Super Fan Demaree Loyal To Vats
Has Hat To Prove It
Vic Adams
Adams, Robinson Get Freshman Honors. . .
Kentucky football freshmen Vic Adams and Ron Robinson have been named to the Knoxville News-Sentinel All-Southeastern Conference freshman squad.
Both Adams and Robinson were redshirt freshmen performers this season for the 5-5-1 Kentucky Wildcats.
Adams, a defensive guard from Mid-dlesboro, Ky., compiled 47 tackles during his rookie season. He also was credited with three quarterback sacks and two tipped passes. Probably Adams' best performance came against Virgina Tech, when he racked up six tackles, two being solos.
Ron Robinson is Kentucky's lone starting safety due to UK's wide-tackle-six alignment. Robinson was in on 63 tackles, tying him with Guy Neal for fifth-highest total among Wildcat members. He recovered three fumbles while also causing a fumble.
.. .Chenault, Gardner Make All-Soph Teams
Second-year Wildcats Chris Chenault (linebacker) and Carwell Gardner (defensive end) were selected to the annual sophomore All-America teams. The squad is picked by football writer Harry DeVold.
Chenault, 6-foot-2, 233 pounds, was placed on the first team. He was second on the team in tackles behind only linebacker Larry Smith. Chenault compiled 93 total tackles. 58 which were of the assist variety.
In 1986 at Cincinnati he returned an interception 65 yards late in the first half, giving Kentucky a 13-9 lead at intermission. UK won the 1-75 battle 37-20.
Kentucky's third-team represenative, Gardner, was third on the team in the tackle departement, corralling 93, including four QB sacks. Gardner is 6-2, 217 and is a product of Louisville Trinity.
During the Fran Curci years at the University of Kentucky, then assistant football coach Charlie Bailey approached Lonny Demaree after a practice-session clinic.
"I don't know how you and these other guys do it," said Bailey, now the head coach at Memphis State University. "Because of your loyalty to the program, I'm going to dub you a 'Super Fan' and give you one of these caps.'' Since then, Demaree wears his UK "Super Fan" cap to work J every day at the Information Systems department of IBM Corporation. He also wears the cap to games.
Mel Holbrook
Cats' Pause Columnist
that the stadium can't be bowled in until we start having consistent sell-outs at every game. Well, I don't subscribe to that theory."
Demaree said that when UK played at 37,000-seat Stoll Field, it wasn't sold out every game. Since the team moved to Commonwealth Stadium, the 58,000-seat facility has been sold out many, many times.
"They'd have no problems selling out a 73- to 74,000-seat stadium," Demaree insists. "That would give UK football an ap-
"I enjoy being around the football program," says Demaree, who hasn't missed a game at Commonwealth Stadium since it I opened in 1973. "I've always liked UK football. When they played at Stoll Field, I'd go over when I was a kid and peek | through the hedges."
Demaree now has season tickets in section 106, row 2, right I next to the visitor's section. But he doesn't mind.
"I like to keeo a running dialogue with the visiting fans, in a
Chenault First-team Choice
Demaree With Marc Higgs, Ivy Joe Hunter
good-natured sort of way," said Demaree. "I had a great time at the Florida game, when we beat them (10-3). I listen to the radio and take my binoculars to the games, and I tape the replays as well."
Demaree first began attending Kentucky games back in the mid-60s', when Charlie Bradshaw was the coach. Since then, Demaree has seen three head coaches come and go, including Bradshaw, John Ray and Curci. Jerry Claiborne is the current head coach.
"I think Kentucky has had some of the best coaches you could ever ask for," said Demaree. "When you take some of the former assistant coaches now in the pros  people like Chuck Knox of the Seattle Seahawks, Don Shula of the Miami Dolphins, Blanton Collier, who left here for the Cleveland Browns and Ray, who was an assistant for many years in the pros."
Demaree says changing the coaching staffs at UK every seven | to eight years is not the answer.
"The problem has always been with the administration and | the nature of the area," said Demaree.
Points To Problems Within Program
Some of the problems, Demaree suggests, include: The lack of a professional fund raiser for the university's athletic programs. "UK's one of the few schools that doesn't have one," he said. "We may get one after Dr. (Otis) Singletary leaves in June of next year."
The lack of a "bowled-in" Commonwealth Stadium. "UK's third from the bottom in that capacity," said Demaree. "Only Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Vandy have smaller stadiums.
"You have to give the appearance of being big-time," Demaree continued. "Some people in the administration believe
Demaree Alongside Cisco Bryant
pearance of being more big-time. And everybody wants to be a part of that."
Demaree insists that the longer UK waits to bowl in its stadium, the more it's going to hurt the program.
"It cost $12 million to build it originally," he said. "It would j cost that much now just to bowl in one side."
Another problem has been the lack of an adequate training I facility, although UK has recently began constructing a new one to replace outdated Shively Sports Center.
"You get what you pay for," said Demaree. "For years, other Southeastern Conference schools have had a big advantage over us in weight-training and practice facilities. It's about time we got a new one. Still, we're spending $6 million on a new complex. Georgia's spending $8 million on a new one. We'll have 48,000 square feet at ours. They'll have 78,000 square feet at theirs."
Demaree probably knows about the facilities at other schools j around the nation because he's attended games at most of them. He's been to every SEC stadium except Louisiana State and Florida and also at Ohio State, Oklahoma and Notre Dame.
"The SEC is the top conference in the country," said Demaree. "Any year we go in, it's generally known, pretty cut and dry, that we're almost never going to finish higher than seventh. It's difficult to catch up with those people unless you make an extreme effort."
Demaree Is More Than lust Your Average Fan
Even though UK has struggled in football, Demaree remains loyal to the program. He's especially close the players on the team.
"I go to most of the practices," he said. "I know most of the players on a first-name basis. I've gotten to know the coaches well. I've sponsored some of the players, like Cisco Bryant a few years ago. Helping the players is one of the big contributions you can make to a program. They've all got special needs. Sometimes, they'll tell you things they wouldn't tell the coaches. Most coaches are glad to see us come around."
Demaree was disappointed with the recent 5-5-1 season, which he admits will make it more difficult for UK to recruit some of the in-state major college players this year. But he's optimistic.
"From what I've been told, we're still going to get most everybody we're after," he said. "We're in good shape. There's 21-22 listed as Division I potential, and if we get 17-18 of them we'll be satisfied." Signing date is the second Wednesday of February, according to Demaree.
"I put a lot into the program," Demaree said. "But I get a lot out of it, too. There are lots of benefits. I'm part of the football family."
Demaree and his wife, Maggie, have one daughter, Margot.