Top 100 UCF Knights Male Athletes Of All-Time: #70-61

Football legends are well-represented in this group

By Eric Lopez and JeffSharon May 26, 2020, 9:01am EDT

Adrian Killins (Photo: Derek Warden) — Adrian Killins

We continue our list of Top 100 UCF Knights male athletes of all-time with a bunch of football legends, young and old.

Check out our previous articles in this list here:

Now let’s get to #70-61:

#70 - Adrian Killins (Football)

As Scott Frost’s first recruit from Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, Killins (2016-2019) ranks 5th all-time at UCF in rushing yards with 2,459, averaging 6.1 yards per carry. He scored 25 career touchdowns which also ranks 5th all-time and is 4th in all-urpose yards (4,361 yards). Killins was a three-time All Conference American selection during his Knights career.

#69 - Paul Miranda (Football)

Miranda played at UCF from 1996-1998, and holds school records for kickoff return average in a season (30.7) and career (33.3). He also recorded 56 tackles, two interceptions and six pass breakups in 1998.

He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft and later played for the Seattle Seahawks and Miami Dolphins.

#68 - Michael O’Shaugnessy (Football and Baseball)

The enigmatic O’Shaughnessy was a two-sport athlete for the Knights in baseball and football, as he was a standout for the UCF football team during the program’s first two seasons of play in 1979 and 1980, joining the team at age 23.

As a defensive end on Don Jonas’ inaugural football team, O’Shaughnessy established a still-standing school record for sacks in a game with five against Emory & Henry during that 1979 season. He led the team both of his seasons with 10 sacks in 1979 and 12 sacks in 1980, and remains among UCF’s all-time best with 22 career sacks. O’Shaughnessy was inducted into UCF Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010.

After UCF, he became a world-class paddleboarder and successful businessman.

#67 - Willie English (Football)

A standout from 1989-1993, English finished his career as UCF’s all-time leading rusher with 3,131 yards and set the school record for rushing yards in a game with 242. He set the school record for career rushing touchdowns with 38 and also set the school record for career 100-yard rushing games with 15.

He helped the Knights advance to the I-AA semifinals in 1990 and led them in rushing in 1993. His most productive year came in 1991, when he rushed for more than 100 yards in nine games and set school records with 1,338 yards and 13 touchdowns. English was inducted into UCF Athletics Hall of Fame in 2003.

#66 - Kevan George (Men’s Soccer)

FBL-FRIENDLY-VEN-TTO — Trinidad and Tobago’s Kevan George (L) and Venezuela’s Romulo Otero jump for a header during a friendly football match held at the Olympic Stadium in Caracas on October 14, 2019

George was a key part of the Knights back-to-back NCAA Tournament teams in 2010 and 2011. He was a three-time All-C-USA First Teamer (2008, 2009, 2011) and won C-USA Newcomer of year in 2009. George went on to play in MLS with the Columbus Crew from 2012-2015, and also has played for Trinidad & Tobago in international play.

#65 - Darrell Rudd (Football)

One of the standouts from the very early years of UCF football, Rudd still holds school records for sacks in a season with 19.5 in 1984 and career sacks with 31.5. He led the team in tackles in 1983 and 1984 and sacks from 1982-84, making him one of only two Knights in school history to lead the team in sacks in three consecutive seasons. Rudd was inducted into UCF Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008.

#64 - Greg Eason (Men Golf)

Eason won C-USA Golfer of the Year in 2013, All-C-USA first Team in 2012 and 2013, C-USA Freshman of the Year in 2011, and was a two-time C-USA second teamer in 2011 and 2012. He was part of the Knights’ C-USA Championship team in 2011.

Eason led UCF into the NCAA Championship final after they finished in a tie for second in the regional tournament at Tempe, Arizona. Eason won the regional, becoming the first Knight in program history win a individual NCAA regional.

The Englishman played in 71 career professional events, winning almost $200,000 in prize money on the Korn Ferry Tour.

#63 - Chris Taladay (Baseball)

Taladay became the first player in program history to win C-USA Player of the Year in 2013 after leading the conference in batting average (.361) and hits (78), and ranking in the top ten in slugging percentage (.477), on-base percentage (.429), runs scored (38), RBI (43), doubles (14) and total bases (103). He also reached safely in all 24 conference games and registered a hit in all but one. Taladay became the fourth student-athlete in conference history to win C-USA Freshman of the Year (2010) and Player of the Year.

He still ranks sixth on the all-time hit list with 273, and was part of two NCAA Tournament appearances (2011, 2012). He last played professionally in the Detroit Tigers organization.

#62 - Isaiah Sykes (Basketball)

Isaiah Sykes in top 10 in Points, Rebounds and Asst at UCF

Sykes was a two-time All-C-USAselection and one-time all-district selection during his time at UCF from 2010-2014. Sykes was an outstanding do-everything player, and remains the only Knight to rank in the program’s all-time top seven in points (1,545, 7th), rebounds (764, 4th) and assists (336, 5th). Sykes is also the only UCF player with multiple triple-doubles.

#61 - Kyle Bono (Baseball)

Occasionally pairing with his brother Ryan in the UCF battery, Bono became one of the nation’s dominant relief pitchers in his freshman year in 2003, posting a UCF single-season record 0.83 ERA in 28 appearances. As a sophomore, Bono earned All-American honors with an 8-2 record and 1.93 ERA as part of a 1-2 punch along with Matt Fox that helped UCF win the A-Sun regular season championship and earn a trip to NCAA Tournament.

Kyle ended his college career as UCF’s all-time career ERA leader with 1.66 and the single-season shutout record holder with five. All of his UCF records still stand today.

Bono was drafted in the 8th round of 2004 MLB Draft by the Boston Red Sox.