Sunday Morning Sports Talk - July 13, 2025 - Hour 2

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:12):
Welcome back Stockyards Bank Sunday Morning Sports Talk. I'm Anthony
White along with Larry Vaught and Jack Pilgrim talking UK football.
Larry Vaught is in the studio and we are coming
to you from Clark's Main Street Market studios in downtowns
like to to Kentucky. I don't know who's put your
stuff on you, Larry Vaught.

Speaker 2 (00:32):
I don't think that was me.

Speaker 1 (00:33):
I hope it wasn't me.

Speaker 2 (00:34):
I don't know what it was.

Speaker 1 (00:35):
It must have been me.

Speaker 2 (00:37):
I think mine's on you. I think, I hope.

Speaker 1 (00:40):
So I think I's see if mine is, uh, Larry
not Larry v Jack Pilgrim. We were talking before we
went to break and I'm just trying to because there's
no football talk going on. No one can see football.
Everybody seems reinvigorated. Everybody seemed energetic. But as you said,

(01:03):
and Larry, we said on this show that you have
to show us that what you're gonna do. We can't
can't give you benefit of the doubt anymore. Like there's
a lot of different things going on, so I'm trying
to find clues. I'm talking to some of the people
inside of the program, talking to guys who've played the
game and using their eye or just some of the
past from players Zach goes out of the Only thing

(01:25):
everyone keeps going back to is that he beat Alabama
at Texas A and M, which is great. He looked really
good in that game. Then there's other games where you
watch film movement, you got questions, you got Cutter Bowlie Bow,
Alan Steel, here Stone Sounders, some of those guys who
haven't had an opportunity yet that if it's not going
to work with Zach, are we prepared, you know, to

(01:46):
move things over. One thing that we have been very
consistent with probably the past six six years, no matter
how you look at it, transfer a portal development coming
up the rankings about the last six year. I think
the running back room has been extremely consistent Jack Pilgrim,
and now that we have Dowd who's penciling as the
starter for marketing as a starter, then two and three

(02:11):
continues to change. It could be Jason Patterson at any point,
It could be Jamorrow and will Cox, it could be
McGowan at any point. I find that I don't think
hard to believe or I don't I don't I don't
I find it uncomforting a little bit, just because I
don't know what Bush Hampden has going on over there.

(02:32):
And I have faith in them because when we've talked football,
and that's what Larry Vaulden and I were talking about
through the break. When we talk football, Bush absolutely knows football.
He can explain what's supposed to happen, why it's going
to happen, and how it should look when it's happening.
But all these moving parts that is it uncertainty. Is
someone doing better than someone? Is someone falling back? Is

(02:53):
someone not picking up the playbook? So all these moving
parts in the depth chart. Receivers have been doing it,
running backs hasn't been doing it. The only thing that's
been really solidified has been probably the tight end room,
the quarterback room, and most of the offensive line. But
I just find it odd how consistent our running back
room has been that the backup depth chart seems to

(03:13):
keep flipping around. And I don't know what jamorro hay
On Willcox is doing it to keep moving down the
depth chart. When he got opportunities last year, he seemed
to look well. And I may know nothing, and you know,
Bush isn't speaking stoops isn't speaking about it, So it
may not be anything. It could just be all in
my head. Jamoria may be number one, Jamorray may be
number two. But the fact that you know, when different

(03:34):
depth charts come out, he keeps moving around on the
depth chart is a little bit concerned in me. Jack Pilgrims,
that concerning to you, Well, I have the answer for
you if you want to know it. Oh, absolutely, let's
have it.

Speaker 3 (03:47):
Well, I dabbled in college football twenty six on my
play sixty five, and Seth mcgallan he's a player, buddy,
I'm telling you, Seth mcgallan, he gets after it.

Speaker 1 (04:00):
Dowell and Seth McGowan. What one A, one B in
the backfield?

Speaker 3 (04:03):
So let let a virtual version of of our football
season and our our backfield depth chart. Let let that
tell you that those are your one A, one B
and and will Cox's is fighting fighting for that third spot.

Speaker 1 (04:19):
So what Larry Vaught? What about Jason Patterson who only
all he did was got injured, so he was already
misel I haven't seen him play yet, so I mean
that's that's in the conversation as well. Absolutely, I'm just
seeing what we saw from the simple sizes we have
Jami seems like he's a player. But we were even

(04:39):
told from U Bowear that Jason Patterson was number two
last year behind Chip before Chip got hurt. So I
don't know how Jason is now fourth, and that that
is coming from Jack Pilgrims uh exploits on PlayStation five.

Speaker 3 (05:00):
But but Jason Patriot as good as anything.

Speaker 1 (05:05):
But Jason Patterson hasn't been discussed. Have you heard anything
different or do you I have done? Well? Does that
not surprise you at all? That what did Jason Patterson
do to move hisself? Because he's doing all the right
things off the field, he's doing all the right things
I guess in the weight rooms and things.

Speaker 2 (05:17):
Well what guess he is.

Speaker 1 (05:20):
A Bullwerd confirmed those things. And but I say that
because what I've heard or with the scuttle butt, was
that Jamarron Wilcox wasn't So that was pretty much I
guess evident why he was on the field. So Jamarian's
performance is not what kept him. What I was told him,
which you've been told and which was been confirmed by
quite a few people, that Jamion wasn't doing the right

(05:40):
things off the field. Jason Patterson was doing the right
thing on the field off the field, So unless something
is changed in his personality.

Speaker 2 (05:49):
Still bringing two transfers that are above both of them.

Speaker 1 (05:51):
Now, are you certain about Seth?

Speaker 2 (05:54):
I don't know, but I'm just gonna guess based on
past history, that's the way. You don't bring transfers in
to watch.

Speaker 1 (06:02):
And does that bother you?

Speaker 2 (06:04):
It perplexes me a little bit. But how you ever
developed gas?

Speaker 1 (06:08):
Right?

Speaker 2 (06:08):
If you just always bring in older gas and they
don't As you said, these guys are sitting there thinking,
to be honest with you, I'm still a little surprised
will Cox is even still here.

Speaker 1 (06:16):
That's true. That's true, and there's no other opportunities from
the leads. I thought there was another open date for
guys to leave if they wanted to leave before the
summer ended and signing somewhere else or our last.

Speaker 2 (06:31):
I don't think so, is there, Jack? I think the
transfer port was closed in football.

Speaker 1 (06:35):
Now, Jack.

Speaker 3 (06:38):
While I was gone, there was some like designated transfer
thing that a new window opened on July seventh, and
I don't I didn't know what that consisted of. I
didn't look to the again, I was out of the
country and try to be get disconnected as possible. But
I know there was a new window that just opened
for a brief period of time. I just don't know

(07:00):
what you know what what that means or either you
have to be put on some designated list or something
to be a part of it.

Speaker 1 (07:08):
Jack And based off what Larry says, and I guess
it's the same at quarterback, probably same at receiver. He's saying,
we just bring in running backs every year and plug
them in front of the freshmen and sophomores that have
been sitting there waiting to be develops. So if you're
not gonna develop me, let me get the hell out
of here, or you develop them and given an opportunity,
or you watch their growth and know that you can

(07:29):
use them by the time they're a sophomore or junior.
But that I said, it's a little bit concerning that.
Jamrion maybe, like I said, Patterson suffered an injury last year,
so that's kind of explains his situation. But just keep
bringing running backs in and plugging them in front of
guys that you're supposed to development, that's not that's not
the way to go. I don't say we're gonna go
four and eight again. But my other question, Jack Pilgrim,

(07:50):
to you is do you see Well, I guess Junkins did.
Jakins did leave Old Miss. So I was gonna say,
what kind of good running backs are out there that
are just jumping into portal in and out of the portal.
But why not just develop the guys we have. Maybe
you may have to bring into ray Rice ever ever
so often, Ray Davis, Yeah, Ray Davis, you mad to

(08:11):
bring one of those in ever so often but in Russian. Yeah,
But I don't know if we said we want to
sustain that when I know that will Cox, Mozelle and
Patterson complay. So what's gonna happen next year? When jamar
Own's at junior. He's definitely not staying if he doesn't
get touched the rock this year. And it just doesn't
really make sense to me. Now, maybe he can go
somewhere else and be successful. But Jack Pilgrim, I think

(08:35):
I kind of stuck my foot in my mouth when
I said if I did think about Ray Davis and
then I thought about Junkins that you leave. Most most
great running backs are successful, ones are not in the portal.
But I just named two people back to back that
left and were very successful where they went.

Speaker 3 (08:52):
Yeah, I think the good example is what you know
on the basketball side, what Mark Cope did, and it's
continuing to do with the portal, where like you had
to to fix, you know, put band aids where they
needed to be with the portal to to kind of
raise the floor of what your program is and to
establish some immediate, you know, talent that may not have

(09:12):
super high upside, but guys that you know are going
to contribute and be consistent when.

Speaker 1 (09:17):
Help you win games.

Speaker 3 (09:18):
While the real upside comes from the guys that you
develop from within, with the guys like Colin Chandler and
Trent Noah and Brandon Garrison and so on and so forth.

Speaker 1 (09:27):
So I think it is finding that balance where you
can't just you know constant.

Speaker 3 (09:31):
I mean, yeah, Cutter Bowl he's a great example where
you know, Cutter was brought in to be the savior
of Kentucky football and is now on year two of
having you know, somebody else come in and apparently replace him,
and you know it's kind of like, okay, well when
is my time going to come? Are you going to
give me that chance? And you know, you got to
watch out for those guys to kind of, you know, worry,
worry about hitting the portal too. So yeah, it's not

(09:53):
a you got to keep developing from within and and find,
you know, find those gems that are that are going
to continue to climb of the death chart and be
your guys of the future. And I looked up that
the one time transfer portal waiver. It's it's runs from
July seventh to the to August fifth, but it's it's
for designated student athletes, which described as every athlete who

(10:16):
is eligible for practice or competition on a team last
year is eligible to be added to that designated list
by their school if they would have lost their roster
spot because of the new roster limits. So with the
revenue sharing and all those things, with the with the
you know, roster limits and all those things getting put
in place, the only way you could transfer right now

(10:37):
is if that the school basically said you would have
you know, you don't don't.

Speaker 1 (10:42):
Have a spot anymore on our on our team.

Speaker 3 (10:44):
So I don't think that that would apply to any
of the guys that we're talking about.

Speaker 1 (10:48):
That sounds about right, and it makes sense. And if
you would like to join the show and makes sense
eight five like a bunch of four to seven to
eight zero catch. But you know what, it never sounds like
bull is our man, Alvin. Let's get over to the
big ass fans hotline to see what Alvin has to say.
What do you got for his Alvin?

Speaker 4 (11:08):
Hey, good morning? So let's how you doing thee Oh
the show is missing the great Bo Robinson who's always
on the twos and ones.

Speaker 2 (11:19):
Oh, he's here, he's here?

Speaker 4 (11:20):
Is it? Okay? I thought he has a I thought
he had a Bible replacement.

Speaker 1 (11:27):
He's training, he's venturing.

Speaker 4 (11:30):
Oh, okay, okay, okay. How you going, mister ball? How
you doing this morning?

Speaker 2 (11:34):
I'm doing wonderful. Thank you, Alvin?

Speaker 4 (11:37):
Okay, listen, Uh what's the ball? You and our older
when we followed the story basket in UK basketball team
in particular, and there's been a lot of great players
to come through the blue and white and down the
uniforms at my Motor Coliseum, uh and at Ruffaleno.

Speaker 1 (11:58):
Uh.

Speaker 4 (11:58):
In every every know school college school in particular always
has a legendary player that's attached to that program. When
I think about Duke, you have to put Christian Layton
under because of the iconic shot and he done things
good up ever for three years. John Wood in my
head twins legendary players that was associated with U c.

(12:18):
L A first left and then Bill Walton. Now I
think you would tag maybe Isaiah Thomas to Bob Knight
in the Indiana Who just who is the most legendary
player to play at UK. I know it's plenty, but
I think that you maybe we could just circle maybe

(12:40):
maybe one or two. Can either one of you three
guys put those players together that played in the blue
and white that don the UK jerseys.

Speaker 1 (12:51):
Thank you.

Speaker 4 (12:52):
I appreciate it.

Speaker 2 (12:53):
Well, that's a great question with me and answers. If
you go back to when I was growing up, I
would say, Dan is a that guy.

Speaker 1 (13:00):
Hold on, hold your thoughts, Larry Vall. We gotta take
a bank, okay, all right, we gotta pay some bills
that give you time to think about it. Right down
your answer. I don't need Jack pigrim right down answer.
We'll be back after this year. It's in Stockyards Bank.
Sunday mon a sports start on news radio six thirty WLAP.
This is the home of the Wildcats, six thirty w LAP.

(13:21):
Welcome back Stockyards Bank, Sunday Morning Sports Talk. I'm Anthony
White along with just Jack Pilgrim. Jack Pilgrim because Larry
Vaught went to get our guests Dennis Johnson. He went
downstairs to get him. But before we went to break,
Alvin asked us, which is kind of a loaded question,
and with such a story program like you know, like

(13:43):
UK basketball, it's a tough question. Might even have to
ask our trainee Gavin what he thinks as well. But
Jack Pilgrim the most legendary player in UK basketball history.
I'm interested what you could come up with. And Larry
Vault was starting to speak before he went downstairs, But

(14:04):
I'm interested in what you think. Man, That's that's a
brutal question.

Speaker 4 (14:12):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (14:12):
I feel like Dan issel for you know, if you're
looking all time and you know, just for the accolades
and the you know, the pro accolades, when you kind
of come just combine everything, I feel like, you know,
he's he belongs on the Mount Rushmore at at minimum.
You know, I think Anthony Davis, when you combine you know,

(14:35):
his Olympic success, he won the National Championship Player of
the Year. You know, when you kind of combine all
of those things, and you know the money he's made,
and then you know, winning a championship, And I feel
like Anthony Davis is definitely, you know, kind of one
of those legendary all time figures that is gonna have
gonna have his jersey hanging in the rasters at some point.

(14:56):
So those are probably the two that I would point out.
I don't know if you have any, you know, additional ones.
You know, you can say, like a John wall for
what he did to kind of a resurgence, but you know,
I don't know how you know, long you know, the
history of the sport have been a lot of guys
that have kind of matched his production, but just the
excitement was kind of its own thing.

Speaker 1 (15:16):
So I don't know.

Speaker 3 (15:17):
It's a very loaded question, but I feel like it'sle
and Anthony Davis or one A, one B.

Speaker 1 (15:23):
Because you were raised up a UK fan. I was
not raised up UK fan Jack Pilgrim, But because you
were raised up a UK fan, I'm gonna throw this
at you. And I don't disagree with anything you said.
Is it fair to leave Jamal out at her? Is it?
Can you combine?

Speaker 3 (15:40):
You can kind of put him the same breath as
you know, John Wall, the level of national dominance and excitement,
and you know the accolades that he had individually where
he just kind of took games over. I kind of
feel like he's in the same ballpark is as John Wall,
where he definitely deserves to hang in the rafters. Probably
somebody you could put in a you know, an extended

(16:01):
Mount Rushmore maybe, but you know, he feels more like
the resurgence and energy with you know, Patino coming in
more so than you know all time.

Speaker 1 (16:11):
You know, legendary.

Speaker 3 (16:12):
Status as a you know what what he actually accomplished
at you know, at Kentucky, and you know what it
meant for his long term you know, NBA success and
all those things combined in the conversation, But I don't
think he tops what Isle and Anthony.

Speaker 1 (16:26):
Davis did because see, you're going to buy accomplishments. So
if Jamal Mashburn was the best player on the planet
but just didn't have supporting cast around him, you can't
take away that he's the best player on the planet.
I will say this because who do you think is
a and I and I struggle with this, but I'm
gonna make a heck, I'll make a HELI fight argument,
who do you think is the greatest UK football player ever?

(16:47):
And you don't have to say me if you don't
want to.

Speaker 3 (16:51):
Anthony da Anthony white Is is one A and probably
Dermaldi Dawson maybe one B.

Speaker 1 (16:56):
And you know you can throw a Tim Couch in there.
You know that list is an interesting one.

Speaker 3 (17:02):
But yeah, I think those are definitely top two in
the conversation.

Speaker 1 (17:06):
See see I thought I was gonna catch you slipping.
So he's smarter than I thought, because nobody old heads
talk about Demoni Dawson, but he revolutionized his position, like
he did things that never was done at that position.
He just also happened to win championships, so that kind
of changes, you know, the accolades part of it. But
the things he did at his position as a football
player at the university and at the next level has

(17:29):
not been matched. So that's why I kind of you know,
Anthony Davis is great. He's won every award you can win,
so you can't take that from him. But I also
think when you put some the talent of Jamal Mashburn
and I never really got to see art still play,
so but I can tell by the way he looks
now that if he was if it's half his athletic

(17:51):
back then as he is now, then he had to
be dominant. But I just I was gonna throw a
I was gonna throw the money out there, but you
caught me. You caught me slip, and I thought you
were gonna say, like Tim Koucher or someone else, but
it was the money for me.

Speaker 3 (18:07):
Yeah, you could kind of combine like a Jamal Mashburn
into like a Lynn Bowden, where Lynn Boden did just
unicorn things at his position and had all of the
stats and individual accolades and was just kind of this
generational talent, but the team didn't. You know, the team
was good and did unique things with him on there,

(18:30):
and obviously with the Citrus Bowl, and you know, maybe
not having the superstar role that he did when he was,
you know, played quarterback, but you get what I'm saying.
It's the individual unique talent could kind of compare to
a John Waller Jamal Mashburn, even if it didn't match
necessarily the you know, the all time accolades that some
of these other guys are money Das and you know

(18:51):
Anthony Davis. So we were just kind of going through
the whole you know, UK Athletics, Mount Rushmore's at this point.

Speaker 1 (18:57):
Gavin behind the board. I know you you kind of
new to this. I don't know how much own air
activity you got, but you sound it interested in the question.
How old are you? First? Gavin?

Speaker 5 (19:08):
I am twenty three years old, brother.

Speaker 1 (19:10):
Twenty three years young. Who would you say now? Now,
Jack Pilgrim ain't the younger, he ain't the young pup
around here anymore. Who would you say the greatest UK
basketball player of all time is? Gavin?

Speaker 5 (19:21):
You know, it's funny because I was actually just talking
a bow and when we said Jamal, that's exactly who
I was going to go to. But you know, I
grew up in the Calipari era, so it's a lot different.
My second, I would definitely go Anthony Davis or John Walla,
just based off of what I, you know, kind of
grew up with. But I think I'm gonna go Jamal
on this one, just not being in that kind of era,
not being born, but definitely going to say that that's

(19:42):
probably where I'm going to go.

Speaker 1 (19:44):
And you don't have any recollection of a dan Issel, right, you.

Speaker 5 (19:47):
Know, I actually met Dan Essel when I was covering
media doing an internship, so I met him. We had
him on a radio show. Absolutely amazing human and you
know what a great basketball player.

Speaker 1 (19:57):
Okay, we'll take it, Jack Progrim, I gotta give up
your seat. We're gonna bring Dennis Johnson and plug him
in for your little plug and play.

Speaker 3 (20:04):
Man.

Speaker 1 (20:04):
We appreciate you. His shoes are a lot bigger than yours,
but we're gonna try to fill your shoes anyways, Jack
pikerim we will continue to show after this. You're listening
to Stockyards Bank Sunday when the sports talk on news
radio six thirty WLAP. This is the home of the
Wildcats six thirty Welcome back Stockyards Bank Sunday, wanting sports talk.

(20:26):
I'm Anthony White along with Larry Vault and now I'm
proud to be joined by Dennis Johnson, former teammate of mine,
former UK football player, NFL player, father of Jasper Johnson,
and just all around good guy. We are this our
Sunday want of sports talkers, brought to you by Country
Boy Brewing. We don't have any in studios, so dude,
I don't have to worry about that. But how's it going,

(20:49):
mister Johnson.

Speaker 6 (20:50):
I'm doing well, doing well man, Excited to be here
with you guys, a former teammate. And then mister hf
over here is what I call it, mister hall of
fame and so always good to talk to.

Speaker 1 (21:00):
You guys, man.

Speaker 6 (21:01):
And uh, you know, we listened to the show every
week man, and so appreciate what you guys do.

Speaker 1 (21:06):
And because there was a conversation before when you when
Larry went to get you, there was a conversation going
on brought up by mister Alvin. Who is and you're
a good basketball player in high school, great basketball player
in high school. You've always been kind of well rounded
in sports. That's why you're athletic director at this point.
But the question was proposed, who is the greatest UK

(21:27):
basketball player ever?

Speaker 6 (21:29):
The greatest UK bass? Just just off the hand, the
first thing I said was Anthony Davis. I think what
he did as a freshman and just I mean, if
if you look at what he did in totality, you
know what I'm saying. I think, just just right off hand,
that's what I would say. You know, Goose was good.
I don't know, I already get to watch all those guys.

(21:49):
Goose was good. Uh, it's a lot of John Wall was.
You know, he was a guy. Dan this Danil I've
heard of Dan Thissel before, Jamal Mashburn, the monster Mass
was a bad boy.

Speaker 1 (22:06):
Uh, there's it's a lot of them, man.

Speaker 6 (22:08):
But just like I said, just Anthony Davis just because
I guess he's kind of more in the era of
you know what I'm saying, what I you know, he
did it.

Speaker 2 (22:16):
He's on the championship team champions there was as a freshman.

Speaker 1 (22:21):
So yeah, that's what it's pretty much been Essel, Davis
or Mashburn. Then Wall was kind of like the next
tier started the next tier just because of the excitement. Larry,
So you don't have anybody throwing there because you you
probably go back way back. I didn't. I didn't even
see Dannis. That's all Dannis. So at the end of
his career.

Speaker 2 (22:40):
Yeah, well maybe I like, well, five years from now,
I will say jazz for Johnson, have.

Speaker 1 (22:44):
No doubt, absolutely no doubt about that.

Speaker 2 (22:47):
That's all we wanted to say.

Speaker 1 (22:48):
What we want to say absolutely, but maybe two years
from now because uh, because five years now, can can
not into that conversation just because of his college, his career.
Shy shake Gildas. Alexander cannot enter that conversation.

Speaker 2 (23:04):
Not if you're talking to all time greatest at Kentucky.

Speaker 1 (23:06):
What if he wins two more World Championships.

Speaker 2 (23:09):
No, if you're talking about just all time great player. Yeah,
I mean, but but not based on just what he
did at Kentucky. I don't think, which I thought is
what Alvin was asking us about.

Speaker 6 (23:16):
Okay, And that's tough because you got you know, those
teams were ten deep, and so you just didn't get
you know, and they all they are, they're all proving
to be, they're worth in the NBA, but it just
it was hard when you there were two platoon and
you got all those great players.

Speaker 2 (23:29):
Man, so well, this team coming up with Jasper like
they're gonna be really deep too. Absolutely, what does Jasper
think about that?

Speaker 4 (23:36):
No?

Speaker 1 (23:36):
I think I think it's good. And I've said this before.

Speaker 6 (23:39):
I think one of the good things when Jasper went
to link and overtime, he's got a chance to and
even probably even even a better example is USA basketball
trying to have them to find your find your space,
find your spot, like you know, trying to get in
there and and figure out where I can best help
the team, and so I think he has some experience
at doing that, which which which I think ultimately helping
with him. We got a lot of great guards this year,

(24:01):
and so you just got to find your place right
And and the one thing uh we taught about before
this stint in USA basketball was as evident of the
who something. When he didn't get a lot of playing time,
he came in, I think he missed two shots and
they took him right back because the game was kind
of and you had that first five guys they wanted
to play. And so I think it's taught him a
focus like when you go in the game and you

(24:21):
gotta you gotta be an impact player, and it's not
gonna happen all the time, but you got to know
like it might be a three minute stint and that
might that might give you another man or two, but
it might not. It might you know, put you on
the ben. So you got to be ready for the moment.
I seen him.

Speaker 2 (24:34):
Which was a learning experience because he never been through that.

Speaker 6 (24:36):
Right absolutely alone a super learning experience. And and home
was everybody. I've been through it. We've all every any
guy who's gotten at that level has had to sit
in and watch and trying to figure out your space
because you've always been a guy, and so I think
it's good. I think every every every student athlete at
some point has to go through it. And I saw
better now than later.

Speaker 1 (24:54):
And as a as a parent, I've been asking Larry,
and I've asked this on the show a past couple
just because I know with the pressure. You know, you
had a lot of success at a young age, at
the times of change. We didn't have a whole lot
of social media back in the nineteen hundreds. But my
but I kind of my question as a parent, knowing
like you said, you got pulled, it got to be
hard to watch your kid go through any kind of

(25:15):
struggle mental, physically, so just the fact that he's probably
gonna be the loan shooting out shooting option. I feel
like I haven't seen a lot of the other guys,
but I have seen Jasper stroke.

Speaker 2 (25:24):
That was Anthony White saying nobody else could shoot clear
that up on the Train Trip podcasts and Everything Live.

Speaker 1 (25:33):
I'm saying being reliable on that like low maybe, But
my point is, as a parent, when he's going through
the struggles on these lights are bright here it's at
and repearenda, they get bright. Is there any concern about
that or like you said, he's been through enough for
I said, it's a whole nother level when you start
talking about Kentucky basketball. What as good as all.

Speaker 6 (25:53):
This is being, you know, as a father of I'm
always where I'm pretty tight, you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 1 (25:58):
So that's why I set up at the very top.

Speaker 6 (25:59):
And so I already I already feel the pressure, you
know what I'm saying, because and I tell Jafs was
all the time. You know, the mental toughness part is
gonna be huge for you because you're from here.

Speaker 1 (26:08):
People know you.

Speaker 6 (26:09):
In the first game, which is gonna happen, you go
one for teen, They're gonna it's gonna be you know,
it's gonna be bad. So how mantally tough can you be?
And so I think, you know, we had sometimes Earl
at Link, you know when we play around. You know,
he's with Trey and le Barron and Jane all those
guys man where he didn't he just had to kind
of fill that out. And so I said, you know,
as a football player, I was coming in with a

(26:30):
lot of hype. But but but UK football it's just
so much different than basketball. Man, It just it's just
magnified that much more so now. I mean, it's a
as fun as it's gonna be. Man, you know, I'm
always talking. I wanted to perform at the highest level.
I want every shot to go in on him, to
be every defensive assignment. I know that's not reality, but no,
I definitely as a father, I definitely feel a lot
of pressure because pressure it comes with it, It comes to

(26:53):
the territory, and he has a legacy of his grandfather,
his his his uncle. You know what I'm saying, of
what we been able to accomplish you, and so he
doesn't have a lot of pressons. But like I said,
he's been able to be in those situations. That's the
reason why me and his mother, you know, we send
him to link and overtime, and so those lights have
been as bright as it can be. Then A hoop
some was good in the USA basketball has been a
great experience for him.

Speaker 2 (27:12):
Yes, how do you like? Because your father is still
one of the best man I've ever known. I know,
just recently his heavenly birthdays yesterday. Yeah, I love Alvis.
But one thing about Alvis. He never bragged on anybody.
I mean, if you were lucky, if I was thinking
if you could even make a tackle, you didn't do it.
But you know, Mark Pope comes out and says, Jasper's

(27:34):
gonna be a superstar. Jasper was dangerous score and high
school basketball like Jasper just Jasper that. How do you
like that? As a parent?

Speaker 6 (27:41):
Well, as a parent, I don't because I'm the same
way as my dad.

Speaker 4 (27:44):
I'm not.

Speaker 6 (27:44):
I'm not too big on compliments like like for my son,
like I've I've kind of taken a little bit more
of than Mark Prope. Mark Pope approaches a football coach.
But with Josherman, I'm just I'm really bruly honest man,
I'm really bruly honest with him about the things you
do well, we know, but what can you work on?
And so we have a lot of those conversations. So
it's just you put a bullze on your back. Right,

(28:05):
it's already pressure enough going to yours Kentucky and now
with the head coach, say man jas with Jadada, I saw,
I'm like, listen, take that with a grain of salt, man,
which you got to go on and like I said,
the magic Pier was work right. You just got to work, work, work,
and you're playing against a whole bunch of older other
guys who are great too, and so you've got to
find your spot and it's going to be some long day,
some rough nights, but that's part of the journey, you

(28:25):
know what I'm saying. That's the mental toughness I wanted
to be able to have and myself as a father
like man, you got to be able to speak positivity,
but then sometimes you got to be able to say,
hey man, this is a you know what effort, or
this is not good and give him truth and so
on this side of the last few years, I've been
good fortune because I've been able to be the father
instead of more of the coach. You know, I'll let
him mister Bill Armstrong was great, and then it's coach
at the ote and coach Pope and staff have been great,

(28:48):
so I can look at it from him from a
bird's eye view, especially sitting up at the very top,
and so just being able to give them some encouragement,
but no one like may it's not a great performance,
but I've got to pick it up.

Speaker 1 (28:57):
So so I've had to be.

Speaker 2 (28:59):
The ying and the yang does Jasper listen to you
better than you listen to your dad?

Speaker 1 (29:05):
Now, probably not, because my dad was My dad would
grab me and throw me around.

Speaker 6 (29:08):
And I mean, you know what I'm saying, Like, fifteen
tackles and three sacks wasn't good enough because you missed,
you missed. Yeah, absolutely, I'll tell your great story playing
l s U. You guys freshman year, so uh freshness
night game, you guys know whatever. So uh, third and one,
I go Snetdeger bumps me down. I go inside stead
make a tackle for a now yard game.

Speaker 1 (29:30):
Fourth DWN.

Speaker 6 (29:30):
I'm like, I know they're running me because they go
overload my side, right, and so my dad's ten rows open.
You need to had to have voice, and so I
think I had Kevin fark right for a no yard game, right,
and they called the first down. Well, I never in
my life had a stinger, so my arm is numb.
I'm like, oh my god, sorry, wump the field and
I'm not gonna tell you what my dad sitting for
nine thousand people like the softest cotton and make.

Speaker 1 (29:51):
A tackle for I'm like, I thought I did a
great job. You know what I'm saying. But it's just
so that's kind of the difference.

Speaker 6 (29:56):
But no, we've had those conversations, man, and so they
haven't always been great. But I think you know, with
the way kids are now, man, you got to be
honest with them and brutally something they respected.

Speaker 1 (30:06):
I was, uh, this is your brother, and a lot
of people are like, man, you've seen Jasper. I remember
Jasper just been a little dude playing quarterback. And no,
he colded basketball. He cold a ball line. Many y'all
family football players. I don't know, like you asked Derek,
he is probably a cold basketball player. So I'm so,
I'm at a I'm at a camp. I'm working a

(30:27):
camp with the displaced children. Like you know, there's a
huge department in the Faya County Public schools for kids
that are displaced for you know, so we do events
for them cause they're staying at hotels and other places.
So just give them stuff to do so they don't
have to be cooped up in a hotel until they
get their situation straightened out. So we asked these kids, like,
what do you want to be when you grew up?
Trying to find resources, like what kind of jobs or whatever?

(30:49):
And somebody says something about Lyn Bowden and football and
I was like, okay, then, mind you Jaz. This was
two years ago, Jasper still in high school. Kid just yells,
I want to be like Jasper Johnson, I said, Jasper Johnson.
He was like, yeah, that boy cold man. I was like,
this is daddy my home. That's my laste because I
know he ain't me. You don't know Jasper, and I
was like, wow, man, Jasper at that point it dude

(31:11):
was a rock.

Speaker 6 (31:11):
So I'm gonna tell you something. Well, my cousin is
a is a basketball coach at Archer High School in Georgia.
So it's a JV coach and so, uh, they're getting
ready to go out to the game, and so he says, man,
I don't have everybody, So he goes in the locker room.

Speaker 1 (31:23):
Gets every boy.

Speaker 6 (31:24):
So it's a guy in the in the in the
bathroom under the mirror and he's doing this heir and
so A Channel was like, dude, what are you doing?
He said, Man, I'm trying to get my hair like
Jasper Johnson. And he was like what and he's like,
you know, it's my nephew. He was like, no, it's not.
So they got in this big argument. So he called
down after the game me and I was like, dude,
I almost had to get rid of my pleasures in
the bathroom trying to do his hair.

Speaker 1 (31:44):
I'm like, so, it's just it's just crazy, crazy man.

Speaker 2 (31:47):
So but speak about something like kids, you're over in
Switzerland for the USA basketball gold medal. Going after the
gold medal, you send me a couple of pictures of
all these kids. I think, are these American kids over here?
What Swiss kids chanting Jasper's name? Holding the picture of
the signs up and everything? How did all that come about?

Speaker 1 (32:06):
So I'm sitting at the very top.

Speaker 6 (32:07):
So I made great friends with these two guys, got
them on the floor to get autographs. They we become
birst friends. They like, do all this skiing and stuff
over in Switzerland. And so, uh, I hear something, but
I don't I can't really make it. Something way up
at the top. And so my other son, Scout, said, Dad,
you need to hear these kids. I said, I hear
him chanting, but I don't know what they're chanting. So
he sent me some videos and stuff, and so it
just became a little phenomenon and then we're leaving the

(32:28):
game and all these kids are chuckling around some some
some woman or whatever, and so I guess Knocker had
it on the Jasper shirt and so they they rushed
her out. I think I seen you in that video
and she facetimes when those kids like kids like I'll
give you a hundred dollars if you give me your
cell phone. It was just it was just crazy, but
it was it was. It was a great experience, man.
And so just those kids really really claiming to all
those gas man because they're like there their local you know,

(32:50):
local celebrities and stuff. But now I think it's been
a really really good experience and so uh but again
with all that being said, man it starts over. You
know what I'm saying, uh uh, game on and so
you gotta gotta reprove yourself. But no, I think it's
been it's been a great experience, man, And for for
all these kids that the notoriety, like a White said,
social media is so big now, man, these are these
kids are celebrities in these uh in these young young

(33:12):
people's mind.

Speaker 1 (33:13):
Hey, Larry Vall, we're gonna let you go get a
million and we're gonna hit a break or you can
go whenever you want to go. We're gonna get a break.

Speaker 2 (33:19):
I'm gonna check on and see if you're here.

Speaker 1 (33:21):
We're gonna talk a little football with Dennis Johnson when
we come back. You're listening to Stockyards Bank Sunday Morning
Sports Talk on news radio six thirty WLP. This is
the home of the Wildcats six thirty w L a P.
Welcome back Stockyards Bank Sunday Morning Sports Talk. I'm Anthony White,
along with Larry vaugh and Dennis Johnson. Stockyards Bank has

(33:44):
been your trusted partner since nineteen hundred and four, so
head on over to syb dot com for all your
banking and financial needs. We talked a little bit Jasper
Johnson UK basketball, but since we have two UK former
UK football players on here, Dennis, I was we were
talking about just the state of UK football at this point.

Speaker 6 (34:03):
What is your take man? You know, I think we've
had a lot of ups and downs. I thought last
year we took a step backwards, right. You know, I've
always been a big Stuois thing because I think he
just to grind a hard nose and he's been able
to get the two in the three star guys and
make him in the great football players for what we
need for the University Kentucky. And I thought last year
we took a dip, so I'm interest to see this year.

(34:25):
I went over a few times in the spring to
watch him practice, and I think the two things you
got to have and it says no, you got to
have a quarterback and then you got to have a
good offensive line. I think last year we didn't give
ourselves a chance or any of our quarterbacks a chance,
because I think our offensive line play.

Speaker 1 (34:42):
Wasn't the best.

Speaker 6 (34:43):
So I think you got to have offensive line. You know,
the ais are running back. You know you got to
win in the trenches. But I think you got to
have a serviceable quarterback. But in order to have a
service quarterback, even if he's not great, you got to
give him time and protection and you've got to be
able to run the football.

Speaker 1 (34:56):
And speaking of that's what we were talking about earlier
in the show. You know you you've been you're coach
like it's a different level with high school. But now
the one thing is you're talking about continuity. As Mark
Students has been consistent. The longest tenured coach here at
the University of Kentucky. But with you're saying quarterback running
back room, got to get a quarterbacks a chance if

(35:17):
the offensive line ain't given a quarterback a chance. My, my,
my problem right now is I want us to get
back to that blue collar that grind didn't win it.
But we're bringing new quarterbacks in every year. So what
is Cutter Bowl is supposed to do? What is Stone
Saunder's supposed to do? Bo Allen, They're just sitting on
the bench and you just bringing guys in. Now we
now we're doing that at running back because I know
Jason Patterson can play, Jamio willcoch can play. Like since

(35:41):
you are, you got more of a head coach and
you got you gotta pedigree of it? Is that sustainable?
Is that something they have to do? Is that something
we can fix?

Speaker 6 (35:48):
So so I I've had converts with a lot of
coaches that come in my office and just from the
outside looking at as a hospital coach, I think you
gotta have you gotta I think you got out still
got acru in a certain amount of good high school
kids to go on with the portal, because you know
the portal, guys, one's gonna play and the other one's
gonna leave, right, So you have a you have a
you have a portal gard every year. But then you

(36:09):
bring some kids up through the ranks that are that
are solid high school players, knowing that they're probably gonna
be their knockout one for two or three years. Now
you build some concissity. So if you don't get the
guy on the portal, you got a guy who's here
and I'm and I'm almost you know, with the especially
a quarterback of maybe playing a few guys you know
what I'm saying, you know, every now and then give them,
give them, give them a series just to keep them,

(36:30):
you know what I mean. And so but I just
think I think it has to be a balance. And
I'm not probably saying anything that they don't do, but
I think you're gonna have I don't know how many
of the average for most colleges how high school kids
the recruit, but I think ten, ten to twelve and
I know it's win now, but ten to twelve halssle
kids you think that are gonna stay for two or
three years, and now you can build some assists like
UK you should do. They did recruiting. The upment was

(36:52):
their thing, man, and they for six seven years. Man,
they were the best at it. No matter what you said,
they were the they were the best at And I
think the COVID you're really showed they didn't really get
that get their hands on them. And then next year
boom back back to their winning grinding old school. And
that's who coach Stup says. And so I know it's
tough with the portal and kids making money and no up,
but to his core, man, he's a hard nose grinding.

Speaker 1 (37:11):
So I think if we can get back to that,
we got a chance. And what is your what is
your feeling? I know it's a good friend of mine
bookend of yours. When you played opposite play in the
oppositide of you. Well, the job that the coach Stuart
is doing that defensive line, well, the first day I
went over, he's always the first person I go and
see and just just try to observe and get some
stuff off of.

Speaker 6 (37:28):
But I think stud does a good job. And I
think Stu has a personality. Well he's got the he
don'et get a little older, but he's got the still
got the you know we know it from like he
got the personality of a good coach but being able
to relate to the young kids. And so I look
for him if he wants you to be able to
move up at some point on you guys had a
conversation about who's the next kind of Vince maryol type man,
and if he wants it, I think a Mark Stuart

(37:48):
would be a great guy because he just has that.
He has that personality. I always got a smile on
his face. And he's played here so he knows the
layer of the lane. So now I'm hyped for stud man.
I think he's done a done a great job. We
only got about a min it left. These segments go
really quick. I was just kind of get your perspective on.
I know Van House said he's the only one I
know that said we can go over five hundred. He

(38:09):
thinks we can win seven or eight games. He kind
of explained it.

Speaker 1 (38:12):
Because we played good against Georgia last year, we beat
Old Miss on the road that he thinks, why would
we get worse. Like there's a couple of games we
were in, like you said, we slipped a little bit,
we lost a little traction. But he thinks we can
come back and be better. Next year if you had,
if you had to bet your mortgage, we would, I say,
I'll say five hundred. It's just we're playing the toughest
league and so until until and I don't I don't

(38:35):
like to view a quarterback off of preseason because you
just can't. It's just different when when the lives turned on.
So I'll give us five hundreds. And now I've just
seen what I was able to see, and I haven't
seen a lot that was in the spring, and so
you know, you got to prove it to ourselves. I
think that first game is going to be important for
us to get off to a good start, and then
we've got to have good line play. So I'll give
us five hundred. As of right now, Dennis Johnson said
five hundred. We're moving up. I'm still at four four alone.

(38:59):
We're going back to unless I see otherwise. We will
be back after this with Amelia has it. When we
come back. You're listening to Stockyards Banks, so they want
a sports talk on news radio six thirty WLAP. This
is the home of the Wildcats, six thirty WLAP.