Jacob Tamme

He’s coming off a career year, but Jacob Tamme doesn’t expect that to change where he’ll be playing football next year. The former Boyle County and University of Kentucky standout signed a four-year deal with Indianapolis in 2008 and has one year left on the contract after catching 67 passes for  631 yards and four scores last season when he got to start eight games. Rumors have surfaced that he could be traded to another team in need of a tight end since all-pro Dallas Clark will be back with the Colts next year and recovered from the broken wrist that ended his 2010 season in October and turned Tamme into a starter instead of a special teams stalwart like he had been for two years.

Jacob Tamme is hoping the NFL can avoid a lockout before the current collective bargaining agreement expires Thursday, but he’s not confident about that prospect. Tamme, the Indianapolis Colts’ tight end and former Boyle County and Kentucky star, said Saturday that the players’ union has to hold firm, even if that means a prolonged lockout by owners which could stretch into the beginning of the season. “I know everybody from our end wants to play football. I am very aware of what it’s like to be a fan. And this whole argument, nobody really wants to hear a lot of it. I completely understand that, and I just hope we can do a deal that is fair for both sides,” he said.

If not for Joker Phillips, Jacob Tamme might not be playing in the NFL today. OK, maybe that's a stretch but remember that it was Phillips who wisely moved Tamme from receiver to tight end as soon as he took over as offensive coordinator back in 2006 after Ron Hudson was fired late in the season. Tamme responded with his first touchdown catch at Tennessee in UK's final regular-season game and went on to become an all-Southeastern Conference selection and NFL draft pick. That's why Tamme wasn't quite sure how to react Sunday when former UK teammate Wesley Woodyard told him after they had helped Denver beat the host Cincinnati Bengals that Phillips had been fired.

Jacob Tamme suffered what appears to be a concussion during the first half of Indianapolis' 62-7 loss at New Orleans Sunday night. After the game, the Colts said he was being “evaluated” for a “possible concussion” suffered during a special teams play. “He is in the locker room and is okay,” Tamme's wife, Allison, said via e-mail after the game. “He has a concussion they think. If anything changes, I'll let you know.” His mother, Pam, also noted that “thankfully Jacob is okay” and reflected on how difficult watching games can be. “Football is one of the most convoluted sports - to be SO happy then SO upset then SO worried then SO relieved then SO angry - all in the space of minutes!

If not for Joker Phillips, Jacob Tamme might not be playing in the NFL today. Okay, maybe that's a stretch but remember that it was Phillips who wisely moved Tamme from receiver to tight end as soon as he took over as offensive coordinator back in 2006 after Ron Hudson was fired late in the season. Tamme responded with his first touchdown catch at Tennessee in UK's final regular-season game and went on to become an all-Southeastern Conference selection and NFL draft pick. That's why Tamme wasn't quite sure how to react Sunday when former UK¿teammate Wesley Woodyard told him after they had helped Denver beat the host Cincinnati Bengals that Phillips had been fired.

Current Denver Broncos tight end Jacob Tamme never played on the same team as Neal Brown at Boyle County High School, but that doesn't mean UK's new offensive coordinator didn't have an impact on Tamme. “Neal definitely influenced my career. When I was in middle school and Neal was in high school he was the guy I looked up to and aspired to be,” said Tamme, a former all-Southeastern Conference tight end at UK. “He was the star wide receiver and got a chance to go to UK and that is all I really wanted, so I certainly looked up to Neal.

Boyle County native Jacob Tamme will end his collegiate career when Kentucky plays in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 31. What's your favorite memory of him from Boyle County and/or UK? Send it to sports@amnews.com by Dec. 15 to have it included in a special four-page section before the Music City Bowl. Include name, hometown and phone number for verification. Limit your submission to 200 words or less.

He's yet to officially sign his new three-year, $9-million deal with Denver, but tight end Jacob Tamme is excited about re-joining former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning and hopefully having a chance to play even more than he did the previous four seasons with the Colts. Tamme had only 19 catches for 177 yards last season when Manning was injured and did not play. However, in 2010 the former Boyle County High School and University of Kentucky star had 67 receptions for 631 yards and four touchdowns after Dallas Clark was injured.

LEXINGTON - Jacob Tamme doesn't have time to be hurt. The University of Kentucky senior tight end had a boot on his left ankle on Monday, but he insisted he would be ready for Saturday's game here against Mississippi State. "I don't even know exactly what it (the injury) is, but I will play Saturday," said Tamme. The former Boyle County standout says it is a "toe, foot, ankle deal" that he hurt last week before UK lost to Florida that is bothering him. "By the weekend, though, it will be great.

LEXINGTON - Kentucky has been able to get the ball to tight end Jacob Tamme only two times in its first two games. However, the Wildcats may have even more trouble getting the ball to him Saturday when they open Southeastern Conference play by hosting Mississippi. Kentucky coach Rich Brooks confirmed Sunday that Tamme had "tweaked" his hamstring in the third quarter of Saturday's 41-7 victory over Texas State. Tamme appeared to hurt his right leg when he was running a deep route down the middle of the field and was not hit by any defender.

While she was training in Colorado for the Jennie Carol's Memorial Mother's Day 5K Run, Allison Tamme would often think about Jennie Tarter and her unexpected death in 2008 that led to friends starting this event in downtown Danville to honor her memory by raising money for BackPack Kids. “Training in Colorado is a whole different animal. The altitude and hills are no joke out there,” she said. “I would be tired and my ankle or knee would be hurting, but then I would think how she would love to be out running with her sons.

Veteran coach Dom Dunn, a Louisville native, is thrilled to be back on the field coaching defensive tackles at Western Kentucky after spending the three previous seasons as the director of high school relations at Texas Tech for a staff that included current Kentucky coaches Neal Brown, Chad Scott and Tommy Mainord. He has 37 years of coaching experience at the collegiate level. He spent 10 seasons at Auburn as the defensive line coach. He also has been an assistant coach at Ole Miss, Nevada, Pacific, Montana State, Tennessee and Lees-McRae Junior College.

Back in 2003, it wasn't nearly as good a year for the Lincoln County girls' basketball team, which bowed out in the district tournament. The boys' team, however, made it to the quarterfinals of regionals, where they lost to Mercer County. Along the way, they also lost the district championship by one point to Boyle County, who was led by none other than now-famous NFL tight end Jacob Tamme. Here's an excerpt from the boys' district championship story, which ran March 13, 2003:   Rebels rally to take away title Jacob Tamme didn't score any points at Lincoln County in the Patriots 72-60 win over Boyle County on Jan. 25. A broken wrist sidelined the senior.

Current Denver Broncos tight end Jacob Tamme never played on the same team as Neal Brown at Boyle County High School, but that doesn't mean UK's new offensive coordinator didn't have an impact on Tamme. “Neal definitely influenced my career. When I was in middle school and Neal was in high school he was the guy I looked up to and aspired to be,” said Tamme, a former all-Southeastern Conference tight end at UK. “He was the star wide receiver and got a chance to go to UK and that is all I really wanted, so I certainly looked up to Neal.

If not for Joker Phillips, Jacob Tamme might not be playing in the NFL today. OK, maybe that's a stretch but remember that it was Phillips who wisely moved Tamme from receiver to tight end as soon as he took over as offensive coordinator back in 2006 after Ron Hudson was fired late in the season. Tamme responded with his first touchdown catch at Tennessee in UK's final regular-season game and went on to become an all-Southeastern Conference selection and NFL draft pick. That's why Tamme wasn't quite sure how to react Sunday when former UK teammate Wesley Woodyard told him after they had helped Denver beat the host Cincinnati Bengals that Phillips had been fired.

If not for Joker Phillips, Jacob Tamme might not be playing in the NFL today. Okay, maybe that's a stretch but remember that it was Phillips who wisely moved Tamme from receiver to tight end as soon as he took over as offensive coordinator back in 2006 after Ron Hudson was fired late in the season. Tamme responded with his first touchdown catch at Tennessee in UK's final regular-season game and went on to become an all-Southeastern Conference selection and NFL draft pick. That's why Tamme wasn't quite sure how to react Sunday when former UK¿teammate Wesley Woodyard told him after they had helped Denver beat the host Cincinnati Bengals that Phillips had been fired.

Changing teams is not something that Jacob Tamme says will provide extra motivation for him going into his fifth National Football League season, but he admits going from Indianapolis to Denver in the offseason has changed his approach to the upcoming season. “It's definitely something different because it is all new to me,” said Tamme. “A new place to live, new team, new teammates, new faces. At some point, you do feel that you need to prove yourself all over again to everybody because it is a whole new group of people you have been around.” Tamme was an all-state football player as well as a baseball and basketball standout at Boyle County High School.

He's got a long list of celebrities again participating, but Jacob Tamme knows why the third annual Swings For Soldiers Classic on Monday in Lexington again looks like it is going to be a successful fundraiser for Homes for Our Troops. “We have people who care about what we are doing,” said Tamme, the former Boyle County and Kentucky standout who now plays for the Denver Broncos. “There are so many things for people to be involved with that are good causes, but here you see the impact you can have on a family.” Homes for Our Troops has a simple mission: To build specially adapted homes for wounded veterans as the needs grows because  more servicemen and women are coming home without the mobility needed to operate in their previous home.

Even before the Denver Broncos added Kentucky linebacker Danny Trevathan to their roster by using their sixth round draft pick on him last month, former Wildcat Champ Kelly was already beaming about the UK connections with the Broncos. Kelly is a former Kentucky receiver who has been with the Broncos since 2007. He started as the team's Northeast region scout in 2007 and became assistant director of pro personnel in 2010. He is responsible for assisting in the evaluation and acquisition of free agents in addition to advance scouting and compiling research for the club.

He's yet to officially sign his new three-year, $9-million deal with Denver, but tight end Jacob Tamme is excited about re-joining former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning and hopefully having a chance to play even more than he did the previous four seasons with the Colts. Tamme had only 19 catches for 177 yards last season when Manning was injured and did not play. However, in 2010 the former Boyle County High School and University of Kentucky star had 67 receptions for 631 yards and four touchdowns after Dallas Clark was injured.