thursday. He led Hamilton is receiving yards and kick returns last season. He played in 18 games and caught 59 passes for 1,184 yards and eight touchdowns. He also returned 41 kickoffs for 805 yards, 53 punts for 420 yards and eight missed field goals for 250 yards and one score.

HAMILTON, Ontario - Craig Yeast, a former Harrodsburg High School and University of Kentucky standout, signed a free-agent contract Tuesday with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League, the Canadian Press reported. Yeast, a wide receiver-kick returner, joins a Hamilton team desperate for offense. The Tiger-Cats are 0-7 and have scored a league-low 100 points this season. Yeast, 27, set school receiving records at Kentucky with 208 receptions and 2,899 yards from 1995-98.

When a friend coaching high school football in Florida asked Craig Yeast to come help him with his receivers, Yeast was glad to do it. He knew his friend's team had been to Troy University to learn Troy offensive coordinator Tony Franklin's system. Of course, Franklin was at Kentucky under Hal Mumme when Yeast had his record-setting career before going on to play in the National Football League and Canadian Football League. "I went down and ended up helping with the quarterbacks and receivers, watching spring practice and speaking to their whole team," Yeast said.

HARRODSBURG — He’s holding his football camp two weeks earlier this year, but Craig Yeast says the biggest change in his annual event is that he’s working with the Wilderness Trace Family YMCA this year. “They are trying to build their programs up, and I am donating part of the camp proceeds to the YMCA,” the former Harrodsburg and University of Kentucky player said. “They wanted to be involved in the camp, and I wanted them involved. “The YMCA is the place in Harrodsburg that helped raise me. I was always in there.

The more he's around young football players, the more Craig Yeast enjoys himself. That's one reason he will host the second Craig Yeast Elite Skills Football Camp July 13-15 in Harrodsburg. "We had a lot of younger kids among the 95 we had last year. I'm hoping to have a few more this year, but I just love working with whoever shows up. The young ones want to learn so much and try so hard. I just enjoy that," Yeast said. Youngsters entering grades 1-8 are eligible to attend the camp.

A list of participatory sporting events in and around the area: BASEBALL June 15-18 - Centre College Baseball Camp at Admiral Field near Bate Middle School. Sessions 9 a.m.-1 p.m. for ages 6-15. Call Mike Pritchard at (859) 238-5489 or e-mail mike.pritchard@centre.edu. BASKETBALL Monday-Thursday - Golden Lion Basketball Camp at Garrard County High School in Lancaster. Session 8 a.m.-noon. Fee $50. Call Lee DeForest at (859) 792-2146. June 19 - John Calipari Basketball School Father-Son Camp at University of Kentucky.

HARRODSBURG -  There are many things Craig Yeast has to do these days, but he still manages to make time for one thing he wants to do. Yeast is busier than ever as he prepares for his first season as a head coach in high school football. But he was back in Harrodsburg this week for his annual Craig Yeast Elite Skills Camp, and he was back in his element. His two-day camp at Alvis Johnson Field, which concluded Tuesday, gives Yeast the chance to work with kids, something he has always loved to do. "I could do this all the time," Yeast said.

He succeeded at every level as a player, now Craig Yeast finally has his chance to show he can be a successful head coach, too. The former Harrodsburg High School and University of Kentucky player was named head coach at Bryan Station High School in Lexington on Monday. “I am so excited,” said Yeast, 34. “I feel like God has blessed me with the ability to impact kids. I think I can make a difference. I am looking forward to this opportunity.” Yeast set a single-season scoring record at Harrodsburg in 1994 with 212 points when he ran for 1,629 yards and 28 touchdowns and returned two punts for touchdowns.

LEXINGTON — Randall Cobb never had a chance to see Craig Yeast play, which is too bad considering he tied the former University of Kentucky star’s career touchdown record by scoring three times here Saturday night against Auburn in the 37-34 loss. The UK junior scored on runs of 2 yards and 1 yard and caught a 16-yard scoring pass to join Yeast with 32 career touchdowns. “I heard about him, but I never really paid attention to his record until this year,” said Cobb.

HARRODSBURG — He’s holding his football camp two weeks earlier this year, but Craig Yeast says the biggest change in his annual event is that he’s working with the Wilderness Trace Family YMCA this year. “They are trying to build their programs up, and I am donating part of the camp proceeds to the YMCA,” the former Harrodsburg and University of Kentucky player said. “They wanted to be involved in the camp, and I wanted them involved. “The YMCA is the place in Harrodsburg that helped raise me. I was always in there.

Perhaps there's no one who can analyze the Class AAAA state title game better than Craig Yeast. The former Harrodsburg and University of Kentucky standout player was the offensive coordinator at Marion County this year and his team lost 26-21 to Bell County to open the season and fell 45-28 to Lone Oak to end the season in the state semifinals last week while Boyle County was beating Bell 13-10. Boyle and Lone Oak, both unbeaten, play in the championship game Friday in Bowling Green.

HARRODSBURG - His own playing days are over, but Dougie Allen is still staying connected to the game. From coaching receivers to calling games to conducting a Bible study, the former Kentucky wide receiver is still involved in football in a number of ways, including this week as part of the staff at former teammate Craig Yeast's football camp. Allen said he is here "for the kids, because there's a lot of talented kids in the area that could benefit from the extra work and the extra attention," he said.

Craig Yeast had been looking for a school system that would not only give him a chance to coach football, but also would let him work in the system daily. Finally, the former Harrodsburg and University of Kentucky standout has found that place -- Marion County. He's taken a job as offensive coordinator under head football coach Jeff Robbins in addition to working in the school. "I had to have a job to make a move like that for me and my family," said Yeast, who was scheduled to be the offensive coordinator at Lincoln County this season.

The more he's around young football players, the more Craig Yeast enjoys himself. That's one reason he will host the second Craig Yeast Elite Skills Football Camp July 13-15 in Harrodsburg. "We had a lot of younger kids among the 95 we had last year. I'm hoping to have a few more this year, but I just love working with whoever shows up. The young ones want to learn so much and try so hard. I just enjoy that," Yeast said. Youngsters entering grades 1-8 are eligible to attend the camp.

A list of participatory sporting events in and around the area: BASEBALL July 3-4 - Cumberland Crushers coach pitch tournament at Russell Springs. For ages 8 and under. Three-game minimum. Fee $150. Call Brentley at (270) 566-2529. BASKETBALL July 6-9, 20-23 - Centre College Basketball Camp. Sessions 9 a.m.-noon for ages 6-10, 1-4 p.m. for ages 11 and up. Fee $90. Call Greg Mason at (859) 238-5491 or e-mail greg.mason@centre.edu. July 14-17 - Centre College Women's Basketball Camp.