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By: LONNY DEMAREE
At the end of the wrap-up after the UK Spring Practice Game, Stoops was asked what was his biggest concern going into the summer? He said his biggest worry is keeping his youngster out of trouble. Though he has weeded out about all of the mal-contents and or troubling players, he is still cognizant of the fact they are dealing with eighteen, nineteen, and twenty year old kids. He knows they don't always go looking for trouble but rather trouble comes looking for them.
Stoops sits at home, in his office and cell phone updates looking at the calendar daily realizing there are 24 more days before the opening of fall practice. Every time his phone rings at 11:00 at night his anxiety level raises a few decibels.
The usual pattern at the Media-Day meetings UK media relations pulls all of we the media in a room in the Hyatt Regency Winfrey Hotel for one-on-one interviews with Mark Stoops and the three players (Jojo Kemp, Jon Toth, and Courtney Love) he brings with him. This prior to the big show when it's the University of Kentucky's turn on the main podium.
On August 5th Stoops will give his version of the State of the Union (UK football) Address. Even though most of the time there's no major summer incidents to report, occasionally the coach will have some game suspension to announce. The last two-seasons Stoops had some such to announce.
Starting in 2015 and working backwards, starting right offensive tackle Kyle Meadows was suspended for one game. The fallout from that was true freshman George Asafo- Adjei was forced to start in his place. As great of a prospect as he was portrayed to be, when you have keep your quarterback clean against pass-rushers that can circle the wagons very well, it was an eye-opener for affectionately known Big-George. Any suspension of any starter to date has been impactful because of the past depth issue.
Also the same was true when Stoops had to announce a two-game suspension of starting defensive end Jason Hatcher. The question is in the 2015 opener, would Louisiana Lafayette have racked up 247-yards on the ground in a spine tingling 40-33 UK win if Hatcher was in the game? Defensive tackle C. J. Johnson along with Meadows was suspended for violation of team rules.
In 2014 Drew Barker, Dorian Baker, and Tymere Dubose were suspended for the air-gun shooting on campus. Stanley "Boom" Williams was suspended for the South Carolina game.
Though the university didn't experience any anxious moments in the opener, Studly Dorian Baker needed the game reps.
So we the media will be waiting for Stoops' turn on the main podium for State of the UK Football Team address.
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