WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.640 --> 00:00:05.440 Your segment one and three two one. Welcome to the Big Blue and Sider 2 00:00:05.480 --> 00:00:10.560 Dick Gabriel with you from Dallas, Texas, where the SEC staged it's annual 3 00:00:10.640 --> 00:00:16.480 media Days. They began on Monday and concluded yesterday, and the Kentucky Wildcats, 4 00:00:16.519 --> 00:00:21.039 along with their head coach Mark Stoops, were the last group to go 5 00:00:21.160 --> 00:00:26.280 through basically what they call the car wash, and that's just going through one 6 00:00:26.359 --> 00:00:32.359 stop after another, one station after another, and answering the same questions over 7 00:00:32.399 --> 00:00:35.679 and over again. But they did a really good job. I sat in, 8 00:00:35.759 --> 00:00:39.079 of course, in the Electronic Media room, but I was going through 9 00:00:39.079 --> 00:00:42.200 some of the comments from what they call the Big Room, the main room, 10 00:00:42.719 --> 00:00:46.679 that's essentially the writer's room, that's what you see on television. But 11 00:00:46.719 --> 00:00:50.679 they've got the writer's room, they got electronic media, as I said, 12 00:00:50.719 --> 00:00:54.359 they've got a separate breakout room for some of the other TV networks. And 13 00:00:54.399 --> 00:01:00.200 they have Radio Row, which is a long stretch on tables on each side 14 00:01:02.079 --> 00:01:06.680 of radio stations that have set up mostly morning drive at a lot of afternoon 15 00:01:06.799 --> 00:01:11.519 drive stations as well. And I tell you here at the Omni Hotel in 16 00:01:11.640 --> 00:01:19.200 Dallas, Radio Row extended. I'm trying to estimate now almost I would say, 17 00:01:19.239 --> 00:01:23.000 almost one hundred yards in this huge hotel in the lobby, and this 18 00:01:23.000 --> 00:01:30.000 thing has grown from a small hallway off to the side at the hotel in 19 00:01:30.040 --> 00:01:33.319 Birmingham where they used to have this event. It's just massive now. And 20 00:01:33.400 --> 00:01:38.799 of course now to this year, you're talking about stations from Oklahoma and more 21 00:01:38.840 --> 00:01:44.920 stations from Texas, from Austin originating here in Dallas. No, I am 22 00:01:44.959 --> 00:01:49.719 not originating the big Blue and Cider from the Radio Row area because we are 23 00:01:49.760 --> 00:01:55.519 primarily pre recorded. But I was tempted. But now when you're in Radio 24 00:01:55.680 --> 00:02:00.280 Row, you're just scrambling around trying to compete for interviews in snatch pace people. 25 00:02:00.319 --> 00:02:04.959 And really I knew that I would be bringing you interviews from the electronic 26 00:02:05.000 --> 00:02:07.280 media room, which is what we're going to do tonight. I've got some 27 00:02:07.319 --> 00:02:12.680 comments from Stoops and some of the players from the electronic media room, but 28 00:02:12.759 --> 00:02:16.319 also in our second hour, I'm going to present with you the in depth 29 00:02:16.360 --> 00:02:21.719 interviews that we the Kentucky Media. The people on the UK Beat who came 30 00:02:21.759 --> 00:02:28.560 here to Dallas were afforded an opportunity to talk to Stoops and the players in 31 00:02:28.599 --> 00:02:31.240 a smaller, more intimate setting. It's not exactly one on one. I 32 00:02:31.319 --> 00:02:38.000 call it the scrum, but there were probably I say six to eight people 33 00:02:38.080 --> 00:02:44.840 talking and firing questions that Stoops and the players Dion Walker, offensive lineman Marcus 34 00:02:44.879 --> 00:02:47.199 Cox, and linebacker de Eric Jackson, and as I said, they all 35 00:02:47.240 --> 00:02:51.199 did a really good job. But I thought I would share with you here 36 00:02:51.199 --> 00:02:55.240 in segment number one some of the comments they made in the electronic media room. 37 00:02:55.280 --> 00:02:58.919 The stuff that we got from a one on one I think was better. 38 00:02:59.159 --> 00:03:01.919 They're more relaxed, and I think the answers were better. But these 39 00:03:01.919 --> 00:03:06.960 were some of the things that came up in the electronic media room, starting 40 00:03:07.000 --> 00:03:12.479 with the fact that all three players were asked by I think it was somebody 41 00:03:12.479 --> 00:03:16.840 from Alabama who must have been doing a story along these lines about Mark Stoops. 42 00:03:16.879 --> 00:03:21.479 Basically, what's it like playing for Mark Stoops? And of course, 43 00:03:22.159 --> 00:03:24.960 you know, all the players who are here have great relationships with Stoops and 44 00:03:24.960 --> 00:03:29.560 the position coaches and Stoops. You'll hear him talk about, you know, 45 00:03:29.599 --> 00:03:36.240 why he brought these particular guys because of their leadership abilities and their abilities on 46 00:03:36.280 --> 00:03:42.080 the field. But starting with Dion Walker, he talked about why he's at 47 00:03:42.159 --> 00:03:47.599 Kentucky first of all, and why he is a Mark Stoops fan because remember 48 00:03:47.639 --> 00:03:53.919 Walker came down from the Detroit area to play as college football election and said 49 00:03:53.960 --> 00:03:57.639 no to the University of Michigan, said yes to Kentucky, and because of 50 00:03:57.680 --> 00:04:00.879 Mark Stoops, he's happy that he did. You know, Michigan was a 51 00:04:00.879 --> 00:04:03.919 close second option for me. You know, they're a great program, don't 52 00:04:03.960 --> 00:04:06.520 get me wrong, but I just feel like it wasn't the right fit for 53 00:04:06.599 --> 00:04:13.599 me. So what may what about Kentucky made at the right fit. I 54 00:04:13.719 --> 00:04:19.199 just trust your coach soups more. You know, he's big on loyal to 55 00:04:19.360 --> 00:04:21.879 how I am. You know, that's one thing that I was looking for 56 00:04:21.959 --> 00:04:27.399 because out of anywhere in my top five top ten schoolers, you could go 57 00:04:27.439 --> 00:04:30.879 and get developed. You know, you can go get bigger, faster, 58 00:04:30.000 --> 00:04:34.240 stronger. Everybody's going to get your technique right. Everybody's going to get you 59 00:04:34.360 --> 00:04:39.160 enough reps so you could be ready in game. But I didn't just want 60 00:04:39.199 --> 00:04:43.120 to be a number. I wanted to be somebody who I know the head 61 00:04:43.120 --> 00:04:46.560 coach cares for you know, and he cares for everyone, no matter if 62 00:04:46.560 --> 00:04:54.839 you're a walk on scholarship guy. He if you need something, his door's 63 00:04:54.879 --> 00:04:58.120 always open, and that's one thing that I was looking for in the school 64 00:04:59.120 --> 00:05:03.519 at Dean Walk the all conference defensive linemen who will be playing probably some noseguard 65 00:05:03.560 --> 00:05:06.759 this year. You'll hear him talk about that a little bit later on because 66 00:05:06.800 --> 00:05:12.480 of injuries the deposition on the defensive line. So next we here from Marcus 67 00:05:12.519 --> 00:05:15.680 Cox, the offensive lineman who transferred in from Central Michigan. I think this 68 00:05:15.759 --> 00:05:21.759 is his seventh year because of injury and COVID in college football, and he 69 00:05:21.879 --> 00:05:28.160 talked about the pluses of playing for Mark Stoops. This is really great. 70 00:05:28.680 --> 00:05:31.519 He's a player led coach. He really cares about his players. He really 71 00:05:31.560 --> 00:05:35.160 cares about us. He asks us every meeting is something that he could do 72 00:05:35.199 --> 00:05:39.800 for us. So he put us in the front of his mind at all 73 00:05:39.879 --> 00:05:43.519 times, and it's a blessing to be playing for him. That's Marcus Cox, 74 00:05:43.560 --> 00:05:47.160 the old lineman and now linebacker Eric Jackson, who's always been kind of 75 00:05:47.160 --> 00:05:50.680 a shy guy. And later on you'll hear us talk to him about coming 76 00:05:50.680 --> 00:05:55.639 out of his shell a little bit. But he talked about playing for Mark 77 00:05:55.680 --> 00:06:00.360 Stoops and he described as just a genuine person like I'll say, he's very 78 00:06:00.439 --> 00:06:03.160 real with us and what he's saying, like we comeing to meetings, he's 79 00:06:03.199 --> 00:06:08.279 being very real, like he's he's selling what what we need to hear, 80 00:06:08.439 --> 00:06:12.480 not what we want to hear. And he's also he's also a good person 81 00:06:12.519 --> 00:06:16.480 to be around. And for me my personal experience with him, from everything 82 00:06:16.519 --> 00:06:18.959 he said, he's done, he's gonna he'll do for me he have done, 83 00:06:19.639 --> 00:06:25.120 and just just being around him, he's a good man. And Eric 84 00:06:25.199 --> 00:06:28.720 Jackson d jack this book as well, and this is important of course, 85 00:06:29.279 --> 00:06:32.959 about when recruits come through and they're hosted by veteran players or they just meet 86 00:06:33.040 --> 00:06:39.680 him for the first time. Recruits ask questions and Jackson talked about what he 87 00:06:39.839 --> 00:06:44.199 shares with recruits. When it comes to Mark Stoops, I tell a person, 88 00:06:44.639 --> 00:06:47.480 Coach Stutter is very he's very real and authentic. Like you said, 89 00:06:48.360 --> 00:06:51.839 he keeps it word of everything he said. He's not gonna sugar coat nothing 90 00:06:51.879 --> 00:06:56.319 with you. He's gonna tell you like it is. And he's he's a 91 00:06:56.399 --> 00:06:59.000 cool guy. In the program. The program that he's built, he put 92 00:06:59.040 --> 00:07:02.439 people in place to help uth. That is the Eric Jackson, Kentucky linebacker 93 00:07:02.439 --> 00:07:06.079 said, And Mark Stoops comes into the room, and as they wrapped up 94 00:07:06.120 --> 00:07:11.639 the Q and A session, I actually asked a question to him, And 95 00:07:11.639 --> 00:07:15.600 of course I had asked questions already in the scrum, but I asked Stoops. 96 00:07:15.639 --> 00:07:21.319 I described the answers from his players and the reaction Stoops might have to 97 00:07:21.399 --> 00:07:26.439 these comments. Upstairs, you talk to us about what the three guys you 98 00:07:26.519 --> 00:07:30.079 brought mean to you and your program. In this room, they were all 99 00:07:30.160 --> 00:07:34.560 asked what Mark Stoops means to them, and they talked about the fact that 100 00:07:34.879 --> 00:07:39.160 fundraising aside, you were always there for them. One of them called you 101 00:07:39.199 --> 00:07:43.600 a second uncle and things like that. What does that mean to you? 102 00:07:44.399 --> 00:07:46.319 That means everything to me. You know, That's what we're here for, 103 00:07:46.839 --> 00:07:51.079 you know. You know when I sit behind my chair in my office, 104 00:07:51.199 --> 00:07:55.920 I tell them I sit in that chair for them. You know. I'm 105 00:07:55.959 --> 00:07:58.560 blessed to be there, blessed to be the head coach, you know. 106 00:07:59.000 --> 00:08:01.720 But I work for them, you know, Yes, you know, we 107 00:08:01.879 --> 00:08:05.920 have to lead. We have to put them in a position and give them 108 00:08:07.199 --> 00:08:11.680 guardrails, and you know, give them the the the you know, the 109 00:08:11.680 --> 00:08:16.199 food to be successful, you know, and the medicine to be successful. 110 00:08:16.319 --> 00:08:20.560 But I work for those players I love them, you know, I'm here 111 00:08:20.600 --> 00:08:24.399 to help them in every way I can. And you know, I'm glad 112 00:08:24.399 --> 00:08:30.680 they still feel that way about that be because I am the only thing I'll 113 00:08:30.720 --> 00:08:33.000 say negative, Really, I think all Dad did a pretty good job. 114 00:08:33.200 --> 00:08:37.080 The only negative thing I'll say is that it in this world, it does 115 00:08:37.159 --> 00:08:41.879 take me away from them. My job is to be there for them, 116 00:08:43.399 --> 00:08:48.799 and I am distracted with raising money and that sucks, you know. And 117 00:08:48.279 --> 00:08:52.000 some people don't have that problem. I do, and so what that's my 118 00:08:52.120 --> 00:08:56.960 problem and I'm addressing and I'm working on it, but it does take me 119 00:08:56.080 --> 00:09:01.440 away from the players that I love. Another question put to Mark Troops in 120 00:09:01.480 --> 00:09:05.919 that room was about the fact that he was linked to the Texas A and 121 00:09:05.039 --> 00:09:09.720 M job, and he said the same thing in the electronic media room that 122 00:09:09.799 --> 00:09:11.600 he said in the main room. I was, you know, I was 123 00:09:11.639 --> 00:09:16.519 pursued by an M I had, you know, and you know, out 124 00:09:16.519 --> 00:09:22.440 of respect for everybody involved that I'm at Kentucky. You know, as I've 125 00:09:22.519 --> 00:09:26.360 said, there's only nineteen coaches in the history of SEC that's been in the 126 00:09:26.399 --> 00:09:31.960 school twelve years or more. And last year I think coach became eighteen and 127 00:09:31.080 --> 00:09:35.440 Coach Savan this year I became nineteen. I like being a part of that 128 00:09:35.519 --> 00:09:37.879 group. You know, I think, you know, I fit well at 129 00:09:37.919 --> 00:09:41.320 Kentucky. I've been very blessed to be there as long as I have, 130 00:09:41.159 --> 00:09:45.200 and I love the team that I have, and you know, I've been 131 00:09:45.320 --> 00:09:54.600 pursued before and I like where I'm at. We kind of braced ourselves for 132 00:09:54.639 --> 00:09:58.720 that one. And we also braced ourselves because every year, it seems, 133 00:09:58.799 --> 00:10:01.480 or at least for the longest time, Then when a Kentucky coach comes here, 134 00:10:01.639 --> 00:10:07.679 somebody and they think they're asking this question for the first time, when 135 00:10:07.759 --> 00:10:11.279 they had to know it's been asked every year about a football school quote unquote 136 00:10:11.320 --> 00:10:16.440 versus a basketball school. Well, of course Cali Perry made that comment a 137 00:10:16.519 --> 00:10:20.600 couple of years ago, and somebody brought that up, and of course Cali 138 00:10:20.600 --> 00:10:24.240 paris now at Arkansas. But for whatever reason, they dredged it up and 139 00:10:24.279 --> 00:10:28.639 Stoops handled it well to what you're alluding to. I had a great, 140 00:10:28.080 --> 00:10:33.320 you know, respect and working relationship with John cal Perry and wishing nothing but 141 00:10:33.399 --> 00:10:35.240 the best. He's a friend of mine. We're big boys, you know, 142 00:10:35.320 --> 00:10:39.039 we could handle things. You know, we don't have thin skin. 143 00:10:39.759 --> 00:10:43.000 And uh, you know, so, yeah, we had a little blip 144 00:10:43.200 --> 00:10:46.759 over over eleven years and that's all it was. And as far as Mark 145 00:10:46.799 --> 00:10:50.240 Polpa love him, you know, you know, it's pretty hard not to. 146 00:10:50.559 --> 00:10:54.120 You know, he's you know, what you see is what you get, 147 00:10:54.159 --> 00:10:56.320 and you know, he's a great guy and done a great job and 148 00:10:56.440 --> 00:11:01.120 very personable and you know, but I wish them both well, you know, 149 00:11:01.159 --> 00:11:03.720 I'm sure, you know, for our school and for Kentucky. I 150 00:11:03.799 --> 00:11:07.879 know Coach Pope will do really well and Coach Kyle did an amazing job and 151 00:11:07.960 --> 00:11:09.799 it was time for him to you know, that's his business and I wish 152 00:11:09.879 --> 00:11:13.000 him nothing but the best. So those are some of the answers from the 153 00:11:13.039 --> 00:11:18.840 electronic media room, And like I said, there are similar questions and answers 154 00:11:18.080 --> 00:11:20.919 in the main room, the writer's room, and you may have seen some 155 00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:24.759 of that on TV coming up an hour number two, though, we're going 156 00:11:24.840 --> 00:11:28.240 to bring for you in their entirety for the most part, the interviews we 157 00:11:28.279 --> 00:11:31.960 did with Stoops and his three players. If you like Kentucky football, you're 158 00:11:31.960 --> 00:11:35.799 going to want to be around for that. We'll come back and talk about 159 00:11:35.799 --> 00:11:37.240 what else is going on around the country. In just a minute, and 160 00:11:37.279 --> 00:11:41.159 at the bottom of the hour, Trent Noah. That's right, we're going 161 00:11:41.200 --> 00:11:45.080 to talk some basketball. Had a chance to she have with Trent Noah before 162 00:11:45.159 --> 00:11:48.600 I left, and we'll have our conversation that's coming up in just a few 163 00:11:48.639 --> 00:11:54.399 minutes, because I think this is one intriguing basketball player who finally made his 164 00:11:54.480 --> 00:11:58.240 way to UK after it looked as though he would be a South Carolina game 165 00:11:58.320 --> 00:12:01.960 Cock, and anybody who saw him in the sweet sixteen wondered, why in 166 00:12:01.039 --> 00:12:05.519 the world is this guy not at least not being recruited by John Caliperry And 167 00:12:05.559 --> 00:12:09.559 he wanted to come here all along. If cali Perry had looked at him, 168 00:12:09.559 --> 00:12:11.759 he would have said, yes, that's the impression I got from talking 169 00:12:11.799 --> 00:12:15.200 to him. So that's coming up at the bottom of the hour. Stay 170 00:12:15.240 --> 00:12:18.919 with us here on the Big Bluon Sider six point thirty wlap All right, 171 00:12:18.960 --> 00:12:24.279 here is segment two and three two one. Welcome back to the Big Bloon 172 00:12:24.360 --> 00:12:26.399 Sider. Dick Gabriel with you in Dallas side of us. He see media 173 00:12:26.519 --> 00:12:31.279 days, but coming up guts for football now. We're coming up next will 174 00:12:31.279 --> 00:12:35.840 be our interview with Trent Noah, one of the newest Kentucky wockeas of course 175 00:12:35.120 --> 00:12:39.519 they're almost all new, but this is a true freshman and a guy of 176 00:12:39.559 --> 00:12:45.519 course played at Harlan County and led his team to the Sweet sixteen championship game, 177 00:12:46.080 --> 00:12:50.879 where they lost to his future teammate Travis Perry and Lyon County. But 178 00:12:50.080 --> 00:12:54.559 Trent Noah turned in one of the greatest performances in the history of the Sweet 179 00:12:54.600 --> 00:12:58.679 sixteen. Literally the numbers back that up. So we'll hear from him coming 180 00:12:58.759 --> 00:13:01.080 up in our next half. But in our number two we are wall to 181 00:13:01.120 --> 00:13:05.840 wall football, as we will present the interviews we did with Mark Stoops and 182 00:13:05.879 --> 00:13:11.519 his players down here as the local media were given access as we always are 183 00:13:11.279 --> 00:13:16.320 to the local players. But there are other things going on, including speaking 184 00:13:16.360 --> 00:13:22.320 of college football, the release of the EA Sports College Football twenty five game 185 00:13:22.960 --> 00:13:28.240 is described as among the most highly anticipated sports video games of all time. 186 00:13:28.399 --> 00:13:33.799 It has flooded the market. Gamers have been waiting since twenty thirteen to play 187 00:13:33.840 --> 00:13:39.480 this game again. You might recall that that's when players rose up basically and 188 00:13:39.519 --> 00:13:43.679 said you're using my name, my image and likeness and I'm not getting anything 189 00:13:43.799 --> 00:13:50.159 for it. And the company was making gazillions of dollars. That lawsuit really 190 00:13:50.320 --> 00:13:54.240 gave way to nil and I don't know if it had anything to do with 191 00:13:54.279 --> 00:13:58.600 the portal, but it had a profound effect on college sports, college football 192 00:13:58.600 --> 00:14:05.679 in general, college sports specifically football. So yeah, EA Sports took it 193 00:14:05.720 --> 00:14:09.720 off the market and now has brought it back and they figured out how to 194 00:14:09.759 --> 00:14:16.080 make restitution with everybody and make it work legally. So yeah, it's out 195 00:14:16.120 --> 00:14:20.039 there now and people are going crazy over it. A couple of other notes 196 00:14:20.039 --> 00:14:24.399 from the world of football, and this one is rather run savory. Utah 197 00:14:24.440 --> 00:14:30.000 State has fired, it's officially fired Blake Anderson as football coach. That has 198 00:14:30.039 --> 00:14:33.600 been out there now for a couple of weeks. But he was under investigation. 199 00:14:33.720 --> 00:14:39.799 He was basically suspended, and they told him on July second that he 200 00:14:39.799 --> 00:14:43.960 would likely be fired. And it is the reason for that is he has 201 00:14:45.600 --> 00:14:50.840 had issues with non compliance with university policies concerning Title nine. And of course 202 00:14:50.840 --> 00:14:56.159 he and his lawyer are suing because they believe it violates his contract. But 203 00:14:56.279 --> 00:14:58.919 if what in fact, I can believe that this happened, and I'm glad 204 00:15:00.120 --> 00:15:03.840 guy got fired. Quite frankly, I never wish Ill will on anybody, 205 00:15:03.879 --> 00:15:11.720 but this guy made a horrible, horrible mistake, and he's getting he's being 206 00:15:11.159 --> 00:15:18.200 held accountable for it. What happened was during a team meeting and one of 207 00:15:18.240 --> 00:15:26.120 his players, for whatever reason, recorded this. Anderson made comments about sexual 208 00:15:26.200 --> 00:15:31.120 assault victims and why. I don't know the context, but maybe he was 209 00:15:31.679 --> 00:15:35.879 trying to tell his players, you know, to walk the straight and arrow 210 00:15:35.879 --> 00:15:41.720 on that kind of thing. But from reading between the lines, he was 211 00:15:41.759 --> 00:15:46.679 trying to make sure that the players understood that even being accused of a terrible 212 00:15:46.720 --> 00:15:52.519 crime like that can be just a horrible thing, even if they're not guilty. 213 00:15:52.360 --> 00:15:58.360 But what he said to his players was reprehensible, and one of his 214 00:16:00.279 --> 00:16:04.639 ballplayers recorded it. What he said was, and I'm quoting it has never 215 00:16:04.759 --> 00:16:11.320 been more glamorized to be the victim unquote of sexual assault. And as I 216 00:16:11.360 --> 00:16:15.919 said, one of his players recorded that, and it all came to a 217 00:16:17.000 --> 00:16:22.279 head. He tried, and he succeeded in getting the player to apologize to 218 00:16:22.320 --> 00:16:26.919 the team for recording the comments. He Warren Maddox the player that his teammates 219 00:16:27.240 --> 00:16:32.759 might try to get answers out of him through whatever means possible if he didn't 220 00:16:32.799 --> 00:16:38.440 apologize to the team, and so the kid does apologize. Anderson publicly apologized 221 00:16:38.480 --> 00:16:45.559 in December of twenty twenty one for those comments, but he was still fired 222 00:16:45.360 --> 00:16:48.519 and that has now become official. It took a while to get through the 223 00:16:48.519 --> 00:16:56.639 courts, of course, but he's done. Speaking of unsavory situations. I 224 00:16:56.679 --> 00:17:03.360 didn't know this had happened. Bella Hadid had been named the face of Adidas 225 00:17:03.399 --> 00:17:11.160 for the upcoming Olympics, and almost immediately there was an outcry because this was 226 00:17:11.319 --> 00:17:17.119 to honor and recognize a line of shoe dating back to the Munich Olympics. 227 00:17:17.160 --> 00:17:19.039 Well, if you're of a certain age, when you think of Munich, 228 00:17:19.079 --> 00:17:26.240 you think of the tragedy there where eleven Israeli athletes were murdered by terrorists, 229 00:17:26.519 --> 00:17:34.200 Palestinian terrorists. Well, Belahedid's father is a Palestinian and identifies himself as a 230 00:17:34.200 --> 00:17:42.200 proud Palestinian. And nobody saw this coming until after this was announced and Israelis 231 00:17:42.279 --> 00:17:49.519 rose up. So Adidas apologized, issued a statement said they're revising the remainder 232 00:17:49.599 --> 00:17:55.640 of their campaign. So there is a lot going on, including a story 233 00:17:55.680 --> 00:18:00.799 out of Japan. Shoko Miyata, she's nineteen, she's the captain of the 234 00:18:00.920 --> 00:18:06.640 Japan women's artistic gymnastics team, at least she used to be. She withdrew 235 00:18:06.720 --> 00:18:14.559 from the Paris Olympics today after admitting the smoking and drinking. The Gymnastics Association 236 00:18:14.680 --> 00:18:18.559 of Japan at a press conference and talked about the decision. Smoking and drinking 237 00:18:18.599 --> 00:18:26.240 are prohibited in Japan for anybody under twenty. The allegations surfaced after related information 238 00:18:26.440 --> 00:18:30.759 was provided on Monday. Apparently somebody routed her out. She admitted to it, 239 00:18:30.880 --> 00:18:36.240 talked about the stresses of her position as the team leader, said she 240 00:18:36.359 --> 00:18:41.680 smoked once and drank once, and apparently that's all it takes. Trent Noah 241 00:18:41.720 --> 00:18:44.279 coming up next, come back to the bigger inside of joining us now in 242 00:18:44.359 --> 00:18:47.799 our celebrity hotline for the first time. Is a familiar name if you're a 243 00:18:47.880 --> 00:18:52.079 Kentucky fan or a fan of high school basketball in the common well. Trent 244 00:18:52.240 --> 00:18:57.200 Noah Kentucky's fifth all time leading scorer in high school basketball history and part of 245 00:18:57.279 --> 00:19:03.160 Mark Pope's first kentuck Ucky team. Trent, thanks so much for joining us. 246 00:19:03.759 --> 00:19:06.279 Yeah, thanks so much for having me. It's a pleasure. What 247 00:19:06.920 --> 00:19:10.680 has life been like for you since the end of your high school career? 248 00:19:10.720 --> 00:19:14.759 When you were committed to South Carolina and all of a sudden there are big 249 00:19:14.839 --> 00:19:18.160 changes at Kentucky and the next thing you know, you're a Wildcat. What 250 00:19:18.200 --> 00:19:22.000 has life been like for you? Yeah, it's been a whirlwind, But 251 00:19:22.119 --> 00:19:27.480 I mean, I'm just super thankful where I ended up and everything worked out 252 00:19:27.559 --> 00:19:33.079 like I should have. And now I'm super excited that be here and like's 253 00:19:33.119 --> 00:19:37.519 intending be on campus and get things rolling up here. It's been excellent four 254 00:19:37.559 --> 00:19:41.440 weeks and I just can't wait to keep going and keep them freeing with our 255 00:19:41.480 --> 00:19:44.279 team. Well, before we talk about that, I got to take you 256 00:19:44.359 --> 00:19:47.079 back to the Sweet sixteen. I know it didn't end the way you like, 257 00:19:47.960 --> 00:19:51.079 but man, it was close and you had the tournament of a lifetime 258 00:19:51.519 --> 00:19:56.160 for Harland County. You must have loved those rims and rupp Arena. Am 259 00:19:56.200 --> 00:20:00.599 I right? Maybe a little bit? Well, you come in, you 260 00:20:00.640 --> 00:20:04.000 get thirty five in your first game, forty eight in the next. Going 261 00:20:04.039 --> 00:20:07.319 into that tournament, and you had add a great junior year. You'd had 262 00:20:07.319 --> 00:20:12.599 a great senior campaign, average nearly thirty a game, But did you feel 263 00:20:12.599 --> 00:20:17.759 like you had that kind of tournament in you as you took your team into 264 00:20:17.759 --> 00:20:22.720 the sweet sixteen. Yeah, I mean it was just such an honor to 265 00:20:22.759 --> 00:20:26.599 be in the state tournament. We finally got over the hump, so I 266 00:20:26.720 --> 00:20:32.319 knew this is my last year and we had one opportunity to make full hittory 267 00:20:32.319 --> 00:20:34.359 and win a game. So he and my teammates just want to do whatever 268 00:20:34.400 --> 00:20:38.160 we could, go down in the history books and do something for our community. 269 00:20:38.440 --> 00:20:41.279 Yeah, you were the first school, I know, you know this 270 00:20:41.000 --> 00:20:45.440 to reach the state finals since twenty eleven. I saw, I know that 271 00:20:45.559 --> 00:20:48.960 meant a lot to you, didn't it. That's there for sure. I 272 00:20:49.039 --> 00:20:55.039 mean, I guess in our area, the success the state tournament hasn't been 273 00:20:55.039 --> 00:20:59.039 great recently, so to see us win a few games down there and make 274 00:20:59.119 --> 00:21:03.000 some noise just just meant a lot to our community and the and the surrounding 275 00:21:03.039 --> 00:21:07.680 areas. You know. One thing I think people maybe in a bigger city 276 00:21:07.759 --> 00:21:11.079 like Lexington or Louisville don't appreciate, and I've been down the state a little 277 00:21:11.119 --> 00:21:15.799 bit, is what the high school team like Carland County High can mean. 278 00:21:15.839 --> 00:21:19.480 As you said, to the community. I mean, it just grabs everybody, 279 00:21:19.519 --> 00:21:25.880 doesn't it. It's there, I mean definitely, I mean all all 280 00:21:25.920 --> 00:21:29.240 of Our team is all Harlan County kids. They've all grown up together. 281 00:21:29.400 --> 00:21:33.920 Ye didn't have any transfers or anything like that. So I think that's what 282 00:21:33.920 --> 00:21:37.480 what kind of makes us special. We just have been going to classes for 283 00:21:37.599 --> 00:21:42.400 four years together, just growing up, building our way up, and really 284 00:21:42.480 --> 00:21:48.000 just just build a determined team to make some noise and win some games. 285 00:21:48.039 --> 00:21:52.079 So it's always fun when you do it like that, you do it with 286 00:21:52.160 --> 00:21:56.200 your buddies, with your friends, right, It's there, definitely. I 287 00:21:56.200 --> 00:21:59.200 mean, that's what it's all about. That's why i'se go basketball is so 288 00:21:59.319 --> 00:22:03.079 special and I'll never take those times for granted. Some of the greatest times 289 00:22:03.119 --> 00:22:07.519 in Hawaii. Talking to Trent Noa, he is, of course from Harlan 290 00:22:07.640 --> 00:22:12.599 County and now Kentucky Wildcat, and you talked about how things changed not long 291 00:22:12.640 --> 00:22:15.839 after you had committed to South Carolina, but you said things are now the 292 00:22:15.839 --> 00:22:18.640 way that he should be. I mean, your dad played football, are 293 00:22:18.680 --> 00:22:22.440 you. I'm sure your grandfather played football in UK in the early sixties. 294 00:22:22.640 --> 00:22:27.000 Can I assume you grew up a Kentucky fan. That's there, definitely, 295 00:22:27.000 --> 00:22:32.359 I did. I mean growing up in Kentucky, I think everybody's a Kentucky 296 00:22:32.400 --> 00:22:36.359 fan. My grandfather played and playing with the ten thirty team. I mean 297 00:22:36.480 --> 00:22:40.680 every time going down to his house, there's there's just UK decres everywhere. 298 00:22:41.480 --> 00:22:45.279 He's always got Kentucky sports game on, and so is our family. I 299 00:22:45.319 --> 00:22:48.720 mean we've been going to Kentucky football games for like sixty three years. I 300 00:22:48.759 --> 00:22:52.640 thinks how long we've had season tickets. So yeah, I mean it's just 301 00:22:53.480 --> 00:22:57.240 our family bleeds blue, and so do I. So it's just it's a 302 00:22:57.359 --> 00:23:02.839 real feeling now that I'm here where the Kentucky jerse. What did he tell 303 00:23:02.880 --> 00:23:06.079 you about Did you ever ask him about being part of the thin thirty? 304 00:23:07.759 --> 00:23:11.400 Yeah, I mean he it's super cool to just get down and kick his 305 00:23:11.480 --> 00:23:15.200 brain and just and just hear the stuff that he had to say. I 306 00:23:15.240 --> 00:23:18.680 mean, how how hard that that he worked and and and to stay there 307 00:23:18.799 --> 00:23:25.720 and just a crazy, crazy year for Kentucky football. That was. Well, 308 00:23:25.759 --> 00:23:29.240 let's talk about the president now. You you get the call from Mark 309 00:23:29.279 --> 00:23:33.000 Pope. What was that like to hear from him and get an offer because, 310 00:23:33.039 --> 00:23:38.079 as you well know, he puts such a premium on shooters. Yes, 311 00:23:38.160 --> 00:23:41.880 Sarah, it was it was incredible. It was it was such a 312 00:23:41.119 --> 00:23:45.119 it was such a great feeling that that I won't forget, and it was 313 00:23:45.160 --> 00:23:48.880 it was a no brainer once that happened, I made. I made a 314 00:23:48.920 --> 00:23:55.400 pretty clear decision whenever whenever he reached out to me. So yeah, it 315 00:23:55.599 --> 00:24:00.279 just all worked out and and God's plan just just because plans beier than mine. 316 00:24:00.279 --> 00:24:04.119 So it's a crazy little bit, but I'm so thankful for it all. 317 00:24:04.680 --> 00:24:08.160 When you have scholarship offers a young man at your age, I know 318 00:24:08.279 --> 00:24:14.680 that is a life defining decision that you and your teammates have to make. 319 00:24:15.119 --> 00:24:18.880 But you also had to show a level of maturity when you had to reach 320 00:24:18.920 --> 00:24:22.519 out to South Carolina and say thank you, but I'm going to Kentucky. 321 00:24:22.559 --> 00:24:29.839 How difficult was that? Yeah, I mean, I just there's some things 322 00:24:29.839 --> 00:24:33.480 that are going on, a lot of factors that went into it, and 323 00:24:33.519 --> 00:24:37.039 that's when I've got on my letter of inton and then my recruitment opened back 324 00:24:37.160 --> 00:24:40.079 up, and then it was just back back from day one. So that 325 00:24:40.200 --> 00:24:44.559 was something really challenging because I finally knew where I wanted to go and then 326 00:24:44.960 --> 00:24:48.200 I restarted all over. So yeah, it was difficult, but I mean, 327 00:24:48.519 --> 00:24:52.599 like I said, it all worked out how I should have been and 328 00:24:52.640 --> 00:24:56.039 I'm just super excited for this year. So now you're on campus, You've 329 00:24:56.039 --> 00:25:00.440 already worked out with your new teammates, and there are a lot of older 330 00:25:00.480 --> 00:25:03.480 guys on that squad and here you are as a true freshman kind of starting 331 00:25:03.559 --> 00:25:07.799 all over again. What's that been like for you? I mean, yes, 332 00:25:08.119 --> 00:25:11.079 it's like a gold mine here. I mean there's so many great resources 333 00:25:11.079 --> 00:25:15.680 and great people to learn from. I mean our coaching staff that it is 334 00:25:15.720 --> 00:25:21.000 so brilliant, and the ac in the gym whenever we practices is so high. 335 00:25:21.039 --> 00:25:23.640 I mean listening to all the older guys talk. But it's such a 336 00:25:25.160 --> 00:25:30.240 it's such a perk being around those those older guys and just getting to learn 337 00:25:30.279 --> 00:25:33.359 from them and let them take me under their wing and just and just uh 338 00:25:33.880 --> 00:25:37.480 stepping me off in the right direction of my college career. I mean, 339 00:25:37.759 --> 00:25:41.599 there's just so much learning going on and it's just it's just awesome and in 340 00:25:41.720 --> 00:25:45.400 a gold mine for for basketball. Well, your head coach is a gold 341 00:25:45.480 --> 00:25:49.920 mine of information. You know how smart he is. Rhodes Collar a candidate 342 00:25:51.519 --> 00:25:55.599 uh in college and I covered his teams obviously at u K. What's it 343 00:25:55.839 --> 00:26:00.160 like having kind of a brainiact for a head coach. I mean it's amazing. 344 00:26:00.200 --> 00:26:03.599 I mean I wouldn't I wouldn't want to be playing for anybody other than 345 00:26:03.680 --> 00:26:07.319 him. I mean, he does, he does an excellent job. He 346 00:26:07.720 --> 00:26:11.359 definitely has us going in the right direction. So I mean just every day 347 00:26:11.519 --> 00:26:17.119 just just looking to learn from him and and uh, just picking up stuff 348 00:26:17.240 --> 00:26:19.559 that he does is just help help me and the team out. I mean 349 00:26:19.559 --> 00:26:23.319 it's just amazing every day you can just learn so much from from a guy 350 00:26:23.359 --> 00:26:27.640 with his knowledge. He is quoted as saying that he liked you because you're 351 00:26:27.759 --> 00:26:33.680 tough, You're hard nosed, and you have a special physicality and ordinarily, 352 00:26:33.079 --> 00:26:37.559 Trent, you don't hear shooters described that way, but that, honestly, 353 00:26:37.039 --> 00:26:41.359 that's the first thing I noticed about you in the Sweet sixteen is you're a 354 00:26:41.400 --> 00:26:45.559 little bit bigger than than most of the wing players, but you're strong enough 355 00:26:45.799 --> 00:26:51.119 to get inside. Tell me about that. That combination you've been blessed with, 356 00:26:51.160 --> 00:26:53.799 and I know you worked hard at that, haven't you. That's there, 357 00:26:53.799 --> 00:26:56.519 I mean for sure. I mean I just do whatever I can to 358 00:26:57.240 --> 00:27:00.039 help the team win. I mean, I mean, no matter what it 359 00:27:00.079 --> 00:27:04.160 is, just try to always play hard and make the rot play and and 360 00:27:04.559 --> 00:27:08.200 just try and make my teammates better around me, because that's what wins basketball 361 00:27:08.240 --> 00:27:11.279 game. So if I can do that, then I think I I think 362 00:27:11.279 --> 00:27:15.400 I'm doing a fair a fair job. Oh well pretty fair. Yeah. 363 00:27:15.440 --> 00:27:21.880 Tell me about the way your Harlan County teams were prepared, were coached and 364 00:27:21.920 --> 00:27:26.000 how that's helped prepare you for u K. Yeah, I mean we had 365 00:27:26.039 --> 00:27:30.119 we had excellent coaching staff. I mean, it was it was such a 366 00:27:30.440 --> 00:27:33.279 cool experience being able to play for my for my dad and my senior year 367 00:27:33.319 --> 00:27:37.160 and and then making the run whenever he was on the staff. So yeah, 368 00:27:37.200 --> 00:27:42.240 I mean just going in it's just super cool that that we just leave 369 00:27:42.359 --> 00:27:47.279 like math class and then go practice with those guys. We were just trying 370 00:27:47.279 --> 00:27:49.119 to figure out math problems and then and then we're running. So like, 371 00:27:49.200 --> 00:27:52.880 I think that's that's just something a special thing about Hogs School basketball. So 372 00:27:53.400 --> 00:27:56.920 yeah, I mean I always, uh, occasionally I'll go back and watch 373 00:27:57.000 --> 00:28:00.640 some games from from this time season, but yeah, that was such a 374 00:28:00.680 --> 00:28:04.000 great time. What's that like for you when you queue up a game from 375 00:28:04.079 --> 00:28:10.039 this past year and you get to watch your yourself and your buddies. Yeah, 376 00:28:10.079 --> 00:28:14.240 I mean just whenever we all hang out after act of the year, 377 00:28:14.920 --> 00:28:18.759 it's just good times. Just just get to go back and laugh at and 378 00:28:18.799 --> 00:28:22.319 stuff, and then it's just really good, good bonding time and just get 379 00:28:22.319 --> 00:28:26.799 a look back on the cool memories that we may. It's more about what 380 00:28:26.920 --> 00:28:30.160 happens on the bus and in the locker room, right as opposed to I 381 00:28:30.160 --> 00:28:32.920 mean, you go back and look at wins and all that, But it's 382 00:28:33.079 --> 00:28:36.759 it's the stuff off the court that's the most fun, isn't it. For 383 00:28:36.839 --> 00:28:40.480 sure? I mean we had so many we had so many good times that 384 00:28:40.839 --> 00:28:42.640 I mean, we can tell stories about forever. But yeah, that was 385 00:28:44.160 --> 00:28:47.039 great, great kids, great people to be here, for sure. Well, 386 00:28:47.079 --> 00:28:52.640 you've talked about the wealth of basketball knowledge on the Kentucky roster. Tell 387 00:28:52.640 --> 00:28:57.640 me about chemistry. Tell me about the bonding that's taking place yet there. 388 00:28:57.720 --> 00:29:02.200 I mean you would think that. I mean, I think if you put 389 00:29:02.240 --> 00:29:04.920 in an outside er, just just dropped them in and watch the practice with 390 00:29:06.000 --> 00:29:08.440 no power knowledge, I think they could they could tell that. They would 391 00:29:08.440 --> 00:29:11.240 say that we've been together for a while. I mean, I think our 392 00:29:11.319 --> 00:29:15.440 chemistry is really taken off super quick, and I think that comes with what's 393 00:29:15.880 --> 00:29:21.839 doing hard stuff together, practicing condition and also off the court. I feel 394 00:29:21.880 --> 00:29:26.440 like we we take a lot of time bonding off the court. I mean, 395 00:29:26.839 --> 00:29:30.319 we have all been excited about the new college football video games. That's 396 00:29:30.359 --> 00:29:33.400 been fun playing with the gods. Yeah, I mean, I just think 397 00:29:33.440 --> 00:29:38.000 we're a really close group, and I think that'll translate to the basketball court. 398 00:29:38.480 --> 00:29:42.119 You mentioned conditioning. What has strength and conditioning been like for you? 399 00:29:42.200 --> 00:29:47.200 And nutrition they feed you guys pretty well, yes, sir, I mean 400 00:29:47.240 --> 00:29:49.519 it's it's all completely different, but I mean it's all for the better. 401 00:29:49.519 --> 00:29:52.880 I mean, they're they're so they're so smart with what they do, and 402 00:29:52.920 --> 00:29:56.480 they have a plan for everything. So me and my teammates are just trying 403 00:29:56.519 --> 00:30:00.519 to follow the best we can and know that it all be good for us 404 00:30:00.519 --> 00:30:04.759 in the end. I lived on campus my first year, and I met 405 00:30:04.759 --> 00:30:10.119 a lot of guys from around the country but also from around Kentucky, and 406 00:30:10.200 --> 00:30:14.319 a lot of them got homesick right away. I guess you probably don't have 407 00:30:14.400 --> 00:30:18.240 time for that, do you. You're so busy with basketball. Yeah, 408 00:30:18.240 --> 00:30:22.359 I mean I am extremely busy with bat well in school. I mean, 409 00:30:22.920 --> 00:30:26.039 and and there's no there's no reason to be homesick. For me. I 410 00:30:26.039 --> 00:30:29.799 mean, this is a dream that I've that I've always wanted to happen. 411 00:30:29.880 --> 00:30:33.599 Now it's finally happened. So I don't think homestickly problem. I'm just I'm 412 00:30:33.599 --> 00:30:37.279 just living. And well, now you've got a new roster of brothers. 413 00:30:37.359 --> 00:30:41.240 Right, so you're you're you're already at home. Uh have you decided yet 414 00:30:41.279 --> 00:30:45.319 what you want to study? What your major is? I have not. 415 00:30:45.680 --> 00:30:51.000 I'm still kind of exploring a little bit. But hopefully we'll get that figured 416 00:30:51.000 --> 00:30:53.599 out here. I have plenty of time for that. We're talking with Trendon 417 00:30:53.599 --> 00:30:57.240 Noah. He of course is one of the new Wildcats, so many new 418 00:30:57.279 --> 00:31:02.880 Wildcats, but coming in from Harlan County, which he led to the Sweet 419 00:31:02.880 --> 00:31:07.720 sixteen championship game you lost to Travis Perry. I know you've answered this question 420 00:31:07.759 --> 00:31:10.559 a bunch, But now he's a teammate. What's that like for you? 421 00:31:11.359 --> 00:31:15.079 Yeah, I mean it's awesome getting to suit up on the same team with 422 00:31:15.160 --> 00:31:19.519 him. I mean, he's an exceptional player, really good person, really 423 00:31:19.559 --> 00:31:23.240 good frandom one. And now that we can finally we've been playing against each 424 00:31:23.240 --> 00:31:29.079 other all over these past years, and now we can finally be on the 425 00:31:29.079 --> 00:31:33.119 same team and share the ball with each other and tear the court with each 426 00:31:33.119 --> 00:31:36.680 other. So yeah, it's really cool to be alongside a player like him, 427 00:31:36.720 --> 00:31:38.279 and he just makes everybody around them better. All right, who's a 428 00:31:38.279 --> 00:31:44.559 better shooter? You were him? I don't know. He's a really good 429 00:31:44.559 --> 00:31:48.039 shooter. But yeah, I guess we'll have to have a shootout here too. 430 00:31:48.759 --> 00:31:55.039 Looking at the roster, here's an opportunity for you to work against guys, 431 00:31:55.079 --> 00:31:56.920 as you said, who've played so much ball, guys who are in 432 00:31:56.960 --> 00:32:01.839 their third, fourth, fifty years of college basketball. Uh. As, 433 00:32:01.880 --> 00:32:07.200 it's been fun just picking up on the little things that these guys are, 434 00:32:07.240 --> 00:32:10.920 kind of the subtleties of the game. Yeah, I mean definitely. They 435 00:32:12.319 --> 00:32:17.079 they know, they're so experienced and and they never make like you rarely see 436 00:32:17.119 --> 00:32:22.799 them make mental areas because how often they've seen this stuff and how often that 437 00:32:22.880 --> 00:32:25.640 they play at this level. So I mean, yeah, just being able 438 00:32:25.640 --> 00:32:30.880 to just talk with them and just hear the stories that they get through and 439 00:32:30.880 --> 00:32:34.960 and and they're ups and downs. That just makes Big Cloth easier. For 440 00:32:35.519 --> 00:32:37.920 the three pressmen that we had, we got a chance to talk with three 441 00:32:37.920 --> 00:32:43.119 of the veteran players. I guess it was late last week early this week, 442 00:32:43.640 --> 00:32:46.960 uh, and they all Trent talked about what it meant to them to 443 00:32:46.960 --> 00:32:52.599 be a part of Kentucky basketball and have that name on their chest. I 444 00:32:52.640 --> 00:32:55.319 know some people are concerned about that that these guys, you know, they 445 00:32:55.319 --> 00:33:00.559 come and go after a year, they don't really know or appreciate what it 446 00:33:00.720 --> 00:33:05.440 means to play basketball here. I don't get that impression you've grown up with 447 00:33:05.559 --> 00:33:08.400 it, But what have you seen and these guys who have dropped in for 448 00:33:08.680 --> 00:33:14.960 maybe just the one year, but how they appreciate where they are? Yes, 449 00:33:14.960 --> 00:33:19.400 sir, I mean, I definitely think everybody in our roster really really 450 00:33:19.440 --> 00:33:23.240 gets the message and really understand how big of a deal and honor it is 451 00:33:23.519 --> 00:33:28.119 to put on the Kentucky jersey. And I think the coaching staff and coach 452 00:33:28.200 --> 00:33:31.440 Cope has done a good job to let the people know, maybe like from 453 00:33:31.519 --> 00:33:36.920 far away that don't fully get it at the beginning, that that how big 454 00:33:36.960 --> 00:33:39.559 of a how big of a deal it is, And yeah, it really 455 00:33:39.720 --> 00:33:43.799 just is an honor for all of us and to play for to stay to 456 00:33:43.880 --> 00:33:49.400 Kentucky and play for the people and the amazing fans that we're that we're bused 457 00:33:49.400 --> 00:33:52.119 to have. It's really just an honor. There's so much proud that kind 458 00:33:52.119 --> 00:33:58.319 of effect. Your passion is really evident when you did not get the offer 459 00:33:58.400 --> 00:34:01.319 from the previous staff. Were you hurt, were you angry, dejected? 460 00:34:01.519 --> 00:34:07.839 Or did you just shrug it off and move on? I mean, I 461 00:34:07.839 --> 00:34:10.280 mean, like I said, everythings for a reason and never every uh. 462 00:34:10.639 --> 00:34:15.719 Every coaching team has different philosophy, and I wouldn't want to be in a 463 00:34:15.760 --> 00:34:19.599 situation where it wouldn't say best for the both of us. So we're not 464 00:34:19.679 --> 00:34:23.840 completely understand everybody does everybody does stuff different. But I was just focused on 465 00:34:23.880 --> 00:34:28.039 the schools that they were created to be at the time. Yeah, well 466 00:34:28.039 --> 00:34:30.840 that's smart and like you said, it all worked out. I will let 467 00:34:30.920 --> 00:34:34.400 you go with this. Growing up, you grew up a wildcat. Whether 468 00:34:34.400 --> 00:34:37.679 people want to say that or not. You talked about what the household is 469 00:34:37.760 --> 00:34:42.719 like being a big blue house. But that said, Trent, you know 470 00:34:43.440 --> 00:34:46.840 what the expectations are from Kentucky fans, and I know that you guys are 471 00:34:46.880 --> 00:34:52.800 intent on delivering, But what about expectations from the big Blue nation? How 472 00:34:52.840 --> 00:34:58.960 are you guys handling that? I mean, I think it's I think it's 473 00:34:59.000 --> 00:35:01.559 awesome. I mean, there's a lot that comes, there's a lot that 474 00:35:01.599 --> 00:35:05.239 comes with player in a Kentucky jersey. But I think that's what makes it 475 00:35:05.280 --> 00:35:08.199 so special. I mean, anything short of the banner is not what we 476 00:35:08.280 --> 00:35:13.079 wanted. So that's the plan this year, and that that's the plan moving 477 00:35:13.119 --> 00:35:16.719 forward to hang them or none and hopefully we can get the job done. 478 00:35:17.400 --> 00:35:22.199 Trenton Noah, Kentucky freshman. Looking forward to seeing you play again in rupp 479 00:35:22.239 --> 00:35:24.000 Arena. Thank you so much for your time. Have a great summer. 480 00:35:25.159 --> 00:35:28.840 Yeah, thank you so much for having me. There's a pleasure talking to 481 00:35:28.840 --> 00:35:31.039 you. Up next. More from Dallas here on The Big Blue Siders six 482 00:35:31.199 --> 00:36:08.159 thirty w l A P First Hour Segment four and three two one. Welcome 483 00:36:08.159 --> 00:36:12.079 back to the Big Blue Insider. Dick Gabriel with you from Dallas. Swear. 484 00:36:12.280 --> 00:36:15.199 Yesterday they wrapped up SEC media days and I thought as we go into 485 00:36:15.239 --> 00:36:21.679 the break quick segment here I would share a Dallas related story. Troy Aikman, 486 00:36:22.119 --> 00:36:24.679 of course, made a name for himself here were the Dallas Cowboys, 487 00:36:24.679 --> 00:36:29.760 and he's a lead broadcaster now in the NFL. But he's in the news 488 00:36:29.800 --> 00:36:36.719 today because he and Lamar Jackson another famous number eight are knocking heads over the 489 00:36:36.840 --> 00:36:43.760 number eight. Jackson is challenging Troy Aikman's use of number eight in the US 490 00:36:43.800 --> 00:36:49.320 Patent and Trademark Office complaint. According to federal records, Jackson owns or has 491 00:36:49.360 --> 00:36:55.320 applied for several trademarks using the number in various phrases, and Aikman right now 492 00:36:55.400 --> 00:37:00.239 is attempting to use the word eight. I guess and I'll cap. It's 493 00:37:00.239 --> 00:37:06.400 the way it appears in a wire story on apparel and bags, and Jackson's 494 00:37:06.400 --> 00:37:13.000 complaint says it would likely cause confusion, mistakes, or to deceive the purchasing 495 00:37:13.079 --> 00:37:19.480 public as to whether they're buying products from Jackson or Aikman's company. This is 496 00:37:19.480 --> 00:37:23.119 all according to Jackson's attorney. They filed it earlier this month. The motion 497 00:37:23.320 --> 00:37:29.079 or whatever they call it, so they claim that Jackson has spent a lot 498 00:37:29.079 --> 00:37:36.679 of time and effort and money in promoting advertising and promoting advertising and popularizing the 499 00:37:36.760 --> 00:37:42.639 number eight in connection with his personality and fame, and is well known by 500 00:37:42.679 --> 00:37:45.760 the number because of his notoriety. Of course, well so is Troy Aikman. 501 00:37:46.480 --> 00:37:51.599 So now you're looking at recency bias. And this is all over two 502 00:37:51.760 --> 00:37:57.199 guys who are trying to use a word, just a number. The image 503 00:37:57.239 --> 00:38:01.599 of the number eight later in the ory does not appear in all caps, 504 00:38:01.639 --> 00:38:07.320 so who knows. But it's not a bad idea, but the fact that 505 00:38:08.119 --> 00:38:14.320 I guess that you above all others could be whether it's Jackson or Aikman, 506 00:38:15.159 --> 00:38:20.280 could be the guy known as number eight. Now, Jackson has applied for 507 00:38:20.360 --> 00:38:27.840 trademarks and usages, including quote era eight by Lamar Jackson, Era eight, 508 00:38:28.599 --> 00:38:31.639 here's another one, you eight yet, and a lot of other stuff like 509 00:38:31.679 --> 00:38:37.400 that. So he and Aikman knocking heads over their number. And we've heard 510 00:38:37.400 --> 00:38:42.719 before about athletes who are traded or signed by a team and they want their 511 00:38:42.719 --> 00:38:45.840 old number and they have to pay through the nose or trade a car or 512 00:38:45.920 --> 00:38:50.480 something like that they get to use their own number. Well, now this 513 00:38:50.559 --> 00:38:55.760 one has gone to court. Lamar Jackson, the current star, and Troy 514 00:38:55.800 --> 00:39:01.039 Aikman, who's still a star here in Dallas on TV, but his football 515 00:39:01.159 --> 00:39:05.920 days are well behind him. We'll come back with our number two. We're 516 00:39:05.960 --> 00:39:09.840 going to have some longer conversations with the Wildcats, including their head coach, 517 00:39:10.079 --> 00:39:15.360 who are here in Dallas for SEC media days. It's a special look at 518 00:39:15.440 --> 00:39:19.119 UK football and hour number two as we wrap up the week from Dallas here 519 00:39:19.159 --> 00:39:22.519 on the Big Blue Siders six thirty. Welcome back to the Big Blue Sider. 520 00:39:22.519 --> 00:39:25.760 Dick Gabriel with you in Dallas side of SEC Media Days. We attended 521 00:39:25.880 --> 00:39:30.440 yesterday when the Wildcats were talking to the media, and as I mentioned earlier, 522 00:39:30.840 --> 00:39:34.559 they made the stops and they made a lot of them in the main 523 00:39:34.639 --> 00:39:37.679 room of the writers, in the electronic room with the networks, with so 524 00:39:37.760 --> 00:39:42.679 many radio stations here. But before they really did much of anything, I 525 00:39:42.679 --> 00:39:45.960 guess they hit some of the radio stations, but they were herded into a 526 00:39:46.079 --> 00:39:51.920 separate room off to the side, and it's reserved for just such things. 527 00:39:52.400 --> 00:39:57.239 The local media get a chance to fire questions and answers, and some of 528 00:39:57.280 --> 00:40:00.760 these will be asked again on UK Media Day, which by the way, 529 00:40:00.880 --> 00:40:05.000 is the first weekend of August. Fan Day is August third, so you 530 00:40:05.039 --> 00:40:07.400 need to know about that. But at any rate, we had a chance 531 00:40:07.440 --> 00:40:10.519 to do not one on ones, but like one on eight or nine with 532 00:40:10.679 --> 00:40:16.960 stoops and the players and Stoops went first, and believe it or not, 533 00:40:17.719 --> 00:40:22.639 for a guy who kind of dreads the talking season in a way, but 534 00:40:22.719 --> 00:40:27.320 as you'll hear him talk about it also marks sort of the stretch run to 535 00:40:27.400 --> 00:40:30.280 the season, so he actually had a smile on his face when he greeted 536 00:40:30.320 --> 00:40:35.480 us. It's really good to see you all here. Different venue, being 537 00:40:35.519 --> 00:40:38.679 in Texas. You know, for us, we've been in meetings with OU 538 00:40:38.679 --> 00:40:43.960 in Texas already, but being here gives it new meeting meaning, I should 539 00:40:44.000 --> 00:40:47.519 say. But it's a lot of fun. I know, once we get 540 00:40:47.559 --> 00:40:51.480 here and I start talking to you guys, it's time to go. So 541 00:40:52.280 --> 00:40:55.519 summer is over. It was very short, but I'm excited about this team. 542 00:40:57.079 --> 00:41:00.199 I love the leadership that we have in the three women that I brought 543 00:41:00.239 --> 00:41:05.079 with me today to represent our team. We'll do a great job and we're 544 00:41:05.119 --> 00:41:07.320 excited to get going. What do you think will excite the fans about your 545 00:41:07.360 --> 00:41:12.639 team? Just the competitive nature that we're going to have. You know, 546 00:41:12.719 --> 00:41:15.599 I know this team has a chip on its shoulder that's going to play the 547 00:41:15.639 --> 00:41:20.119 way we want to play and represent the state and our fans the way we 548 00:41:20.159 --> 00:41:23.639 want them to and we're excited about that. There's so many big picture issues 549 00:41:23.679 --> 00:41:28.639 with football the SEC college sports right now. Does that energize you find in 550 00:41:28.679 --> 00:41:31.239 a way that Kentucky exists in that landscape, or do you get kind of 551 00:41:31.280 --> 00:41:36.119 tired of all of that stuff you feeling outside of You hit a keyword right 552 00:41:36.159 --> 00:41:39.719 there? Exist, you know, and so you know that's just it. 553 00:41:39.519 --> 00:41:45.159 Do I get tired of it? No? I mean you either exist, 554 00:41:45.719 --> 00:41:50.760 You either exit or you explore new ways to be innovative and to make the 555 00:41:50.800 --> 00:41:54.280 best of it. I think, you know, I want to live in 556 00:41:54.320 --> 00:41:59.400 that world of exploring the best way. How do we make that next jump? 557 00:42:00.360 --> 00:42:04.440 Is there some frustration in there sometimes with all that is there some more 558 00:42:04.440 --> 00:42:07.960 work and some different things, you know, new meaning to the job fundraiser, 559 00:42:07.119 --> 00:42:10.400 you know what I mean? Like it's new, it's challenging, but 560 00:42:10.559 --> 00:42:15.559 it's also exciting. How can we explore this avenue to help us make that 561 00:42:15.679 --> 00:42:22.360 jump and and compete and be relevant? And you know I work for our 562 00:42:22.400 --> 00:42:24.880 players, you know, I raise money for our players. And that's just 563 00:42:24.920 --> 00:42:29.800 a new, you know, new part of it. Mark Mike Tomlin made 564 00:42:29.800 --> 00:42:31.400 a statement. He says he has a lot of guys on his roster that 565 00:42:31.440 --> 00:42:36.559 are capable, says he needs more guys that are willing to do the work. 566 00:42:36.559 --> 00:42:37.840 Do you feel like you have enough guys that are willing to put the 567 00:42:37.880 --> 00:42:42.679 work in, paid the price to take that jump. Yeah, that's a 568 00:42:42.719 --> 00:42:45.400 great point by coach Tomlin. It doesn't surprise me with the wisdom that he 569 00:42:45.480 --> 00:42:49.920 has. But you know, you know, we'll see. I believe we 570 00:42:50.000 --> 00:42:53.039 do. You know, I believe in our players. And you know that's 571 00:42:53.199 --> 00:42:57.920 you know, in a way, it's what we talk about with culture, 572 00:42:58.039 --> 00:43:01.639 right, It's a part of our culture. You know, we have a 573 00:43:01.719 --> 00:43:07.440 competitive culture, a united culture, but that's not always perfect, you know, 574 00:43:07.519 --> 00:43:10.440 and you know, and so we need people that are willing to pull 575 00:43:10.440 --> 00:43:15.840 a teammate up when when you know, when adversity hits, Because when adversity 576 00:43:15.920 --> 00:43:19.920 hits it, it kind of shatters that mental model that we all want, 577 00:43:20.039 --> 00:43:23.360 right, we all want it to be perfect. We prepare our players for 578 00:43:23.440 --> 00:43:28.320 adversity, We talk about it constantly, But how do you really respond to 579 00:43:28.360 --> 00:43:31.000 that and are you willing to go right back to work and put that play 580 00:43:31.039 --> 00:43:35.639 behind you, put that game behind you and grind it out. And I 581 00:43:35.679 --> 00:43:38.559 think coach Tomlin is a great example of that because for him to have a 582 00:43:38.559 --> 00:43:44.800 winning record every year no matter what his players are like in that league says 583 00:43:44.800 --> 00:43:47.000 a lot about him. And you know, I like that about about us 584 00:43:47.000 --> 00:43:51.760 and about what we've done. You know, do we want more? Do 585 00:43:51.840 --> 00:43:53.800 we want to take it to the next level as we just talked about what 586 00:43:53.559 --> 00:43:58.480 your comment, Yes we do. But also I can't lose sight of the 587 00:43:58.519 --> 00:44:00.360 fact that we have been consistent. You know, there's only eight teams in 588 00:44:00.400 --> 00:44:04.960 the country that have been the eighth straight bulls and there's only two teams that 589 00:44:05.000 --> 00:44:07.480 have been in the SEC this whole time that have done that. That's not 590 00:44:07.480 --> 00:44:13.000 nothing, you know, so it's something. But we want to continue to 591 00:44:13.440 --> 00:44:15.239 progress. We want to take it to the next level. You talked about 592 00:44:15.320 --> 00:44:21.079 the changes. Pete Tamil reported that the rough number for roster liments will be 593 00:44:21.119 --> 00:44:23.320 one o five. Is one oh five enough to operate a football team. 594 00:44:23.559 --> 00:44:25.880 It's not that. I really don't want to get into too much of that 595 00:44:25.960 --> 00:44:31.360 right now because it's all still hearsay and we're working through that. I think 596 00:44:31.360 --> 00:44:35.519 we're pretty collective, you know, within the SEC to think that's that, 597 00:44:35.639 --> 00:44:37.719 you know, that's pretty tough number to operate, you know, because you 598 00:44:37.760 --> 00:44:39.719 know, if people want to say, well that's you know the NFL, 599 00:44:39.760 --> 00:44:43.960 well, they can bring in unlimited players. They have somebody hurt, they 600 00:44:44.000 --> 00:44:47.239 just replace them with somebody that's healthy. So, you know, it's a 601 00:44:47.239 --> 00:44:51.719 lot of things to take into consideration. We are marketing yourself from the very 602 00:44:51.719 --> 00:44:54.679 first day you got here about depth and quality. Depth. This seems to 603 00:44:54.719 --> 00:44:59.199 be if you look on paper, you've got great depth on the defensive line, 604 00:44:59.320 --> 00:45:01.800 a great depth on the offensive line. You brought in really good receivers, 605 00:45:01.840 --> 00:45:06.480 defensiveout is Are you finally where you want to be with this program? 606 00:45:06.559 --> 00:45:08.400 Depth and quality dip wise, I think we're in a good position. I 607 00:45:08.480 --> 00:45:10.880 like our team. I like the depth that we have. I like the 608 00:45:10.920 --> 00:45:15.679 way they're working, you know, and now we got to take it to 609 00:45:15.719 --> 00:45:16.719 the field. We got to take it to camp. You know, our 610 00:45:16.760 --> 00:45:22.360 guys really never really stop working, you know. They they during May, 611 00:45:22.400 --> 00:45:24.599 they a lot of them may branch out and go their own way. Not 612 00:45:24.639 --> 00:45:27.960 a lot of them. Some of them will go and specialize, maybe with 613 00:45:28.000 --> 00:45:30.159 a pass, rust specialists, or do some different things. But they're working 614 00:45:30.199 --> 00:45:36.000 all year round, and they're they've been grinding all summer, and the rules 615 00:45:36.039 --> 00:45:37.920 permit us to spend some time with them, and the coaches have been around 616 00:45:37.920 --> 00:45:40.480 them, and you know, I like what I see kind of expanding on 617 00:45:40.480 --> 00:45:44.480 that offensive line wise, it seems like you guys are eight or not deep 618 00:45:44.519 --> 00:45:46.199 now with Gerald and Jalen coming in, do you feel more comfortable than you've 619 00:45:46.199 --> 00:45:49.280 been the last couple of years with the depth there? I do. I 620 00:45:49.320 --> 00:45:53.519 do feel more comfortable. You know, we needed to add some depth to 621 00:45:53.639 --> 00:45:58.480 give us some some more bodies upfront and you know, be physical. We 622 00:45:58.840 --> 00:46:01.679 have to be who we are. And you know, we've talked about it 623 00:46:01.719 --> 00:46:06.519 many times, you know about you know, having that physical nature being able 624 00:46:06.519 --> 00:46:09.039 to run the ball. And I could go back several years and we're you 625 00:46:09.079 --> 00:46:12.920 know, bringing in Liam and what do we need to improve on? We'll 626 00:46:12.920 --> 00:46:15.400 getting the ball down the field. Well, now we feel like we have 627 00:46:15.480 --> 00:46:17.639 some skill guys we hit. We have a quarterback we believe in. He's 628 00:46:17.639 --> 00:46:21.000 got to go prove it. But we have some guys we believe in. 629 00:46:21.239 --> 00:46:22.920 But we still have to be who we are and that's physical on both sides 630 00:46:22.960 --> 00:46:27.119 of the line. Who was the pitch to Gavin? We even talkings that 631 00:46:27.159 --> 00:46:29.960 you added him because you already had Brock here. He's a guy who started 632 00:46:29.960 --> 00:46:31.360 for two years into Big ten. What was the pitch to him? Well, 633 00:46:31.360 --> 00:46:34.639 I think he had an opportunity to come in and compete. He has 634 00:46:34.679 --> 00:46:37.320 a lot of snaps under his belt. We don't have a lot of experience 635 00:46:37.400 --> 00:46:39.679 on our roster, you know, and he was looking for an opportunity to 636 00:46:39.679 --> 00:46:44.000 come in, improve himself in and compete, you know. And so we 637 00:46:44.119 --> 00:46:45.559 like that with Gavin. We like the fact that he's got snaps under his 638 00:46:45.599 --> 00:46:50.559 belt. He's a big, strong guy, and I think he'll do very 639 00:46:50.559 --> 00:46:53.679 well in our system. Alex Afari, He's a guy who's kind of played 640 00:46:53.719 --> 00:46:58.400 around at multiple spots. Is there a sort of directive you want him to 641 00:46:58.440 --> 00:47:00.119 take in year three after really pop up in your one? Yeah? I 642 00:47:00.159 --> 00:47:04.000 think you know, he is a guy that that is you know, came 643 00:47:04.039 --> 00:47:06.920 in kind of as a tweener. He's such a big athlete, you know, 644 00:47:06.960 --> 00:47:09.440 and we knew that coming out of high school. You know that he 645 00:47:09.559 --> 00:47:14.840 was just a very good football player. He's played multiple positions for us already, 646 00:47:15.320 --> 00:47:17.199 may play him in some different spots here coming up this fall. But 647 00:47:19.039 --> 00:47:22.639 he's a guy that has a bright future, you know, has to go 648 00:47:22.719 --> 00:47:28.199 through the growing pains of trusting us to move him around and put him in 649 00:47:28.239 --> 00:47:31.559 a position that ultimately is best for him, because what's best for him is 650 00:47:31.840 --> 00:47:35.000 going to help the team as well, and it's going to help him in 651 00:47:35.039 --> 00:47:37.599 his future. You had so many issues injury wise on the defensive line and 652 00:47:37.639 --> 00:47:40.559 spring practice. How many of those do you expect to kind of carry over 653 00:47:40.599 --> 00:47:44.880 into the fall or are you concerned still about depth? Especially No, you 654 00:47:44.880 --> 00:47:46.239 know, I think Knows. You know, we definitely took a little hit 655 00:47:46.360 --> 00:47:51.440 at Knows and so you know, we're we're you know, we have some 656 00:47:51.559 --> 00:47:54.719 other guys that are coming back that weren't completely healthy in the spring that will 657 00:47:54.760 --> 00:47:58.639 help us. But there's a few that you know, maybe up this will 658 00:47:58.679 --> 00:48:00.480 be the first time in a long time you're not handing off to either a 659 00:48:00.480 --> 00:48:05.360 guy named Snell or Rodriguez. I mean, what are your concerns about running 660 00:48:05.360 --> 00:48:07.480 back? You've got numbers, but what about the depth there? Yeah, 661 00:48:07.519 --> 00:48:10.400 I think you know, it's another position that has to go prove it right. 662 00:48:10.519 --> 00:48:14.840 You know, it's you know, we have guys that are very capable. 663 00:48:15.119 --> 00:48:17.559 You know, we have to work together. We have to have good 664 00:48:17.599 --> 00:48:22.559 system. We have to guys have guys up front that could block. We 665 00:48:22.639 --> 00:48:24.880 have to change the picture and be multiple, you know, like we've been 666 00:48:24.880 --> 00:48:28.960 in the past. But we have to have some guys make some people mess 667 00:48:28.960 --> 00:48:31.360 and get the tough yards that we've had what we've always had here. You 668 00:48:31.360 --> 00:48:34.880 know, I think Chip is a guy that that we're all excited about. 669 00:48:35.000 --> 00:48:37.599 But you know, Jason Patterson has done some really good things, and you 670 00:48:37.639 --> 00:48:42.079 know, and you know, so you know Will Cox even as a guy 671 00:48:42.079 --> 00:48:44.599 that I'd like to see step up a little bit and do something. But 672 00:48:44.719 --> 00:48:46.840 you know, we feel like we have some depth. We haven't seen Bush 673 00:48:46.880 --> 00:48:52.719 Hammon's offense extensively, but you've talked a lot in the off season about getting 674 00:48:52.719 --> 00:48:57.400 more physical. Is a lot of that getting back to running the ball downhill. 675 00:48:57.679 --> 00:49:00.519 Well, I think you know that you've listened to me long enough and 676 00:49:00.559 --> 00:49:05.480 you understand. You know this game and at this level, you're not going 677 00:49:05.519 --> 00:49:07.280 to be consistent unless you can run the ball. You know. Uh, 678 00:49:07.400 --> 00:49:12.119 that doesn't mean we have to go back and be and just run the football. 679 00:49:12.119 --> 00:49:14.239 I mean we want to be exciting. We want the ball down the 680 00:49:14.239 --> 00:49:17.599 field. That helps set all that up if you could run the football and 681 00:49:17.599 --> 00:49:22.199 and be effective running the football. So I think if you if you talk 682 00:49:22.280 --> 00:49:24.800 to every single head coach that stood in front of you here, you know 683 00:49:24.840 --> 00:49:28.599 what media days, and I think I think every one of them would say 684 00:49:28.599 --> 00:49:30.440 they want to be physical upfront, no matter what, no matter what it 685 00:49:30.519 --> 00:49:34.239 is. I mean, you look at you know, the the the offenses 686 00:49:34.280 --> 00:49:37.280 that everybody is wild by the speed and by the getting the ball down the 687 00:49:37.280 --> 00:49:39.480 field. You look at you know, Tennessee, you look at Old Miss, 688 00:49:39.480 --> 00:49:42.239 you look at some of those guys. They run the heck out of 689 00:49:42.239 --> 00:49:44.599 the ball, you know, and you know it starts there, you know. 690 00:49:44.800 --> 00:49:46.719 Can you talk about the change that you made at the wide receiver coach 691 00:49:46.760 --> 00:49:51.800 position? Are you starting to see signals that that group is ready to take 692 00:49:51.800 --> 00:49:54.519 a take a leap there? Mark, I'm very impressed with the kill schortz 693 00:49:54.679 --> 00:49:58.440 Uh. You know, he's a guy that that we brought in from Houston, 694 00:49:58.840 --> 00:50:00.960 and he's a young guy and he has a great relationship with the players, 695 00:50:01.000 --> 00:50:05.400 but he's very demanding. He I love the fact that you know, 696 00:50:05.440 --> 00:50:09.119 he has that youth uh, you know, youthfulness and can relate, but 697 00:50:09.239 --> 00:50:14.599 also is very demanding. He really doesn't play, you know, He's about 698 00:50:14.639 --> 00:50:16.559 work and about business and he's done a really good job. I think the 699 00:50:16.559 --> 00:50:21.920 players really respect him, and I feel like we're making some growth there. 700 00:50:22.159 --> 00:50:27.000 I wanted to ask briefly about recruiting because you don't know how many you can 701 00:50:27.320 --> 00:50:30.559 recruit or add for that class. So what's the challenge of that? And 702 00:50:30.599 --> 00:50:34.159 also how do you like the way that class is coming together? Yeah, 703 00:50:34.480 --> 00:50:37.760 I told our coaches, you know, throughout this process go like like, 704 00:50:38.639 --> 00:50:44.400 let's go. Sometimes we've got to be very selective. And you know that's 705 00:50:44.440 --> 00:50:46.960 always been a part of our model of selecting the right players. And now 706 00:50:47.280 --> 00:50:51.960 it's even more of a challenge because you're gonna have to select more and make 707 00:50:52.000 --> 00:50:54.639 sure you're getting the right guys to fit your culture. But you know, 708 00:50:57.079 --> 00:51:00.519 you know, we we have to go, you know, and until we 709 00:51:00.559 --> 00:51:02.679 know what's going on, you got to continue to recruit a lot of guys. 710 00:51:02.679 --> 00:51:07.440 Are you confident whatever the model looks like that Kentucky is willing to invest 711 00:51:07.480 --> 00:51:10.559 in in football in this post scholarship women, everybody else, we have no 712 00:51:10.679 --> 00:51:14.079 choice. You have no you have no choice. You want to compete in 713 00:51:14.119 --> 00:51:16.280 this league, you got to do it. And and that's part of you 714 00:51:16.320 --> 00:51:21.199 know, you know again what what we have to do. You know, 715 00:51:21.840 --> 00:51:24.000 you know again once again, you could exist. You can just hang around 716 00:51:24.000 --> 00:51:27.960 and you know, you could leave, you know what I mean, or 717 00:51:28.559 --> 00:51:32.719 you can continue to invest more and and it's it's super important, you know. 718 00:51:34.039 --> 00:51:37.199 And uh, you know, you know the SEC says it just means 719 00:51:37.239 --> 00:51:40.920 more, right, Well, and so well, we need to we need 720 00:51:40.960 --> 00:51:45.880 to continue to pour into it. And I continue to ask for help. 721 00:51:45.920 --> 00:51:47.480 I mean, you know, if there's one thing that's weighing me down, 722 00:51:47.519 --> 00:51:52.559 it's it's it's raising money, you know, and and uh and that's just 723 00:51:52.639 --> 00:51:55.079 a lot of work. But it's a lot of pressure, you know. 724 00:51:55.280 --> 00:51:59.519 Uh, these guys deserve it. And uh, you know I have the 725 00:51:59.559 --> 00:52:01.119 way to be you know, find a way to be creative and continue to 726 00:52:01.119 --> 00:52:07.679 work at it to raise funds and and uh, you know I need some 727 00:52:07.719 --> 00:52:09.320 help, you know, I need some help in that area, desperately. 728 00:52:09.599 --> 00:52:14.519 This is your what is a twelfth year you've been coming to this event. 729 00:52:15.280 --> 00:52:17.880 You had a plan when you got to Kentucky, won a lot of games, 730 00:52:17.880 --> 00:52:22.639 bowl games. Has this been what you had envisioned for this program? 731 00:52:22.719 --> 00:52:25.840 I know you're not satisfied, But in terms of how you hoped it would 732 00:52:25.920 --> 00:52:29.920 unfold, I don't know. You know, if you ever go back that 733 00:52:30.079 --> 00:52:32.239 far, you know, you start with that plan, and you know you 734 00:52:32.559 --> 00:52:35.480 have to have a good plan. And like I said many times, you 735 00:52:35.519 --> 00:52:37.480 got to have good instincts too, so you know, you don't you know, 736 00:52:39.239 --> 00:52:43.800 you have to alter and adjust and be adaptable or you're not going to 737 00:52:43.840 --> 00:52:46.360 survive. You know, you're going to be irrelevant. And so I think, 738 00:52:46.639 --> 00:52:50.000 you know, again, I don't want to dismiss the great things that 739 00:52:50.000 --> 00:52:52.000 we've done, the good things that we've done and made a lot of growth, 740 00:52:52.039 --> 00:52:55.840 and you know, and you know Tony or Susan told me, is 741 00:52:55.880 --> 00:52:59.440 that. You know, like if you look at twenty eighteen, I mean, 742 00:52:59.480 --> 00:53:01.719 there were worth most wins in the conference. I mean it's not nothing. 743 00:53:02.079 --> 00:53:05.320 You know, do we want more? Does the fans want more? 744 00:53:05.599 --> 00:53:09.119 Absolutely, Let's continue to work. We'll continue to do our part, Let's 745 00:53:09.119 --> 00:53:14.239 continue to invest and we'll do that. And again the consistency, you know, 746 00:53:14.320 --> 00:53:16.079 again, it's not nothing going to h straight Bowl games. I mean 747 00:53:16.119 --> 00:53:19.599 there's there's eight teams that have done that. There's two teams that have been 748 00:53:19.639 --> 00:53:22.079 in our league besides us that have done it, and I think Oklahoma would 749 00:53:22.079 --> 00:53:25.000 be the third, but have been in the SEC. It's a challenge. 750 00:53:25.440 --> 00:53:29.280 You know, there's some great institutions that have gone through some ups and downs, 751 00:53:29.760 --> 00:53:31.679 and you know, you know, we've been very stable. I just 752 00:53:31.719 --> 00:53:36.480 want to continue to grow these three guys. Why did you select them? 753 00:53:36.519 --> 00:53:37.880 What have they done with this program? And what do you see them doing 754 00:53:37.960 --> 00:53:40.800 this season? Why bring these guys? It's the leadership, you know, 755 00:53:42.039 --> 00:53:44.880 it's you know, they're very good football players. That speaks for itself, 756 00:53:44.960 --> 00:53:47.599 but it's the leadership, you know, and in the growth that they've made, 757 00:53:47.639 --> 00:53:52.159 and we need them to continue to be leaders. They know. You 758 00:53:52.199 --> 00:53:55.679 know, what we talk about is doing doing things right first. You know, 759 00:53:55.719 --> 00:54:00.280 you can't influence others unless you're handling your business and doing that at high 760 00:54:00.360 --> 00:54:04.360 level. These guys do that, and then they impact their teammates, they 761 00:54:04.400 --> 00:54:08.320 impact their room, their position groups, and ultimately they affect our team. 762 00:54:08.880 --> 00:54:13.119 And when they're doing that, then they deserve that honor to be here. 763 00:54:13.360 --> 00:54:16.320 And you know that comes with a price. They got to continue to stay 764 00:54:16.360 --> 00:54:22.119 consistent. They got to continue to be effective in the difficult moments and lead 765 00:54:22.159 --> 00:54:27.239 our team. And that's what I expect out of them. That's the UK 766 00:54:27.440 --> 00:54:30.480 coach. He gave way to the players and a first way here from Dion 767 00:54:30.679 --> 00:54:35.480 Walker, who got a lot of attention down here. As you might expect, 768 00:54:35.280 --> 00:54:39.880 a preseason All Conference, preseason All American and he is one of the 769 00:54:39.880 --> 00:54:45.400 big hopes for the Wildcats on defense literally and figuratively, and we'll hear from 770 00:54:45.440 --> 00:54:47.239 him on the other side of the break here on The Big Blue Sider six 771 00:54:47.360 --> 00:54:51.440 thirty WLA. We welcome back to The Big Blue Insider from Dallas. Dick 772 00:54:51.480 --> 00:54:55.880 Gabriel with you as we wrap up media day coverage the Wildcats appearing yesterday at 773 00:54:55.880 --> 00:55:01.239 the Omni Hotel. Three players chosen by Mark Stups. Dion Walker was pretty 774 00:55:01.239 --> 00:55:05.559 obvious. He's good with the media. He loves talking to people, and 775 00:55:05.599 --> 00:55:08.360 he talked about what it meant to him to be chosen. It's a lot, 776 00:55:08.719 --> 00:55:14.519 but you know, it's a great opportunity. Great to be selected by 777 00:55:14.559 --> 00:55:16.519 coach Stoops for this, you know, great to be here with my two 778 00:55:16.599 --> 00:55:22.400 other teammates, de Eric Jackson and Marcus Cox. Is this great opportunity and 779 00:55:22.400 --> 00:55:23.679 I'm trying to make the best out of it. This time of year, 780 00:55:24.199 --> 00:55:29.800 we're out here talking about expectations and big picture things. But you've been very 781 00:55:29.840 --> 00:55:32.760 adamant all off season that you're being processed focused. So what does that look 782 00:55:32.880 --> 00:55:36.599 like for you on a day to day basis to get ready for the season. 783 00:55:37.079 --> 00:55:38.920 Just getting extra work in whenever I can, you know, whether it 784 00:55:39.039 --> 00:55:45.440 be conditioning, another lift, some field work, just in the in our 785 00:55:45.480 --> 00:55:49.199 mean rooms, going over plays from last year, just trying to get those 786 00:55:49.239 --> 00:55:52.960 mental reps, trying to get my body right for the season. Are you 787 00:55:52.000 --> 00:55:54.039 close to where you want to be? Do you feel like you will be 788 00:55:54.079 --> 00:55:59.599 prepared when it comes? Yeah? You know, I'm working every day towards 789 00:55:59.599 --> 00:56:05.880 my goal. Yeah. And there's so much preseason talk about you all conference 790 00:56:05.920 --> 00:56:07.159 teams, this and that, and I know right now it's just talk. 791 00:56:07.239 --> 00:56:12.800 But do you carry that weight those expectations. I wouldn't say that. No. 792 00:56:13.039 --> 00:56:15.199 I don't really look at all of that, you know, especially the 793 00:56:15.239 --> 00:56:19.280 preseason stuff. You know, I might take a look or two for the 794 00:56:19.320 --> 00:56:22.039 postseason, you know, but preseason, I really don't care about it. 795 00:56:22.039 --> 00:56:25.519 I'm just focused on my team and focused on Week one. So you've already 796 00:56:25.559 --> 00:56:29.320 run the gonge on Radio Row and you've got more ahead of you as we 797 00:56:29.360 --> 00:56:32.199 speak. But what's your message about Kentucky football this year? You know, 798 00:56:32.199 --> 00:56:35.880 we're experienced group. You know, we got a lot of guys on our 799 00:56:35.920 --> 00:56:39.719 defensive side of the ball. We got some great receivers, a great running 800 00:56:39.760 --> 00:56:45.119 back, great quarterbacks, you know, great offensive line. So I feel 801 00:56:45.199 --> 00:56:50.599 like we're a real experience team. This group is really talented when it comes 802 00:56:50.639 --> 00:56:52.760 to being able to stop the run. What do you do in this offseason? 803 00:56:52.840 --> 00:56:55.519 Try to add some extra juice to that pass rush, you know, 804 00:56:55.639 --> 00:57:02.760 just working footwark, just working our reactions, working on our hip flips everything, 805 00:57:02.840 --> 00:57:07.079 you know, just working on how to transition from around block to a 806 00:57:07.119 --> 00:57:09.960 past block. You know, just a bunch of little things because we were 807 00:57:09.960 --> 00:57:14.639 there a bunch of times and just missed by a little bit. So is 808 00:57:14.679 --> 00:57:17.239 there anybody in that and maybe not just defensive line room, but also the 809 00:57:17.360 --> 00:57:21.800 edge that can really be a difference maker in the past us. You know, 810 00:57:21.840 --> 00:57:23.880 we got a bunch of guys, you know, uh JJ Weaver, 811 00:57:24.039 --> 00:57:29.639 he's really stepped up his game, Octavius Oxendine, Khlil Saunders has made a 812 00:57:29.639 --> 00:57:32.480 big jump as well. But then we even got some freshman with Gerard and 813 00:57:32.679 --> 00:57:37.239 Jacob Smith. You know, b rob Bryan Robinson. He's a big guy. 814 00:57:37.320 --> 00:57:40.760 But we can on or I can tell that he's getting it down. 815 00:57:42.599 --> 00:57:47.559 Do you feel like you're gonna like a national champion All American and pops over 816 00:57:47.559 --> 00:57:51.400 there in defense? What's he added to the room? And on the field 817 00:57:51.440 --> 00:57:54.239 with you guys, I feel like he adds a bunch of maturity. You 818 00:57:54.280 --> 00:57:58.760 know, we already are mature group, you know, with dear Eric and 819 00:57:59.320 --> 00:58:07.159 a bunch of them, but he adds a lot more experience and of somebody 820 00:58:07.239 --> 00:58:10.760 who's already been there, you know. So he's a great addition to the 821 00:58:10.800 --> 00:58:14.960 team because of the injury situation. Do you feel like you're gonna have to 822 00:58:14.960 --> 00:58:17.000 play some nose this year? And who are some other guys maybe you expect 823 00:58:17.039 --> 00:58:22.239 to step up there? You know, I'm prepared to play anything, you 824 00:58:22.280 --> 00:58:24.599 know, you know, Bacon move meet around however they want I play, 825 00:58:24.679 --> 00:58:30.000 well nine, I can go drop back again. But yeah, you know, 826 00:58:30.000 --> 00:58:34.519 I'm prepared to play nose, d h the field in boundary and I 827 00:58:34.519 --> 00:58:38.960 don't care. But we also got a bunch of guys Khalil Saunders, big 828 00:58:39.039 --> 00:58:45.159 Key, Shawn Silver, even Trayvon Ripker, like all of them. They 829 00:58:45.159 --> 00:58:50.360 can play wherever like. And that's one big thing that we've been working on 830 00:58:50.800 --> 00:58:55.519 with our d line coach ste just being able to place anybody anywhere, not 831 00:58:55.559 --> 00:59:00.639 having any type of drop off when you drop back against Florida, and that 832 00:59:00.760 --> 00:59:04.960 turned into an interception that could not have worked that much better, obviously. 833 00:59:05.400 --> 00:59:07.719 How much do you think about that play? Did you run it back and 834 00:59:07.760 --> 00:59:12.199 watch it a few extra times? Yeah, at least a couple hundred, 835 00:59:12.320 --> 00:59:15.800 you know, But yeah, you know, because all I remember is begging 836 00:59:15.800 --> 00:59:21.360 Coach White to call the play during that time out. I hit him. 837 00:59:21.719 --> 00:59:23.639 Then all I see is Trevor running down the sideline. I'm jumping up and 838 00:59:23.679 --> 00:59:28.039 down by the fifty. Then I'll run over there, Like I told you, 839 00:59:28.119 --> 00:59:31.760 coach, you know what against Florida, that big hit in the backfield 840 00:59:31.760 --> 00:59:36.400 a couple of years ago kind of announced you to college football. I don't 841 00:59:36.400 --> 00:59:38.599 know what it is about Florida, but do you feel like that's just kind 842 00:59:38.599 --> 00:59:43.519 of got your rolling? Yeah? I feel like that was really my welcome 843 00:59:43.599 --> 00:59:47.000 to college moment, you know, show them that I really have a chance 844 00:59:47.039 --> 00:59:51.039 to be great. You know. So I feel like that helped a lot. 845 00:59:52.000 --> 00:59:55.719 Coach said that you were chosen for this role because of your work ethic 846 00:59:55.800 --> 01:00:00.559 and your willingness to be a leader. Assume you embrace all of that pretty 847 01:00:00.559 --> 01:00:04.639 heartily, don't you. I say I do, But I still have a 848 01:00:04.679 --> 01:00:08.360 bunch of room for growth. I really, more so, I was trying 849 01:00:08.360 --> 01:00:12.039 to be a leader on the field, lead by example, you know, 850 01:00:12.320 --> 01:00:15.320 still not really talkative because I was more introverted this year. I'm really trying 851 01:00:15.320 --> 01:00:20.360 to work on being more outspoken and being a leader more off the field as 852 01:00:20.400 --> 01:00:22.559 well, in the classroom or just making sure everybody's where they need to be. 853 01:00:23.159 --> 01:00:29.280 That's Kentucky d lineman Dion Walker. Up next, offensive lineman Marcus Cox. 854 01:00:29.599 --> 01:00:31.920 More to come from Dallas here on the Big Boon Sider six thirty Welcome 855 01:00:31.960 --> 01:00:37.000 back to the Big Boon Sider in Dallas side of SEC media days. Marcus 856 01:00:37.079 --> 01:00:39.880 Cox made the trip down with Mark Stoops and a couple of his teammates, 857 01:00:39.920 --> 01:00:45.280 and he was resplendent, decked out for the most part in all black, 858 01:00:45.320 --> 01:00:49.960 and he talked about why that was the color scheme. Hecky choice, Yeah, 859 01:00:50.039 --> 01:00:53.800 huh, I love love. My favorite shade is black. So like 860 01:00:53.920 --> 01:00:58.280 there was no brainer about to suit. So I don't got no black suit 861 01:00:58.400 --> 01:01:00.920 yet. So this is a perfect opportunity, a good one. How excited 862 01:01:00.960 --> 01:01:05.199 are you to be here and what what do you want to share about the 863 01:01:05.239 --> 01:01:08.960 offensive line at a proud position group of Kentucky, but one that is still 864 01:01:09.039 --> 01:01:13.440 trying to get back to that standard. Yeah, it's an honor to be 865 01:01:13.480 --> 01:01:16.079 here. That's my first time doing media day, so it's a new experience 866 01:01:16.119 --> 01:01:20.360 for me, and as far as an officer line, we come in with 867 01:01:20.559 --> 01:01:22.960 expectation to do great things. This year. We got a lot of experience 868 01:01:23.000 --> 01:01:28.960 with me and Eli coming back and then Jerald coming in, Jagger also returning, 869 01:01:29.079 --> 01:01:30.679 and Deal and played a little bit, played a lot last year, 870 01:01:30.719 --> 01:01:36.079 so we got a lot of experience and a lot of expectations from coach Doukes 871 01:01:36.119 --> 01:01:40.360 from to be really good this season. Brock Vandergrove adds a running element to 872 01:01:40.440 --> 01:01:45.679 that offense. How much can does it change anything for you all at all? 873 01:01:45.480 --> 01:01:49.800 With a guy that can move around back there quarterback, the only thing 874 01:01:49.840 --> 01:01:52.800 that changes, Like sometimes you want to want him to hand the ball off 875 01:01:52.880 --> 01:01:57.119 instead of pulling it and vice versa. But it don't really change nothing for 876 01:01:57.239 --> 01:02:00.840 us. Our job is to be able to run the ball whoever has it. 877 01:02:00.840 --> 01:02:04.400 At the end of the day, they rely on us to get the 878 01:02:04.400 --> 01:02:07.519 blocks open and open up the holes for them to make creases down the field. 879 01:02:07.519 --> 01:02:10.239 Marcus, there was so much talk in spring about the communication part on 880 01:02:10.320 --> 01:02:15.159 offense transitioning to no huddle, getting them plays in how much can you work 881 01:02:15.159 --> 01:02:17.360 on that in the summer and informal situations. I'm a confident I guess you 882 01:02:17.400 --> 01:02:21.360 feel in this. We've been working on it all summer. We've been doing 883 01:02:21.400 --> 01:02:25.519 it since we got back in June. We do OTAs over Tuesday and Thursdays 884 01:02:25.519 --> 01:02:31.360 and all July then player less so been led by Brock bo me Eli. 885 01:02:31.679 --> 01:02:37.400 We all come together to help out with that communication piece, and everything is 886 01:02:37.800 --> 01:02:39.800 one in the pre snap, so we try to communicate its most in the 887 01:02:39.840 --> 01:02:44.519 pre snap and before the place happens. See significant progress from the spring, 888 01:02:44.599 --> 01:02:47.679 Uh, Yeah, it's definitely need reps, Definitely need repetition. It's new 889 01:02:47.719 --> 01:02:53.119 to everybody, so with those reps just being more critical because these are reps 890 01:02:53.119 --> 01:02:57.679 that go and carry over into the season. What kind of an additional burden 891 01:02:57.719 --> 01:03:01.599 on your conditioning as a unit? Well, the faster tempo place, because 892 01:03:01.639 --> 01:03:04.840 you gotta get down the field and get it going. Yeah. Man, 893 01:03:04.960 --> 01:03:07.840 it's just gonna have to get it rolling. Once we're rolling, we rolling. 894 01:03:07.920 --> 01:03:10.400 You know, office of lineman don't usually like the run, but we 895 01:03:10.440 --> 01:03:15.440 don't really care. Whatever we gotta do to make the team go and whatever 896 01:03:15.480 --> 01:03:17.199 we gotta do to have the team win. De younge gets a ton of 897 01:03:17.239 --> 01:03:21.559 hype. Didn't you take all offense of that this offensive liman? No, 898 01:03:21.599 --> 01:03:24.239 not really. It brings light to us. We block him every day, 899 01:03:24.360 --> 01:03:30.880 So getting the opportunity to show what he could do and also be able to 900 01:03:30.400 --> 01:03:36.119 get better in practice with him is a huge opportunity for us, and I'm 901 01:03:36.280 --> 01:03:38.239 I'm excited for him that I'm excited for what season we could have. So 902 01:03:38.360 --> 01:03:40.719 you you are a guy who has to face him all the time. So 903 01:03:40.880 --> 01:03:44.599 is the hype worth it? What makes him so challenging to go up against? 904 01:03:45.559 --> 01:03:49.480 See how big he is, that's one challenge, and he's fast, 905 01:03:49.519 --> 01:03:54.000 so therefore it's like it's really hard. Sometimes it's really frustrating going against him. 906 01:03:54.039 --> 01:04:00.679 But after like practice, we always talk about how how I could help 907 01:04:00.719 --> 01:04:04.440 myself and what he could do to help himself. So I tell him what 908 01:04:04.440 --> 01:04:09.000 what's going on, like what I see, and then vice versa, so 909 01:04:09.159 --> 01:04:13.840 like tips on the stands and little little things that I don't notice, he 910 01:04:13.960 --> 01:04:17.559 noticed and vice versa. So it's definitely a great opportunity. Running backs room 911 01:04:17.679 --> 01:04:21.800 is a question mark from your vantage point, what should people know about the 912 01:04:21.880 --> 01:04:25.880 running game this year? Go and run the ball? Playing and simple. 913 01:04:28.480 --> 01:04:30.760 You got the people to make that happen effectively. Yeah, I mean we 914 01:04:30.800 --> 01:04:34.480 got Chip, we got Demy, we got Patterson, We got great running 915 01:04:34.480 --> 01:04:38.679 backs old and young, so it doesn't matter who's going to have the ball, 916 01:04:38.920 --> 01:04:42.480 just going running Marcus with adding Jaylen and Gerald. How much more depth 917 01:04:42.480 --> 01:04:45.280 do you feel like this offensive line has compared to last year season, Like 918 01:04:45.320 --> 01:04:47.519 you guys are eight or nine deep. Yeah, we definitely got more depth. 919 01:04:47.559 --> 01:04:51.679 We got more opportunities for more people to play, more opportunities for people 920 01:04:51.719 --> 01:04:56.519 to show what they could do. I've got total faith in our online room 921 01:04:56.559 --> 01:05:00.400 and whoever's up at the line blocking this year, it doesn't matter. We 922 01:05:00.480 --> 01:05:01.719 all want to take care of it because we all need each other. You 923 01:05:01.760 --> 01:05:04.519 were a guy who was not here the last time Coach Wolf was here or 924 01:05:05.119 --> 01:05:09.800 having experienced him for the first time this spring. How much of a difference 925 01:05:09.840 --> 01:05:13.599 is it in coaching style and that offensive one. Yeah, coach will very 926 01:05:13.599 --> 01:05:15.199 intense. He demands a lot out of you, but you're going to get 927 01:05:15.199 --> 01:05:18.079 better at football at the end of the day. He demands a lot. 928 01:05:18.480 --> 01:05:25.480 We push you every day. He don't want you to feel lazy or I 929 01:05:25.599 --> 01:05:30.360 don't want to don't want you to be lazy nor I can't find a word 930 01:05:30.880 --> 01:05:34.320 complacent, Thank you, lazy nor complacent. So every day we started to 931 01:05:34.320 --> 01:05:38.960 get better, one percent better. And he's real intense, but I love 932 01:05:39.000 --> 01:05:44.760 it for asking this question. UK football was built on what they called the 933 01:05:44.760 --> 01:05:47.159 Big Blue Wall. A couple of years ago. The Big Blue Wall was 934 01:05:47.199 --> 01:05:50.599 a sieve. It got better last year. How much is on you guys 935 01:05:50.639 --> 01:05:55.880 on that offensive line to bring that wall back because this team doesn't win unless 936 01:05:55.880 --> 01:05:58.920 you guys can run the football period. Yes, sir, it's it's a 937 01:05:59.039 --> 01:06:02.239 huge. It's it's huge to us in the Old line room. We talk 938 01:06:02.280 --> 01:06:08.280 about it every day. We talk about that's the standard where the legends before 939 01:06:08.360 --> 01:06:15.639 us with like Drake Jackson landon young Canard. No, I'm taking under winner 940 01:06:15.920 --> 01:06:19.719 corner. Yes, that's my boy. But the old line legends before us 941 01:06:19.760 --> 01:06:26.159 and land the foundations for us. So we take that really personable and that's 942 01:06:26.199 --> 01:06:29.599 our standard and we can't be playing lower than that. They Aaron talked about 943 01:06:29.639 --> 01:06:32.599 the death last year. You had some injuries and guys had to move around. 944 01:06:32.920 --> 01:06:35.079 I know Ray he can do a little bit of guards. Yeah, 945 01:06:35.320 --> 01:06:38.800 farmer, he can play a lot of stuff. So is it. Is 946 01:06:38.800 --> 01:06:43.400 it imperative that you all have a set five a strong five or is it? 947 01:06:43.480 --> 01:06:45.440 Does it? Can it still work if guys are cross training and doing 948 01:06:45.480 --> 01:06:48.920 different positions. Yeah, definitely want to cross train because you never know what 949 01:06:48.920 --> 01:06:54.679 can happen during the season might need you to do, like play right guard 950 01:06:54.679 --> 01:06:58.559 instead of left guard and vice versa. At the end of the day, 951 01:06:58.760 --> 01:07:02.800 I do think coach Wolf does a good job to preparing us for those situations 952 01:07:02.840 --> 01:07:10.000 and preparing euth for the season that comes ahead. That you're one of the 953 01:07:10.039 --> 01:07:14.239 most experienced college football players, one of the most experienced off of tolignement in 954 01:07:14.280 --> 01:07:16.880 the SEC. Right, what's on slate for you to season? What are 955 01:07:16.880 --> 01:07:20.639 some of the goals that you've talked about with coach Wolford this offseason and also 956 01:07:20.679 --> 01:07:25.760 the strength staff to get ready for this this year. Yeah. One of 957 01:07:25.760 --> 01:07:30.400 my biggest things with flexibility and my lower half. With battling some injuries in 958 01:07:30.440 --> 01:07:33.280 my career, I wasn't really able to work on my lower half, but 959 01:07:33.519 --> 01:07:39.039 this off season has been one of my key points. Also my flexibility. 960 01:07:39.480 --> 01:07:44.840 I've been doing pilates for the past three weeks, so something to keep on 961 01:07:44.880 --> 01:07:49.400 continuing to do throughout the season and this summer and training camp is hard? 962 01:07:51.639 --> 01:07:56.119 Is it hard? I don't want to talk about it, but now it's 963 01:07:56.119 --> 01:08:00.920 definitely challenging. It helps you find all your little muscles and the muddle, 964 01:08:00.119 --> 01:08:04.360 the l the the little muscles that you don't use often. It helps you 965 01:08:04.400 --> 01:08:08.719 find those and it helps you control your breathing and build your lung capacity. 966 01:08:08.760 --> 01:08:13.079 How big is that just for getting leverage? Oh, it's it's definitely different. 967 01:08:13.159 --> 01:08:16.119 I'm tryna trying to translate it to the field. I'm working on that 968 01:08:16.199 --> 01:08:21.039 with the OTAs and the pilates and everything, so it's it's still a transition. 969 01:08:21.159 --> 01:08:25.119 I'm still working on it, but it's going really well right now. 970 01:08:25.119 --> 01:08:27.600 Are you doing it with any of your teammates? Uh? Yeah, me, 971 01:08:28.119 --> 01:08:31.319 Chip and Courtland Ford right now, I'm trying to get more people into 972 01:08:31.359 --> 01:08:35.039 it. I'm working on that as the season go on. How did you 973 01:08:35.239 --> 01:08:40.000 guys come up with the idea to do that? Uh? I'm real stiff 974 01:08:40.399 --> 01:08:44.000 and like I just need I s for myself. I needed a place to 975 01:08:44.079 --> 01:08:48.600 go to actually go and actually get stuff done and stretch and have somebody that's 976 01:08:48.680 --> 01:08:53.720 like watching over me and teaching me different things and teaching me different methods. 977 01:08:54.520 --> 01:08:58.079 So I just looked did a lot of research and looked into it and reached 978 01:08:58.079 --> 01:09:01.560 out to a couple of studios and Lexington, and honestly they got me in 979 01:09:01.840 --> 01:09:06.279 Yo. God. Next, next, I say, I like pilates a 980 01:09:06.279 --> 01:09:11.279 little bit more. I try yoga. It's too quiet for me. Look 981 01:09:11.520 --> 01:09:15.800 at least with the pilates you can hear the machines and little stuff like that. 982 01:09:15.840 --> 01:09:17.960 But yogat a little bit too quiet, quiet for me and sometimes get 983 01:09:17.960 --> 01:09:21.600 a little bit too hot. So it's not my cup of tea. Does 984 01:09:21.640 --> 01:09:26.840 any of the guys bust you up for doing a Housewives workout? No? 985 01:09:27.640 --> 01:09:32.199 I mean they can't do it. So it's challenging, man, it's not. 986 01:09:32.359 --> 01:09:34.960 It's not. It's not easy. It's not. For the week I 987 01:09:35.000 --> 01:09:40.920 found out different parts of my body is weaker than then you think. But 988 01:09:41.399 --> 01:09:45.439 I'll be squadding four hundred pounds and moving away and moving people. So you 989 01:09:45.640 --> 01:09:50.439 like, how can how can this little exercise be that determined how strong I 990 01:09:50.479 --> 01:09:56.600 am? But it's definitely challenging, it's definitely new, so it's it's definitely 991 01:09:56.600 --> 01:10:00.960 fun too. So what's it like for you being a starting left left tackle 992 01:10:00.960 --> 01:10:03.880 on the sec going up against some of the best pass rushers in all of 993 01:10:03.920 --> 01:10:10.399 college football weekend and weekend. There's a blessed opportunity. I don't take nothing 994 01:10:11.000 --> 01:10:15.920 for granted. I love every opportunity I get to play these amazing players and 995 01:10:16.079 --> 01:10:21.039 amazing pass rushers and amazing defenses in our league, and I love the opportunity. 996 01:10:21.119 --> 01:10:25.279 I just can't wait for another opportunity to play against him. Did you 997 01:10:25.319 --> 01:10:28.920 mention Courtland Ford? How was he doing? Because he's on the other side, 998 01:10:28.960 --> 01:10:31.520 which he never played before till last year's he's do you see improving in 999 01:10:31.600 --> 01:10:34.000 him? You see him getting better? Uh? Yeah, he's definitely getting 1000 01:10:34.039 --> 01:10:38.840 better. He moving really well right now. He's doing everything he needed to 1001 01:10:38.880 --> 01:10:42.119 do. At the end of the day, he keep on improving. He's 1002 01:10:42.119 --> 01:10:45.560 going to be really great for us. That's Marcus Cox and up next year. 1003 01:10:45.920 --> 01:10:49.239 Jackson, the veteran linebacker for the last two seasons, is led Kentucky 1004 01:10:49.279 --> 01:10:53.079 and tackles. That's on the way here on the Big Bluing Sider six. 1005 01:10:53.159 --> 01:10:57.199 Starting back to the Big Bluing Sider from Dallas side of the SEC media days, 1006 01:10:57.239 --> 01:11:00.600 where the Eric Jackson joined two of his teammates and as head coach to 1007 01:11:00.680 --> 01:11:04.319 talk to the media, and he's always been a decent interview, but he's 1008 01:11:04.319 --> 01:11:08.920 always been kind of quiet and gave way to his buddy and one of his 1009 01:11:09.000 --> 01:11:13.399 best friends, running made At linebacker Trevin Wallace, who was much more hot, 1010 01:11:13.399 --> 01:11:17.239 going and talkative Carolina Panthers of the NFL over in Charlotte, so d 1011 01:11:17.399 --> 01:11:21.239 Jack getting more of the spotlight front and center. But he talked about the 1012 01:11:21.239 --> 01:11:25.279 fact that he's coming out of his show, just been at this event, 1013 01:11:25.560 --> 01:11:27.760 really a dream come true. I used to watch it when I was growing 1014 01:11:27.840 --> 01:11:30.439 up, and just coming on my show, I got that from my old 1015 01:11:30.439 --> 01:11:33.439 coach summer. He's made me y'all know the store and made me walk down 1016 01:11:33.479 --> 01:11:38.800 the hallways talking to everybody. So just getting I love it. So could 1017 01:11:38.840 --> 01:11:41.720 you have imagined as a freshman being the guy who comes in and speaks for 1018 01:11:41.800 --> 01:11:44.720 the team like this, not as a firstman. I only think I'll be 1019 01:11:44.760 --> 01:11:46.319 able to do it. I've been stuttering and doing all kinds of stuff. 1020 01:11:47.479 --> 01:11:53.840 So you said previously that you're dedicating this season to your grandmother, So what 1021 01:11:53.960 --> 01:11:57.319 about her made her so special to you in your life and why you want 1022 01:11:57.319 --> 01:12:00.239 to dedicate your season there? Because she I grew up basically she kind of 1023 01:12:00.319 --> 01:12:03.680 raised me and just being with her all the time, just seeing how she 1024 01:12:04.239 --> 01:12:08.680 fought through a lot of adversity through her whole life, through sickness and stuff, 1025 01:12:09.119 --> 01:12:12.600 and always helped teaching me to keep God first. And that's one thing, 1026 01:12:12.840 --> 01:12:15.159 main thing that I always keep with me, keeping God first and just 1027 01:12:15.239 --> 01:12:18.880 keeping her in my mind every every snap of every snap this year, every 1028 01:12:18.880 --> 01:12:21.680 workout, every rep, just keeping her in my mind. Do you fix 1029 01:12:21.760 --> 01:12:26.319 plenty of that when you tore your achilles? H How challenging was that and 1030 01:12:26.439 --> 01:12:30.520 is that something that you have to keep in your mind to continue pushing forward? 1031 01:12:30.000 --> 01:12:32.399 Honestly, I think I don't think it was a challenge for me. 1032 01:12:32.520 --> 01:12:38.479 It was just more of a mindset switch, just switch my mindset of like 1033 01:12:38.560 --> 01:12:41.960 Okay, I gotta work through this, get through this. And just going 1034 01:12:42.000 --> 01:12:44.079 back on my grandma, I've seen her go through a lot of stuff, 1035 01:12:44.079 --> 01:12:45.319 so I'm like when I talk to her, she was like, you know 1036 01:12:45.359 --> 01:12:48.560 what you gotta do? And uh, I prayed and got back right. 1037 01:12:49.640 --> 01:12:54.439 Some would tell a story about how you camp for an offer. Was it 1038 01:12:54.520 --> 01:12:57.560 true you actually camped out in a car on the trip up? Is that 1039 01:12:57.640 --> 01:13:00.640 right? Yeah? Me and my dad had drove up in the middle of 1040 01:13:00.680 --> 01:13:03.640 that night and I came to camp, slept in the call, and came 1041 01:13:03.640 --> 01:13:06.199 out. Did good at camp. Gave me my offer and I took it 1042 01:13:06.279 --> 01:13:10.720 and around with it worked out fairly. Awall, You've led the team the 1043 01:13:10.800 --> 01:13:14.840 last couple of years and tackles. Uh. I gotta think that you want 1044 01:13:14.880 --> 01:13:16.319 to be more of a leader on the field as well, especially with Trevin 1045 01:13:16.399 --> 01:13:20.319 John You're running baby mm yeah, just on Trevling, that's my boy. 1046 01:13:20.479 --> 01:13:24.239 I was just playing the game last night. I was just testing them. 1047 01:13:24.239 --> 01:13:28.840 But yeah, just been a better leader, just helping everybody. I feel 1048 01:13:28.880 --> 01:13:30.720 like I was a good leader last year. Y'all just didn't see it, 1049 01:13:30.720 --> 01:13:32.720 but I f I feel like it has just been a better leader. Has 1050 01:13:32.720 --> 01:13:36.560 it been weird not having Treven? And how is it? How's it like 1051 01:13:36.680 --> 01:13:41.000 warning to play alongside of the guy. I don't thinking it haven't been weird 1052 01:13:41.000 --> 01:13:43.760 because we talked to each other to day, still to this day, but 1053 01:13:44.439 --> 01:13:47.720 just playing playing beside like different players. EM I mean it's different in that 1054 01:13:47.800 --> 01:13:53.239 aspect, but I think it's been good. Just just been good. That's 1055 01:13:53.319 --> 01:13:55.720 kind of like helping me out of my leadership, helping me grow as a 1056 01:13:55.760 --> 01:13:58.600 leader too. Is it one of those things where you kind of gotta get 1057 01:13:58.600 --> 01:14:00.920 reps to know where they're gonna be, or it's your job, You do 1058 01:14:00.960 --> 01:14:04.600 your job and they'll do theirs. I think it's more of everybody just do 1059 01:14:04.640 --> 01:14:09.479 their job and we'll be streat How excited are you and how different is it 1060 01:14:09.520 --> 01:14:14.840 coming into this season this year with no injuries on healthy? I think I 1061 01:14:14.840 --> 01:14:16.119 think it was very excited. I think it was one of my first years 1062 01:14:16.159 --> 01:14:19.840 just coming in just healthy and ready to go and just ready to go wins 1063 01:14:19.960 --> 01:14:24.359 games. What can you tell the fans about Pops? So now he's gonna 1064 01:14:24.560 --> 01:14:28.680 add to the back seven. I think he bring a lot of He bring 1065 01:14:29.000 --> 01:14:31.600 a winning mentally like we've been pract to sometime he'd be like, hell, 1066 01:14:31.720 --> 01:14:33.840 they call me DJ. He'll be like, DJ, you've seen this doesn't 1067 01:14:33.840 --> 01:14:36.199 And I'd be like, yeah, Like we see stuff certain ways, but 1068 01:14:36.239 --> 01:14:40.800 he said a different way. And just bringing like just the mentality that he 1069 01:14:40.880 --> 01:14:47.640 bring, winning, winning culture and all that Georgia Penis or Georgia Peaches Peaches. 1070 01:14:48.640 --> 01:14:54.159 Last season, Kentucky defense had its best performance against the run and Mark 1071 01:14:54.199 --> 01:14:57.600 Stuke's tenure. Did you put some of that on ice for this season? 1072 01:14:57.680 --> 01:15:00.159 Are you able to best that from last year old that you guys have been 1073 01:15:00.159 --> 01:15:05.359 talking about collectively of just continuing to improve on that rush defense. Yeah, 1074 01:15:05.439 --> 01:15:10.319 we just improve on every aspect of about defense. I think the rust defense 1075 01:15:10.359 --> 01:15:13.920 is strong one. We just gotta keep working and building on that and keep 1076 01:15:13.920 --> 01:15:17.000 working on it. How about a defense that when you build you start with 1077 01:15:17.039 --> 01:15:19.840 a guy like Dion. I mean that's a huge plus, literally, is 1078 01:15:19.920 --> 01:15:23.880 it. Yeah, it is a huge plus. Just seeing that guy in 1079 01:15:23.920 --> 01:15:26.319 front of me are probably be like, oh, yeah, I know, 1080 01:15:26.399 --> 01:15:28.680 he gonna make the play, so I can I need to get there for 1081 01:15:28.800 --> 01:15:31.600 he get done because he's gonna get the It's one thing to just be here, 1082 01:15:31.720 --> 01:15:36.000 but the games are what you're living for, right So is there any 1083 01:15:36.039 --> 01:15:44.319 extra excitement high pressure opening SEC play at home on ABC, uh against South 1084 01:15:44.319 --> 01:15:47.159 Carolina and then against Georgia. I think I think right now we really just 1085 01:15:47.199 --> 01:15:50.760 focus on I'm focused on camp right now, just getting through camp, getting 1086 01:15:50.760 --> 01:15:55.520 better at camp, and getting ready for something missed. But the SEC I'm 1087 01:15:55.520 --> 01:15:57.760 ready for it too. You know, it's always a big height with the 1088 01:15:57.800 --> 01:16:02.119 SEC. I think it's the best conference in the world. So can you 1089 01:16:02.159 --> 01:16:05.520 talk a little bit about your defensive line and how much they help you, 1090 01:16:06.159 --> 01:16:10.560 especially if Dion Trevor some of those big monsters who are taking up all the 1091 01:16:10.560 --> 01:16:14.960 blockers and giving you those alleyways to run through. I think they they should 1092 01:16:15.000 --> 01:16:17.199 get all the credit for everything that that go through is our defense, cause 1093 01:16:17.279 --> 01:16:20.880 without them we would be nothing if we have no good d line. But 1094 01:16:21.039 --> 01:16:26.319 so I think they get all the credit for me. I hope y'all watch 1095 01:16:26.399 --> 01:16:30.199 him. Alex Afari's done a little bit of dB, He's done a little 1096 01:16:30.199 --> 01:16:32.359 bit of linebacker. What does he have to to learn to be able to 1097 01:16:32.399 --> 01:16:38.159 play linebacker in this defense? I think for Alex this is his first year 1098 01:16:38.279 --> 01:16:42.760 coming to two inside linebackers. I think it's more more just getting his eyes 1099 01:16:42.840 --> 01:16:45.319 right. I Once he get his od's right, he he's gonna be He's 1100 01:16:45.319 --> 01:16:48.960 gonna be that in this guy up during spring practice and what you're saying, 1101 01:16:49.000 --> 01:16:51.159 table, what did you see from the other corners across the field, from 1102 01:16:51.199 --> 01:16:54.840 Max and and the saw especially Jansen done? And then I didn't d J 1103 01:16:54.960 --> 01:17:00.640 Waller. I think all of them rook real hard just to get they'll get 1104 01:17:00.680 --> 01:17:03.039 coach trust to get them to play. They already got my trust so, 1105 01:17:03.760 --> 01:17:06.119 but I think I think they'll be good. I think we're gonna be all 1106 01:17:06.159 --> 01:17:12.119 right. Last we're gonna get market your personal goals going into the season, 1107 01:17:12.199 --> 01:17:19.159 their personal goals, personal goals. I feel like me coming to this season, 1108 01:17:19.760 --> 01:17:24.079 I feel like all the accolades and all that will come me is basically 1109 01:17:24.239 --> 01:17:29.239 just really running about us winning, just winning more games and try to win 1110 01:17:29.319 --> 01:17:32.319 every game. But it's more of that and kind of just showing that I 1111 01:17:32.600 --> 01:17:35.439 that people kind of people be saying that I can't run. I don't know 1112 01:17:35.479 --> 01:17:39.800 why, but but just show that I can run a little bit. That's 1113 01:17:39.840 --> 01:17:43.359 Derek Jackson. Next week I'll be off. It'll be the best of the 1114 01:17:43.359 --> 01:17:45.399 big blon Sider. We're talking a lot of football and basketball of course, 1115 01:17:45.840 --> 01:17:49.680 and then back in August for a look ahead at the season. As I 1116 01:17:49.680 --> 01:17:55.199 said, Media Day is August second, Fan Days August third, and the 1117 01:17:55.199 --> 01:17:59.000 season opener will be here before we know it. Thanks for joining us. 1118 01:17:59.199 --> 01:18:02.479 That's it. Good night from Dallas. Tonight, on Texas Deathmatch, Doctor 1119 01:18:02.560 --> 01:18:08.760 Hillbilly versus the iron Yuppie, one man will actually be unmasked and killed in 1120 01:18:08.840 --> 01:18:12.479 the ring. Well, I hope they killed that iron YUPPI thinks he's so big