The VandySports 100: No. 56, Kenny Ladler

Safety Kenny Ladler starred for the Vanderbilt football team in a four-year career at safety. He's No. 56 in our countdown of the top 100 athletes we've covered at VU; you can follow the full list here.

Honors and awards: 2010 Freshman All-Southeastern Conference

2013 first-team All-SEC (coaches)

2014 Reese's Senior Bowl participant

In the VU record book: Single-season interceptions: tied-10th (five, 2013)

Before VU: Starred at Atlanta-area Stephenson High. Led team to an unbeaten regular season at the 5-A level and to the second round of the playoffs. Had 80 tackles (45 solo) four interceptions and a forced fumble, while scoring on an interception return, punt return and blocked punt. Honorable mention all-state pick.

Freshman (2010): Played in all 12 games, starting nine, including the final eight. Ranked fifth on the team in both total and solo stops. Had season-high eight tackles vs. Arkansas. Had a fumble recovery and a tackle for loss in a win vs. Ole Miss. Had an interception vs. Tennessee.

Sophomore (2011): Played in 13 games with five starts for a 6-7 team that lost the Liberty Bowl to Cincinnati. Had 11 tackles (nine solo) to lead the team vs. Florida. Had an interception in the win over Connecticut.

Junior (2012): Started all but one game and led VU in tackles for a 9-4 team that finished in the coaches' and AP Top 25. Had 11 tackles vs. Georgia. Had 10 tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery in the Music City Bowl win over North Carolina St.

Senior (2013): Started 12 of 13 games for another 9-4, Top-25 team. Led the SEC--and tied for the national lead--with five forced fumbles. Led the team--and finished tied for second in the league--with five interceptions. Led the team with 91 total tackles. Averaged nine total tackles against SEC teams. Had a career-high 10 solo tackles vs. South Carolina. Had a string of four-straight SEC games with interceptions (Texas A&M, Florida, Kentucky and Tennessee). Also had 10 tackles and two forced fumbles vs. A&M. Had four tackles and a pair of defended passes in Compass Bowl win over Houston.

Post-VU: Ladler was un-drafted, but made the Bills roster and played two games in 2014. He's played 11 career NFL games, including one with Washington in 2019. In February, Ladler signed a one-year deal with the British Columbia Lions of the Canadian Football League.

Final thoughts, and why I ranked him where I did: Ladler's 2013 campaign is probably one of the more underrated seasons in Vanderbilt history. The NFL Draft Report ranked Ladler as the top free safety in college football that year.He had a hand in 10 turnovers--VU doesn't keep a record for that, but I suspect it would be a school record--and he also led the team in tackles that year. Ladler was also a full-time starter for two good defenses and two of the best Commodore teams since World War II.

Ladler may not immediately come to mind as one of the better Commodore defenders of the past few decades. But between the peak season, the winning (three bowl teams) and the volume of work (50 games, 38 career starts), I felt he deserved a place in the top 60.