[Westside]

On Tuesdays while driving, I like to listen to the Leach Report on the radio (old fashion FM is all I got) and I heard something interesting today. Mike Leach said the state of Kentucky produced around 20 D1 football players last year compared to the state of Florida which produced around 450.

If I heard it correctly I find that amazing.

[geauxtigers75]

On Tuesdays while driving, I like to listen to the Leach Report on the radio (old fashion FM is all I got) and I heard something interesting today. Mike Leach said the state of Kentucky produced around 20 D1 football players last year compared to the state of Florida which produced around 450.

If I heard it correctly I find that amazing.

I don't find that too hard to believe. If you go look at the rivals rankings, we barely are able to field a top 10 (D1 caliber) players from this state, and usually the 6th through 10th ranked players are no more than 2 stars. It is a rarity when we have a major talent like Lamar Dawson, Micah Johnson, Brian Brohm, Tim Couch, or Dennis Johnson roll through. We produce some kids that turn out to be very good D1 football players, but we definitely don't have a lot of them unfortunately. Football is more pushed in other states (Florida, Georgia, Ohio, Texas, California, Pennsylvania and Tennessee just to name a few) and not so much here.

Those numbers don't seem too out of wack to me, there are several factors that contribute to why we only have 20 and Florida has 450. The first and probably biggest being population.

[PaintsvilleTigerfan]

On Tuesdays while driving, I like to listen to the Leach Report on the radio (old fashion FM is all I got) and I heard something interesting today. Mike Leach said the state of Kentucky produced around 20 D1 football players last year compared to the state of Florida which produced around 450.

If I heard it correctly I find that amazing.

This is what I try to explain to people who actually think a big name coach would come to Kentucky, That right there is the exact reason why Kentucky cannot compete with the SEC we would literally have to keep those players from going to florida, alabama, etc. With a University that doesn't care, a fanbase that knows nothing abt college football, and terrible facilities that the university refuses to upgrade you can see why no great players will come to kentucky. Hell our best player is from florida and we are lucky as can be to have him. No coach can change those basic facts yet there are still fans that think someone like Skip Holtz is gonna come here and make a career. The only way for this program to win is for us to get a big name coach and well unless the university puts in the money to do it. It will never happen. Because trying to outrecruit florida in their state would be just about impossible and very few coaches would be willing to do the work required.

[honestjchsfan]

The UK football program is really a great job for the right coach. UK doesn't have to hire a "Big Name" coach! They have to hire a good coach! I don't hate Joker but he doesn't have the experience to be a head coach in the SEC. A experienced coach has a system that he has won with in the past. Joker has hired all these coachs that are "Good Recruiters" but look at the product on the feild now. Its not UK basketball that has hurt UK Football it is the basketball people running the show that has caused all the problems. Look at the Coachs in the SEC and you will find that they are experienced coachs for the most part. I see Joker P as the next Bill Curry. Curry averaged about 4 wins a year at UK.

[PaintsvilleTigerfan]

The UK football program is really a great job for the right coach. UK doesn't have to hire a "Big Name" coach! They have to hire a good coach! I don't hate Joker but he doesn't have the experience to be a head coach in the SEC. A experienced coach has a system that he has won with in the past. Joker has hired all these coachs that are "Good Recruiters" but look at the product on the feild now. Its not UK basketball that has hurt UK Football it is the basketball people running the show that has caused all the problems. Look at the Coachs in the SEC and you will find that they are experienced coachs for the most part. I see Joker P as the next Bill Curry. Curry averaged about 4 wins a year at UK.

Curry did decent at alabama. I believe he won a SEC title. But it really would take a special kind of coach to turn this program around.

[rustyankle]

I seen a stat once said that miami florida has more highschool football players than the state of kentucky

[RunItUpTheGut]

Not a surprise at all.
More African American players which means more speed.
Anyone can go all day about how thats wrong to say, its the simple truth.
Out of all the mountain teams covered by WYMT, how many black players are there?
Maybe 20, if that.
People can say its ridicolous, but look at every D1 team in the nation and see how many black players they have and how many white players they have. Its not racist. Its the truth. Im just someone who doesnt care to say it.

[Paradise_City]

The sad part is that UK cant even pull in the recruits from their own state, Dawson last year to USC, Zeke Pike this year to Auburn, they let Jeremy Clark that wanted to attend UK slip through their fingers this year to Michigan

[geauxtigers75]

I seen a stat once said that miami florida has more highschool football players than the state of kentucky

I would say that one of Miami's high schools (Northwestern) has more D1 talent on it in one year than the entire state of Kentucky does every year.