John Schlarman with UK offensive linemen Luke Fortner, Landon Young and Drake Jackson after the win at Tennessee. (UK Athletics Photo)
Kentucky players knew that offensive line coach John Schlarman was not going to be making the trip to Missouri with them. He’s been battling cancer for two years but rarely has missed a practice and had never missed a game until Saturday when UK lost 20-10 to the Tigers.
A week earlier Kentucky coach Mark Stoops had given Schlarman the game ball after UK won at Tennessee for the first time since 1984 but even then Schlarman spent the game in the coaches’ booth in the pressbox rather than on the field like he normally does.
“I just want to confirm he was not able to make it,” Stoops said after the disappointing defeat.
He said he wanted to respect the family’s privacy and did not think it was right for him to offer any other comment.
I asked Stoops if he thought Schlarmnan’s absence took an emotional toll on the Cats. Schlarman had delivered the pregame speech to the team a week earlier in Knoxville.
“I am sure it did. But in that situation you have to be able to respond,” Stoops said. “That’s a tough question. I don’t want to put anything on John (about the loss).”
No one should. But knowing how the players feel about the offensive line coach, it could have bothered them.
“He gives us so much more than any normal human being can,” Stoops said. “Yes we missed him. But that is not an excuse.
“We need to respond and play great for him in honor of him and we did not do that today.”
No, Kentucky did not. Instead, it had one of its worst overall games under Stoops in the last three seasons.
Center Drake Jackson said the players “had faith” Schlarman had them coached well enough to handle his absence.
“He does a great job in the run game getting us going and putting us in the right position,” Jackson said. “We continue to pray for coach Schlarman and know he is still fighting.”
