gape 20
Defensive-Minded 'Cats Kick Off Spring Drills
Jerry Claiborne and his University of Kentucky football team opened spring drills last week, highlighted by the return of eight defensive starters from last season.
The spring drills will continue through Saturday. April 23. culminating with the Kentucky Bank One Blue-White game at Commonwealth Stadium. Kickoff for the game is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Claiborne, who begins his seventh season at Kentucky and his 27th overall, feels defense will be the Wildcats' strength in 1988.
"Right now. we have more people who have played coming back on the defensive side of the football." Claiborne said. "Hopefully, we can take these people returning and put together a real fine defensive football team.
"If people don't score, they can't beat you. And with eight starters coming back, that should be our strength."
Heading the UK defensive unit, which finished third in the Southeastern Conference during 1987 in total defense, are guard Vic Adams (6-1, 255), linebacker Chris Chenault (6-2, 240), tackle Oliver Barnett (6-3, 278), cornerback David Johnson (6-1. 192) and free safety Ron Robinson (6-1. 185). According to the 'K coaching staff, all five should draw sor consideration for preseason all-star hon .-s.
Other defensive starters returning this season are defensive ends Jay Dortch (6-1, 205) and Tony Massey (6-2, 215) and right corner Ron Mack (5-10, 183). Junior Carwell Gardner, a part-time starter at DE during his sophomore season two years ago and a reserve last season, has left the team for personal reasons.
But just as sure as Claiborne is about the strength of the UK defensive unit, he is unsure about the Wildcat offensive line. Gone from the Kentucky offensive front are fifth-year seniors Dermontti Dawson, Greg Kunkel, Brad Myers and Butch Wilburn. Only junior Mike Pfeifer (6-7, 290), an All-America candidate, returns at tackle.
"We lettered seven offensive linemen and that's all," Claiborne said, "and five of those graduated. That's going to be the thing we have to put together this spring and find out who can play in the Southeastern Conference."
Besides the depleted offensive line. UK returns only tight end Charlie Darrington (6-3, 220), quarterback Glenn Fohr (6-2, 206) and fullback Andy Murray (6-1. 236) to regular starting spots. Murray will miss all of spring practice while recovering from surgery on his right knee.
Also missing this spring will be flanker Dee Smith, a junior-to-be who was expected to challenge for All-SEC honors this season, and punter Jay Tesar. Smith was arrested on two counts of trafficking in cocaine last month, and has been suspended indefinitely. Tesar, who averaged 39.9 yards per punt last year, recently had surgery to repair ligament damage to his left knee. He is expected to be back 100 percent this fall.
"Our goal this spring is to get our personnel placed in the right positions." Claiborne said. "We want to get our best people on the field at the same time. That's the important thing."
The Wildcats are scheduled to practice three days during the week with scrimmages set for Saturday mornings.
Oliver Barnett
Ron Robinson
Mike Pfeifer
Glenn Fohr
University Of Kentucky Spring Footba!! Roster
Player Pos.
Vic Adams..........................DG
Bill Allen............................QB
Jay Amshoff..........................LB
Al Baker...............................TB
Oliver Barnett......................DT
jerry Bell............................DG
Ci g Benzinger...................LB
Li    Biancondni.................PK
Da.ren Bilberry....................FB
John Bolden.........................FL
Scott Booth..........................DT
Jeff Brady.............................LB
Chuck Broughton................QB
Mike Cahill..........................LB
Greg Campbell....................TB
jay Chabrak.........................CB
Chris Chenault.....................LB
Mii.e. Chism........................DG
Nea! Clark............................SE
Chris Connery.....................CB
Jot Couch..........................LB
Bn n Cralle...........................C
D.i id Crane..........................C
Torn Crumrine....................OG
Charlie D.irrington...............TE
Brian Denham....................OG
Kevin Disotelle....................OT
Jay Dortch...........................DE
Shawn Evans........................TE
Glenn Fohr.........................QB
Donnie Gardner..................DT
Torid George.......................OT
Sort Gillum........................PK
Ray Gover.............................FL
Jim Graves.........................OT
Eric Green..........................QB
Chris Gregg.........................OT
Brett Halcomb...................PK
Randy Holleran....................LB
Jeff Houk............................QB
Doug Houser.....................DG
Bill Hulette........................OG
C     Hunt...........................CB
i      e Hunter.....................TB
L     Jackson..........................S
Si     Jerolaman......................S
David Johnson.....................CB
Mike Jones..........................OT
Sir e Kelley........................LB
"Injured, will miss entire spring.
Ht. Wt. CI. Hometown (High School/jC)
6-1 255 Jr-2L Middlesboro (High)
6-0 200 Sr.-Sq. West Liberty (Morgan Co.)
6-0 217 Sr.-Sq. Louisville (St. Xavier)
5- 11 228 So.-Sq. Cadiz (Trigg Co.)
6- 3 278 Jr.-2L Louisville (jeffersontown) 6-3 260 Fr.-RS Louisville (DeSaies^ 6-1 216 )r.-1L Stone Mountain, Ga. (DeKalb Co.) 6-0 182 Fr.-RS Louisville (Ballard) 6-2 207 Jr-IL Ft. Knox (High) 6-0 176 So.-IL Louisville (Male) 6-3 256 jr.-TR Bradenton, Fla. (NE Mississippi JO 6-0 214 So.-Sq. Melbourne (Newport Catholic) 6-4 223 Jr.-Sq. Ashland (Paul Blazer) 6-0 222 Sr.-Sq. Louisville (St. Xavier) 5-9 175 Fr.-RS Oak Ridge, Tenn. (High)
5- 9 176 So.-Sq. South Plainfield, N.j. (High)
6- 2 240 Sr.-3L Lexington (Henry Clay) 5-11 252 jr.-Sq. LaGrange 5-9 165 Fr.-RS Paducah (Tilghman)
5- 10 177 Jr.-Sq. Rochester, Mich.
6- 2 225 Fr.-RS Hager Hill (Paintsville) 6-1 271 Jr.-Sq. Elizabethtown (High) 6-2 246 Jr.-Sq. Louisville 6-4 279 Jr.-Sq. Westerville, Ohio (North) 6-3 220 Sr.-IL Tifton, Ga. (NE Oklahoma A&M) 6-1 251 Sr.-Sq. Winchester (Clark Co.) 6-3 255 Fr.-RS Houston, Texas (North Shore) 6-1 205 Sr.-2L Paducah (Tilghman) 6-6 230 Fr.-RS Richmond (Madison Central) 6-2 206 Sr.-IL Phillipsburg, N.J. (Hudson Vallev CO 6-4 225 Jr.-2L Louisville (Trinity) 6-5 250 Fr.-RS Covington (Catholic)
5- 8 155 Fr.-RS Lexington
6- 3 199 Sr.-3L Dayton, Ohio (Jefferson) 6-6 252 Fr.-RS Lexington (TennesseeMilitaryInstitute) 6-0 186 jr.-Sq. Cincinnati, Ohio (Forest Park) 6-6 255 Fr.-RS Masontown, WVa. (West Preston)
5- 11 206 Fr.-RS Elizabethtown (East Hardin)
6- 0 221 So.-1L McKeesport, Pa. (High) 6-2 200 Fr.-RS Louisville (St. Xavier) 6-4 247 Jr.-2L Aliquippa, Pa. (Central) 6-2 255 So.-Sq. Moganfield (Union Co.) 6-0 190 Fr.-RS Richmond, Va. (Fork Union) 6-0 213 Sr.-2L Gainesville, Fla. (Buchholz) 5-11 185 Fr.-RS Mayfield (High)
5- 11 197 So.-Sq. Point Pleasant, N.J. (Brick Memorial)
6- 1 192 Sr.-3L Louisville (Male) 6-0 259 Sr.-Sq. London (Beechwood) 6-2 225 So-Sq. Hopkinsville (High)
Player                         Pos. Ht. Wt. CI.
Mike Knox...........................FB 5-10 211 jr.-Sq.
Daniel Lee...........................TE 6-6 235 Fr.-RS
Courtney Longacre.............OG 6-2 223 Fr.-RS
Phil Logan............................SE 6-3 180 So.-IL
Ron Mack...:........................CB 5-10 183 Sr. .H
Freddie Maggard....................S 6-2 190 Fr.-RS
Duane Mahan......................FB 5-10 207 So.-Sq.
Tony Massey........................DE 6-2 215 |r.-2L
Mike Meece.........................TE 6-6 230 So.-Sq.
Mike Meiners.....................DG 6-2 242 jr.-Sq.
Todd Meyer.........................CB 5-9 180 Jr.-Sq.
Tony Mills..........................OG 6-4 261 Sr.-IL
Andy Murray*......................FB 6-1 236 Jr.-2L
Tony Nash...........................OT 6-5 269 Jr.-Sq.
Jeff Nelson.............................P 5-10 165 Sr.-IL
Mike Nord..........................OT 6-7 275 So.-Sq.
Jamie Ousley..........................S 6-3 201 So.-Sq.
Martin Pennington...............TE 6-2 228 Sr.-3L
Mark Peterson....................DG 6-4 255 Fr.-RS
Mike Pfeifer.........................OT 6-7 290 Jr.-2L
Carlos Phillips......................LB 6-1 217 So.-Sq.
Steve Phillips........................FL 6-2 194 So.-Sq
Patrick Porter........................TE 6-3 210 So.-Sq
David Prichard.....................SE 5-10 179 Sr.-Sq
Gary Ralston........................DT 6-3 245 So.-Sq
Alfred Rawls........................TB 5-11 200 Jr.-TR
Scott Rayburn.....................OG 6-4 224 So.-Sq.
Ron Robinson........................S 6-1 185 Jr.-2L
Lindsey Sandahl..................QB 6-2 190 Fr.-RS
Steve Scanlan.......................SE 6-3 185 Fr.-RS
David Scott..........................FB 6-1 195 Fr.-RS
Mark Sellers...........................S 6-3 198       Sr. H
Bill Shehan...........................FL 6-0 189 Sr.-Sq.
Bo Smith.............................OT 6-3 256 Sr.-Sq.
Tim Smith............................TB 6-1 183 Sr.-Sq.
David Sprague....................DB 5-9 190 Fr.-RS
Steve Stone...........................TE 6-2 209 So.-Sq.
Billy Swanson......................DE 6-0 220 So.-Sq.
jay Tesar*...............................P 6-1 175 Sr.-2L
Derrick Thomas...................LB 6-2 215 Fr.-RS
Chris Tolbert........................CB 6-0 193 So.-IL
Lane Vargo..........................DE 6-0 220 Fr.-RS
Jim Wetta.............................SE 6-2 195 Sr.-Sq.
Dean Wilks........................OG 6-3 282 So.-1L
Gary Willis.............................S v 6-2 170 Fr.-RS
Ken Willis............................PK 5-10 188 Jr.-IL
Paul Winter.........................QB 6-2 223 So.-Sq.
Tony Zigman.......................DE 6-2 212 Jr.-IL
Hometown (High School/JC)
Memphis, Tenn. Marianna, Fla. (Cottondale) Louisville (Fairdale) Louisville (Holy Cross) Lexington (Tates Creek) Cumberland (High) Florence (Boone Co.)
Somerset (High) Madeira, Ohio (High) Louisville (St. Xavier) Louisville (Trinity) Lexington (Tates Creek) Louisville (Trinity) Louisville (DeSales) Florence (Boone Co.) Louisville (St. Xavier) Paducah (Tilghman) Corbin (High) Virginia Beach, Va. (Frank Cox) Louisville (Trinity) ' Owensboro (High)
Fairfield, Ohio Flemingsburg East Lansing, Mich. Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio (High) Pitts, Ga. (NE Oklahoma A&M) Richardson, Texas (L.V. Berkner) Nashville, Tenn. (Stratford) Germantown, Tenn. (Manhattan) Louisville (Trinity) Louisville (Jeffersontown) Louisville (Eastern) Independence Lexington (Henry Clay) Whitesburg (High) Henderson (Henderson Co.)
Lexington Paducah (Tilghman) Vine Grove (North Hardin) Lexington (Bryan Station) Pensacola, Fla. (BookerT. Washington) Akron, Ohio (St. Vincent) Wellington, Kan. (Hutchinson )C) Proctorville, Ohio (Fairland) Gainesville, Fla. (Buchholz) Owensboro (Centre College) Newburgh, N.Y. (Washingtonville) Lewes, Del. (Cape Hanlopen)
Ki-y: SqSquad; ILOne-year leUerman; 2LTwo-year letterman; 3LThree-year lellerman; TRTransfer; RSRedshirt.