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By: LARRY VAUGHT
Art Still admits it was a “culture change” when he came from Camden, N.J., with friend Derrick Ramsey to play football for coach Fran Curci at the University of Kentucky.
“One of the things I kind of appreciate as far as going to Kentucky and all, a lot of people always think it's sports and all but it was more so -- and all the fellows will vouch for it, too -- is the relationships that you develop, long-term relationships,” said Still earlier this week during his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.
In 1977, he earned consensus first team All-American honors at UK and was the key part of a stifling Kentucky defense that held foes to 10.1 points a game. Kentucky had a 10-1 record that included a perfect 6-0 SEC mark and no UK team since then has reached either 10 wins or six SEC wins.
Think about this? Kentucky beat Penn State, LSU, Florida and Tennessee each in back-to-back seasons in 1976 and 1977. Teams seldom ran at Still. Many older UK fans will still remember he going 52 yards with a blocked field goal for a touchdown in Kentucky's 33-13 beatdown of LSU in Baton Rouge in 1977.
He was the second overall player taken in the 1978 NFL draft by Kansas City. He went on to become a four-time Pro Bowl selection and had 72 1/2 sacks with the Chiefs along with 922 total tackles and led the team in tackles six year. He played his final two seasons (1988-89) with Buffalo.
One of Still’s teammates at Kentucky was Harrodsburg’s David Hopewell, an Alabama native who played center for the Wildcats. He says Still is “one of the best” ever to play football both on the college and pro level.
“A big, strong, physical presence on any offensive line or tight end he faced. There was never a question about Art's protection of his side of the field. Opposing coaches say he cut the field in half and he did,” Hopewell said. “Charlie McClendon while at LSU even said the same thing one time. He just said the only thing he told his boys was to run to the other side of the field when they saw where Art was lining up. He wasn't the only coach that felt that way I'm sure.
“Art was and is always so grateful with the accolades he got. He knew he was pushed on the practice field while at UK and that made him a better player. I remember one time in the weight room doing a weight work out I'd just set the team record on cling and jerk the period before Art shows up. We weren't going head to head but he wanted to know what I'd done earlier. (Strength) Coach Etch (Pat Etcheberry) told him and Art went to work ... I was hoping for the best but Art reset the record by 15 pounds. I won't forget that. “
There’s another memory he won’t forget, either. It came against Maryland which was coached then by Jerry Claiborne, who a few years later came to UK to take over from Curci.
“Art was on our kickoff team. Maryland had come up with a new blocking scheme for their return team. Art was the outside cover man on the sideline. As the play proceeded everyone was locked up on a blocker and it looked as if Art was going to be able to make the tackle on the return man when out of nowhere comes a Maryland blocker and hits Art totally unseen and lays him out ... cold. Knockout block,” Hopewell said.
“It stunned all of us. I still think that set the tone for that game because it happened early and Art didn't play the rest of the game. We went on to lose that one in Maryland. Still hurts but I believe it was because Art wasn't playing the rest of the day.”
That’s the kind of impact that Still had on Kentucky football.
“You have never met a more caring gracious man. He treats everyone the same and gets to know everybody,” Hopewell said. “He makes up a nickname for everyone, too. That just makes him all the more personable to everyone who knows him.
“They say defense wins championships and Art was a big part of a really good UK defense those years. When you can control half the field that really limits an offense and that's what he did.”
Still’s NFL stardom was no surprise to Hopewell or other teammates.
“Everyone knew what he was capable of so no not really. I do wish I'd seen more of his pro games to just watch him as a pro and see what talent he had,” Hopewell said. “I see him at the reunions and saw him this fall when he came by the tailgate for a minute before the game UK honored him. He's still the same. Talking to everyone and enjoying the fellowship and camaraderie of the past and the present. Still carrying on and calling you by the nickname he had assigned you years earlier.”
Ramsey, a quarterback, went on to a successful NFL career at tight end. Since then, he’s been both an athletics director at the collegiate level and high level government worker. Currently he’s part of new Kentucky governor Matt Bevin’s cabinet as labor secretary.
Did Hopewell sense greatness immediately from those two New Jersey players after they got to Kentucky?
“ At the time I don't know that we looked at it like that because there were several leaders on those teams and everyone's goal was to win a championship,” Hopewell said. “These were two players that dominated their position and we all knew we needed them every step of the way. We all knew how special they were.
“Not being in the huddle with Art on the field, I just remember the competition on the practice field and I'm thankful he wasn't a nose tackle! With Derrick, it was different. I got to look him in the eye every play call I got to watch and hear him challenge the huddle to get the job done. He was and is a leader.
“I feel very blessed to call both of them friends and I'm really proud to have played with them. If only our UK team now could find two like these two to lead them I know things would be different.”
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