Steve Ortmayer

LEXINGTON - Kentucky special teams coach Steve Ortmayer had the only return teams ranked in the top 10 nationally in both punt and kickoff returns last year. In this interview, he discusses the impact of having kickoffs at the 30-yard line, freshman kicker Ryan Tydlacka and other special teams concerns. Question: What will be the impact of kickoffs being at the 30-yard line instead of the 35-yard line this year? Ortmayer: "It is definitely going to impact the game as much as the head coaches are saying.

University of Kentucky assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Steve Ortmayer thinks Kentucky's defense will be better this season under Steve Brown's watch. Ortmayer knows the unit has had trouble in the past, especially against the run. However, Ortmayer believes Kentucky has the right mix to be successful this season. "We look for our defense to be much improved this year. The thing that we haven't been able to do in the four years that we've been here is really shut down our opponents' running game.

It's hard to believe, but exactly one month from today, the University of Kentucky will open the football season. Although Louisville won't be the traditional opening day opponent, a state school - Eastern Kentucky University - will be on the opposite sideline. It will mark the second-ever meeting between the two neighboring rivals. The two schools met in 1998, with the Wildcats claiming a 52-7 win, behind the arm of Tim Couch, now trying to revive his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

An eighth player has been added to Kentucky's team leadership council. The council, which has traditionally featured seven players elected by members of the football team, is selected by team members in each position group. Council members are J.D. Craigman (defensive line), Wesley Woodyard (linebackers), Roger Williams (defensive backs), Jason Leger (offensive line), Jacob Tamme (tight ends and specialists), Keenan Burton (wide receivers), Andre Woodson (quarterbacks and running backs)

LEXINGTON - Kentucky coach Rich Brooks had not been happy with his defensive line play this spring. That all changed Wednesday when UK's defensive front dominated most of the 11-on-11 work. "I've been on them for three or four days about getting off on the ball and finally they did today," said Brooks. "Obviously, our offensive line wasn't quite ready for that, so that's the tempo we need to practice. We need to get our line ready to see full speed. " Redshirt freshmen defensive ends Collins Ukwu and Taylor Wyndham both made big plays that pleased Brooks immensely.

LEXINGTON - Mike Hartline understands Kentucky fans wonder how many big plays he will make this season. However, the Kentucky sophomore quarterback realizes he has to know when not to try to make a big play and risk a big mistake by forcing the action. "Even though you are the quarterback out there on the field on offense, you have to be able to know it is OK not to make a bad play sometimes. It is OK to punt sometimes," said Hartline. "It is OK to throw the ball away. You can't be the guy that thinks he can make every play.

Kentucky's quest to make sure it always has a full compliment of offensive linemen continued with the Wildcats' recent scholarship offer to 6-5, 300-pound Rockcastle County junior offensive lineman Brad Durham. "He has a world of potential. He used to play basketball, but he stopped so he could lift weights and get stronger," Rockcastle County assistant coach Chris Larkey said Thursday. "He moves well. He is real quick on his feet. " Durham attended UK's junior day in January.

LEXINGTON - With three senior tight ends returning, Kentucky assistant coach Steve Ortmayer expects better production this season. T.C. Drake and Maurice Grinter took most of the snaps at tight end last year and Ross Bogue figures to be more of a factor this year as well based on what Ortmayer has seen during spring practice. However, Kentucky still has not had a tight end show he can be the receiving threat Jacob Tamme was before his graduation after the 2007 season. Last year Grinter had 12 catches for 162 yards and two scores, Drake 12 receptions for 204 yards and Bogue one for eight yards.

LEXINGTON ? Kentucky assistant coach Steve Ortmayer is not the least bit surprised that Jacob Tamme seems to have found a home with the Indianapolis Colts. "Jacob was a very fundamental player. He was a drill, fundamental player. Despite the fact that sometimes he doesn't look like the smoothest guy in the world executing what he does, he knows what to do fundamentally and that has really helped him," said Ortmayer, UK's tight ends and special teams coach. "I think he can last a long time in the league.

When Kentucky opened preseason practice, few would have believed that Jordan Aumiller could have emerged as one of UK’s best tight ends, or maybe even the best. It was just over a year ago that the Boyle County graduate was scheduled to be grayshirted — UK had too many signees and Aumiller had undergone shoulder surgery after his senior basketball season — when he ended up reporting with other freshmen when UK’s scholarship numbers worked out. However, Aumiller spent his 2009 redshirt season at linebacker, not tight end. He didn’t move to tight end until last spring.

Kentucky coach Joker Phillips says new assistant coach Greg Nord will bring a “wealth of knowledge recruiting tight ends and instant credibility with in-state recruiting” to UK. “Number, he knows the job. He understands Kentucky because he is from here, played here and coached here and at Louisville,” Phillips said. “And he knows this league, too. He will bring a lot of things to the table for us.” While Nord’s recruiting contacts are obvious, Phillips says not to discount his value as an on-field coach.

Once offensive line coach Mike Summers left Arkansas to join the Kentucky coaching staff, Travis Leffew thought to himself that it might not be long before Greg Nord also wound up at Kentucky. “They were pretty much inseparable when they were together at Louisville,” said Leffew, a former Boyle County High School all-state lineman who earned All-American honors at Louisville. “They have a real good bond with each other.” That bond will apparently get even stronger now that Nord, a former Kentucky player and running backs coach, is leaving Illinois after only six months to fill the opening on Joker Phillips’ staff at UK that was created Wednesday when special teams coordinator and tight ends coach Steve Ortmayer was fired.

Right or wrong, Kentucky coach Joker Phillips continues to show he’s not afraid to make changes if it thinks they are necessary to make the UK football program better. He let offensive line coach Jimmy Heggins and defensive line coach Rick Petri go shortly after he took over from Rich Brooks. Now Phillips has decided to part ways with special teams coordinator Steve Ortmayer. Ortmayer joined the staff with Brooks in 2003 and was also the assistant head coach and tight ends coach.

LEXINGTON ? Kentucky assistant coach Steve Ortmayer is not the least bit surprised that Jacob Tamme seems to have found a home with the Indianapolis Colts. "Jacob was a very fundamental player. He was a drill, fundamental player. Despite the fact that sometimes he doesn't look like the smoothest guy in the world executing what he does, he knows what to do fundamentally and that has really helped him," said Ortmayer, UK's tight ends and special teams coach. "I think he can last a long time in the league.

LEXINGTON ? For anyone that wants to criticize kicker Lone Seiber, Kentucky special teams coach Steve Ortmayer has a few words of advice. "Seiber is just about the most castigated guy out here and it is totally false. The guy is a very good kicker. Our protection is ... It's not on Seiber. It is on me. Seiber is a lot better than our protection. We have to get that better this year to get him a fairer chance to show what he can do," said Ortmayer. Seiber was 11-for-19 on field goals last year and is 38-for-63 in his career.

LEXINGTON - For anyone that wants to criticize kicker Lone Seiber, Kentucky special teams coach Steve Ortmayer has a few words of advice. "Seiber is just about the most castigated guy out here and it is totally false. The guy is a very good kicker. Our protection is horse????. It's not on Seiber. It is on me. Seiber is a lot better than our protection. We have to get that better this year to get him a fairer chance to show what he can do," said Ortmayer. Seiber was 11-for-19 on field goals last year and is 38-for-63 in his career.

LEXINGTON - With three senior tight ends returning, Kentucky assistant coach Steve Ortmayer expects better production this season. T.C. Drake and Maurice Grinter took most of the snaps at tight end last year and Ross Bogue figures to be more of a factor this year as well based on what Ortmayer has seen during spring practice. However, Kentucky still has not had a tight end show he can be the receiving threat Jacob Tamme was before his graduation after the 2007 season. Last year Grinter had 12 catches for 162 yards and two scores, Drake 12 receptions for 204 yards and Bogue one for eight yards.

LEXINGTON - Kentucky coach Rich Brooks had not been happy with his defensive line play this spring. That all changed Wednesday when UK's defensive front dominated most of the 11-on-11 work. "I've been on them for three or four days about getting off on the ball and finally they did today," said Brooks. "Obviously, our offensive line wasn't quite ready for that, so that's the tempo we need to practice. We need to get our line ready to see full speed. " Redshirt freshmen defensive ends Collins Ukwu and Taylor Wyndham both made big plays that pleased Brooks immensely.