Welcome to the Big Blue Insider. Dick Gabriel with you on a Monday edition of our show, coming up at seven point thirty. It's the nickmn Geones Show, so we will be with you right up until then. We got a lot to talk about. We're gonna chat with Kentucky's co defensive coordinator Chris Collins. He also coaches defensive backs and of course one of his prize pupils is now a Buffalo Bill thanks to being drafted in the first round,
Maxwell Harriston. We talked about it on Friday to day after the first round, which happened on Thursday, but since then, Dion Walker also was drafted by the Buffalo Bills, so they'll be teammates along with Ray Davis, the X Wildcat, and a number of Wildcats signed free agent deals, including jam and Dumas Johnson. Pops is going to be a Green Bay Packer. At least he's going to be in camp of the packer, which gives a packer nation two guys at least two who can go by Pops if
they so desire. That's my grandkids call me. I'm sure in the millions and millions of Packers fans there's other people who call themselves or go bypops, but those are two that now you know about. So we'll hear from Chris Collins coming up in hour number two, ahead of the Nickmnjeonne show coming up as well, though at the bottom of this hour Mitch Barnhardt's gonna join us. Over the weekend, there was a lot of chatter about a couple of things. First of all, the rededication of Memorial Coliseum.
They finally finished it. Basically it's been open and operating for a while, but this was the formal dedication of the coliseum. And remember, for you younger folks, that's where the varsity played, and I want you to think about that the next time you go in there. That place used to hold eleven thousand, five hundred. So when they start playing at Rupp Arena and the UK women start playing basketball and volleyball in the facility, it just really began to age and it needed a facelift, and it
got a great one. I just thought they did a tremendous job on now what they're calling this year Historic Memorial Coliseum. It goes back to being Memorial College next year. But they wanted to pay homage to the fact that it is Memorial Coliseum. It was dedicated with veterans in mind, particularly the ones who made the ultimate sacrifice in World War Two, in the Korean War, which I think was going on when that building opened, and then of course
later on in the Vietnam War. A lot of Kentuckians, of course, lost their lives in those conflicts, and twenty five UK student athletes were killed in World War Two. So they were able to maintain a lot of that heritage, but did a great job of the facelift. So we'll talk to Barnhardt about that as well. Go to UK Athletics dot com if you want to learn more. There's
a picture page, the speeches and things like that. But we'll also talk to Mitch about the new LLC that is a huge part now of the University of Kentucky Athletics, and I heard a lot of talk over the weekend about that and grumbling on social media. Well now these kids aren't playing for the school anymore, they're playing for an LLC. Well, no, the LLC is part of the school. It's not a separate entity. Many of you out there,
I have an LLC in my name. It's in many ways, something you do to protect yourself legally taxes involves things like that. But for UK it's designed to increase flexibility within the department and help it find new ways to generate additional revenue and manage expenses and things like that. College athletics is changing so quickly, as you well know,
not entirely for the better. You've got kids in and out of the portal, a lot of kids in the portal who shouldn't be there who are being disappointed, a lot of money flying around, stuff like that, So it's up to these schools to try to stay ahead. Arn Art's been criticized for dragging his feet when all this first started, but he and I were on a show
together on k ET and he talked about that. I did ask him about that, and I've talked to him about it on this show before, and his response was, we just want to make sure we do everything right so that we don't run into a situation down the road where we inadvertently break some rules and get into some trouble. And sure enough, UK did. You might recall a couple of years ago there were some players involved with not showing up for work and being paid and
they had to make restitution and things like that. That could have gone a lot worse than it did. But it's difficult now for universities across the country to stay ahead of things, to stay on top of things, and so UK really and this is the first of its kind creating an LLC within the athletics department. It's called Champions Blue. And I want to know, how is this different from what used to be the UK Athletics Association, which was an independent entity independent of UK Athletics. That
was more of what people think the LLC is. Again, this is not external. The LLC is not It's like UK Healthcare, it's part of the university. But UK Athletics was a separate entity. It was run by the president of the university and the athletics director. So we'll get a lot of that nailed down by Mitch Barnhardt. The baseball Wildcats take two out of three over the weekend. They win game number one and game number three in
the series. Should have swept quite frankly, not just could have, but should have if not for one bad pitch in Game number two, a home run, two run homer in the eighth inning that turned a four to three Kentucky lead into a five to four South Carolina lead. Otherwise
the Wildcats sweep, but still they win the series. Now they've won back to back series dating back to Tennessee last weekend, and it's the first home series the Wildcats have won this season in baseball, So they protect their home turf and they protect their status when it comes
to the NCAA Tournament Selections Committee. One of the services, I think it's D one Baseball projected Kentucky going into last weekend as a three seed coming out, and especially now with the wins over South Carolina, a two seed. So a team that we all wondered are they even going to get into the postseason about a month ago. They're starting to figure things out. They're just grinding away and they're making plays. Their defense has been solid pretty
much all year long. The pitching started to come around in the Ole Miss series, and now the hitting is catching up. And as Patrick Herrera told us after the blowout win over Louisville, he said, the hitters have now just settled in to concentrate on quality at bats stacking them up, which was pretty apparent over the weekend because they were more aggressive. They weren't letting as many two
and oh fastballs right down the middle. And I'm oversimplifying, but they were not letting as many of those pitches go and it paid off. And the Sunday game was hanging in the balance for a little while. They're late. South Carolina was down seven to three, put up two runs and might have had more but on a base hit the left field when it scored, made it seven to five, but the third base coach sent another runner and Cole Hages from left field gunned him down at
the plate. That was a big momentum swing, and then the Wildcats tacked on four more runs. So it was a fun weekend. It was a good weekend in terms of weather on Sunday, not so much Saturday. It was chili, but it was a weekend the Wildcats needed. And Kentucky is now heading for Western Kentucky tomorrow night. That's a game you'll hear right here on six thirty WLAP and then Kentucky will stay on the road and go on Tossissippi State. I think they're going to stop maybe in Franklin, Tennessee,
and practice. I don't know if they'll still over a night there, but they'll go from Bowling Green. They won't come home. They packed extra clothes and they'll be heading down to State, which is struggling this year, seven and fourteen in conference play. But still anything can happen, as you know, So the Wildcats need to keep right on rolling if they can through Bowling Green and into Starkfield.
Rachel Lawson's softball team split two on Saturday with Mississippi State, but dropped the rubber game of the three game set yesterday afternoon by a final of five to nothing. Now it's Northern Kentucky here in Lexington tomorrow night. Then it's a trip to Austin, Texas for the first time South Carolina, or rather a Texas playing in Kentucky as an SEC team. The Wildcatch are seven and fourteen in conference play, twenty nine and twenty two overall. They need wins to solidify
a spot in the postseason. So that's what's been happening. And when we come back, we'll talk more about Maxwell Harston being drafted by the Buffalo Bills. Well here from Van Hiles, the former Kentucky defensive back who played in the NFL. That's all ahead at the bottom of the hour of Mitch Barnhart, You're on six thirty WLAP. Welcome back to the Big Blue and Sider. Coming up, we're going to talk with Chris Collins, the co defensive coordinator
of the Kentucky Wildcats. He coaches defensive backs, and we had Chris on the show a few weeks ago before spring I think it was, and before spring practice. But since then, Maxwell Harston of course was drafted by the
Buffalo Bills, and so was Dion Walker. So we're going to get Chris's remarks about both of those guys going to Buffalo, which obviously right now is one of the best teams in the NFL, and particularly Maxwell Harston, who was a first round pick, a guy who a couple of years ago was struggling to find his way as a young defensive back. Young defensive backs often struggle, but
then he became a real force for Kentucky. Was injured last year, didn't get to play nearly as much as everybody would have liked, but now is a member of the Buffalo Bills in great standing, not just good standing, because he was their first round draft pick and it was also, as we all know, the guy who ran the fastest at the combine that got him if you weren't already looking at him, that got you looking at
him right away. So and you know it matters. It does matter some with linemen, but clearly matters with skill players, especially with defensive backs. So we'll talk to the coach, Chris Collins coming up in just a few minutes. But the other day I hosted the Leach Report and one of my guests was Van Hiles, who knows what it's like to be drafted. He was taken by the Bears. He played in the NFL till his injury. Injuries Cutter's
career are short. Now he is a pundit if you will, breaks down video of Kentucky games and comments on the inner on YouTube. It's fun talking football with Van and had a chance to chat with him about a fellow d bat going in the first round of guy who Van likes a lot. And if you saw the draft, you saw Maxwell Harrison well before he was drafted, congratulating every player. Everybody who left the green room had to walk past Max and they got a handshake and a
hug and a big smile, and Van like that. I think everybody like that.
I think he's more happy for the other guys in the draft they get drafted, and I am happy for him. Was the best thing the op steen in the draft in a long time, because at first I was like, is that genuine? But then when he got picked, I'm like, Okay, yeah, that was not a show, that was not an act. That was him being himself and that was extremely awesome.
It was great and what Van is talking about. And if you watched the draft or just glanced at it, every kid who was drafted as they made their way from the green room, which was huge, by the way they passed the different players, and every time there was a young man with a huge smile on his face and an incredible electric blue and silver jacket and a blue tie and blue slacks, and of course and and he was I mean, what do you dapping him up?
Is that what you say? You kids?
Yes?
Yes, yes, and just hugging and shaking hands for it. You could tell how happy he was for every young man in that room. And he had to wait a little while, didn't e Van, But he heard his name. But when you wait like that, the odds are you're going to a damn good team.
And he did, didn't He Yes, And that's and and I think he knew that, and I think that that he was enjoying the moment because this is a once in a lifetime experienced and why not treated like that?
And and I love.
The energy, and I am happy to see him with with organization that that has a history recently of winning games and potentially getting too the Super Bowl next year because they have an extremely incredible team led by Josh Allen. But then they have Ray Davis there. So to go to a team with someone you're played with and you know you have a relationship with is just extra comforting for him. And I'm hoping that he has a great year.
Yeah, and they expect him to have a grade.
When you're a corner and you go on the first round in the National Football League Draft, that means they want immediate results.
Am I right?
Exactly? And that's an extreme amount of pressure. But I didn't know he had this attitude. But I think he has the right attitude to go in there and hopefully meet those those expectations.
I interviewed him after the Vanity Game two years ago when he had the two pick six's that game just he just exploded on everybody's radar. For obvious reasons. He was a National Defensive Player of the Week, and he was. It was funny because Vandy was doing all the construction and they can Entucky locker room and air quotes. Was one of those huge inflatable tints by what was left in the stadium, and so they had kind of dragged Van out there and we interviewed him on the sidewalk
with people walking by. But he couldn't have been happier, of course, and more humble. He was not quite the level of elation that we saw last night, which is understandable. But that day, you know, breaking on the ball the way he did that put him on video for everybody to see it. Just how vital was that pretty obvious question Van, But next thing, you know, everybody knew who he was.
Yeah.
The thing about it is that for me, what was great was he's a bad thing to bring up for him for most of BBN, but the year prior when he had the issue with Vandy and them beating nothing coming wealth, which means he has so resilience to come
back and have great year after that. His eye discipline is very good, and to combine that with his elite athleticism it's going to have a good career because if you can do the little things at that position, which is being patient and have a great eye discipline, it's going to translate to the next level. And I think he has a chance to be very special because of the traits that are beyond his athleticism.
You've taught me a lot about eye discipline, not just the term, but exactly what it means. And it's some of it's obvious, some of it is not. But you know what I find van the most interesting about this, and it reminds you, is that in the heat of battle and all of that's going on, an NFL quarterback can look at you a d back thirty or forty yards down the field and tell if your eye discipline is bad, can they not?
Exactly?
It's it's a quality that you can train for, but it's also something that as an individual you have to trust. And if a quarterback sees you not looking at him and looking at a receiver, therefore you don't know when a ball is going to be thrown for how kin I react as a corner if I don't see the ball.
In all your head?
If we plan zone, if you're.
Playing man the man you should never see the quarter But if we're planning zone and you're not looking at me as a quarterback, I know you have no chance to break on the ball. So therefore, with my quarterbacks on that level, thirty two of the best quarterbacks in the world, and they can put the ball anyway they want to the majority of the time. So yes, if you're not. If you're not, I guess your intentions are in the wrong area. They will exploit it.
I watched the NFL networks coverage for a change, nothing against ABCS, just wanted something different. But I did hear what the guys on the ABC set had to say about Harston, and they were raving about his ability. Not just to break on the ball, that's pretty obvious, but as Herbstreet talked about finding the ball, he talked about the fact that so many corners, so many d backs had trouble doing that.
Is that the case?
Van?
How tough is that? What you know? Tell me the challenges there?
Tracking the ball.
Is a god given talent and some people just have it naturally. And he does have that the ability to have you seen DB's jump too early or and then they missed the ball and the receiver catches after they come down. That is a trait that is God give And that's the same trait that Travis Hunter has the ability to track the ball and some people just don't have it, and he has that ability. And when you run a four to two whatever, now you can catch
up to any ball while you're tracking it. Because most people, like myself, if I'm looking back at the ball, I'm slowing down him on the hop city And with that amount of speed and and catch up on ability is what makes him the potential to be special.
That's Van Heils, the former Kentucky defensive back, former Chicago Bears defensive back, talking to me on the Leachs Report. I love looking at his cutups online on Twitter, and of course he's a podcast host, The Locker for one one. You hear him on Sunday Morning Sports Talk Now and then with Anthony White and Larry and the Gang, so you can learn a lot of football from Van Eiles, and I really enjoy talking to him. He still lives in his home state of Louisiana, but he keeps an
eye everlastingly on his beloved Kentucky Wildcats. More Football Talk comes up next with Chris Collins, the defensive backs coach and co defensive coordinator for the Wildcats. That's all I had on the Big Blue Insider. Plus we'll hear from the baseball Cats here on six thirty WLAP. You're back to work. I know you're busy today. Here is Mitch in three to two one. Welcome back to the Big blueing Sider, joined now by Kentucky Athletics Director Mitch Barnhardt. Mitch,
how has your week been going? I mean, I know it's early, but you had a busy one last week, didn't you.
We did a lot going on with obviously we had trustee meetings and full slate of activities on campus, and so thankful for You're getting close to the end of the year. We get and wrap up some of our seasons. Our teams are doing well, but a lot to play for in a lot of different areas. But a lot to do between now and end of June as well, so we've got a lot of things on our plate.
I want to touch base on a couple of things, but I want to start with the LLC that I don't know if you want to call it a bombshell, but it was certainly a newsworthy A lot of people talking about that. If you could just sort of in a nutshell explain what it is to listeners and why it's a good thing for.
UK, Well, I don't know that you know that in terms of the time allotted, I think the easiest thing. I think the easiest thing for people to understand is that we've been fairly static in the world of college
athletics for a good long time. And we can say that, hey, we've done this innovation and we've done that innovation, but the relaty of it is all falls down in four or five buckets of revenue for athletic departments, whether it's tickets, or it's fundraising, or it's multimedia contracts, conference revenue sharing, licensing and t shirts and hats and concessions and serving those kinds of things. It's sort of been in that circle.
If you look differently and you're trying to think differently, we needed to create an entity that allowed us to be hopefully a little more nimble and the way we do our work allow us some creativity and some space to go do some things that are different and some ways to be more efficient in what we do. In terms of the way we spend our money. And so
the university's got a thought process on this. They've put those in place through the healthcare system with UK Healthcare in the overarching organization of Beyond Blue, and in that we have created some entities for healthcare that have been super helpful in terms of hospitals across the state. So we took that same concept and applied that to athletics and gave us that concept to create Champions Blue, which will be the entity which will house the athletic department.
Much different from the UK Athletic Association in the old days, where that was an externally run organization with an external board. This will be internally run organization with under the board the auspice of the Board of Trustees and Athletics Committee. Okay, so that will be different. And then the concept would be to at that point be able to create three to five six new buckets of revenue streams coming into
our department. That takes some of the pressure off of these other places that have been sort of been sort of holding most of our efforts for a good number of years. And so that's the goal is to try and alleviate some of that financial pressure and create a new two or three new wheels where it's constant revenue of things coming in and we have a chance to continue to grow it.
You and I have talked about this a few times through the last few years, and we were on a panel discussion show together on KEET and you mentioned the fact that you wanted to proceed wisely and cautiously. At the beginning. Some people might have thought that you were dragging your heels, but you said, you want to make sure we do this right and we're smart about it.
Because they're just everybody dove in. There weren't any guard rails, and now I think, does this not apply guardrails where they're needed the most.
Well, I think a couple of things with the litigation that is currently being talked about out of the ninth District Cord of California for the A four and the n C douable a between that and the name, image likeness and the the expenses that are so difficult to keep track of in terms of travel and medical and
food and things like that just continue to grow. Those pieces give us some ability to say, okay, what is necessary for us to move forward, and then it defines it a little bit and then for us to be able to say, yeah, here's the guardrails with which we think we can operate under this new world that we're in. Number one and number two, that gives us the chance to be most effective under Kentucky law. And there are
some things that we've been able to change. Thankful for the leadership in Frankfort in mid March that they were able to change our our Kentucky nil law that gave us a chance to be more in line with what the settlement will have coming out. And in the next few weeks, we hope and we get that that squared away. Now we have the ability to implement the things that are of the settlement and will give us a chance to hopefully be thoughtful about what we do as we
as we go forward. So, you know, I don't know if there's there's never hey, these are these are the ten answers to every question. But in terms of the things that we're facing, we do know that there's gonna be a it's going to be a little bit of a dance trying to figure our way through all of this.
We know the waters and I've said this before, the waters are a little choppy, right now, and hopeful after we get this and we can begin to smooth smooth things out a little bit and give us a chance to to operate in a way that that gives Kentucky the best chance to be competitive in a really difficult league and and and Nash only we have been very competitive nationally. We want to make sure that we're still on that.
In that conversation, what was the change in law that came from Frankfurt if you can explain that in Senesame Street terms to.
Us, Yeah, I think I think what it allowed it allowed us the institution to pay directly finances from the revenue share and arrange nil deals that will help our student athletes in the landscape. We weren't allowed to do some of that before. So it's not just for Kentucky,
it's for all schools in the state of Kentucky. It gives them the flexibility for institutions to participate in the rest share and then for the institutions to use our money or third party money to directly pay our student athletes in the rep share.
Piece, I got you, Kentucky UK is plumbing some new ground here that's going to make you proud.
Well, I'm thankful, We've got a very thoughtful staff. They're working hard at it all the time. Thankful for the administration of the university, doctor Capludo and doctor Monday, and they've been really helped full as we try and get to a different spot. They've been helpful. We've been The conversation we've used a lot, Dick is that it's been partner equity, and you hear a lot about private equity, and that's certainly one component in the world that we're
in today in terms of all business. Ours is more like a partner equity. We've been good partners to the university, and the university has been great partners to us, and so we've been able to work together and to find a way and I appreciative of them stepping forward to a time when we need we need some help and in both administratively in terms of the things that we're allowed to do and the things that may be financially we're going to need to do.
When you were a young assistant ad and you were a fundraiser and eight's around the country worried about hiring coaches, building facilities, I mean you look down the road and now you know every guy in your line of work, and woman is dealing with similar situations with the portal within I with things that seem to be changing every
day in the courtrooms and things like that. I know you didn't sign up for this, but what is that like the way it's affected your job, especially you have, you know, a fewer years ahead of you compared to what you got behind you. But man, it's it's just a challenging job now more than ever, isn't it.
It really is, you know. And there's an old phrase in it says, it doesn't have to be your fault to be your responsibility. And I would say a lot a lot of this a lot for a lot of folks. It wasn't It wasn't what they created, it wasn't what they got into. But it has our responsibilities. We go forward to try and find our way through it. So that's what we'll do, and we'll try and find our way through it. I've got again, I'm thankful for the
staff that I have. It's an amazing group of people that have worked really really hard to sort of get us to the starting line of all this. And we've got a lot more work ahead of us. And but the goal the end of the day is still everyone thinks this is trite when you say it. I did an interview with a the SEC Network last week and one of the comments maybe he talked about academics. I guess he has to. Now that's because we want to
We've got We've still got five hundred student athletes. Although some of them may be getting some monies that they didn't get before, they're still going to school, they're still getting degrees, and they're still important for us to dial into the Academy of Higher Education. And so that's really important for us, and so we worked really hard to make sure we haven't lost that alignment between diplomas and hands and rings on fingers. We talked about that all the time.
Well, when people in my line of work who walk my side of the street scoff at the at the student end of things, I try to remind hey, one percent of these kids go pro the way that you know you see within the media and we cover the tail that wags the dog. We've got to remember that. So we're talking with Mitch Barnard, UK's athletics director. I mentioned facilities. Over the weekend you all celebrated the historic
Memorial Coliseum of the formal reopening up it. And I know that the weather could have cooperated a little bit better, But were you pleased at the way it turned out, because I'll tell you what, Mitch, the renovation turned out incredibly well.
Well, thank you. We're certainly excited about it. I think we finally got to an in spot of most of them. There might be a couple of punch list things still to do, but by and Marche the heavy liftings done on the facility. It is spectacular. So much history and so much so much memories for so many people, and so it was wonderful to bring everybody together on Saturday
and just have a chance to reflect on that. I think sometimes when we see a lot of times in facilities and different places across the country, you see the word memorial, and I think that just a word we toss away pretty casually. And I thought it was really really special to listen to people talk on Saturday about what memorial meant to them, not only the word, but
what them meant. And for the ability to watch people as they walked around the pillars out front and to find names of loved ones from their hometown or from their family or for whatever it happened to be in the on the stone pillars out front was really spectacular. It was emotional for a lot of people, and really really cool to know that we've honored our veterans in such a really really remarkable way and the want to continue to do that, so we're thankful for that. It
was pretty neat. It was really really great. It was great to ask some of our teams there, in our athletes to listen. That's what it meant to be one of those one of those folks that has a chance to play in that facility and appreciate it.
Many years ago, I just took some time and walked around reading the plaques of the names, and I knew obviously there were a lot of Kentuckians who lost their lives in World War Two. I was not aware of Mitch that there were what twenty five UK students who went off to fight and were killed in the war. So so it's just it's an incredible history lesson, isn't it.
No, it really is.
In twenty five student athletes for that matter. Yeah, student athletes that went that went to and went over there and we had a chance to represent our opportunity to represent our in our country and lost their lives in battle, and so I you know, you talk about it back in the day of World War two and the Korean conflict in Vietnam and those they were drafted into that at ages seventeen, eighteen, nineteen years old and brought into
it with you know, that's what they did. And so they went in knowing that the result could be one that didn't didn't allow them to keep their life, which was really So that's what we want to make sure we honor that the right way. And so I think we've done that. I think the facility reflects that, and it reflects the incredible, incredible athletic tradition of this institution and so so we're excited to be able to carry that on.
Well, I was going to say when Jack Gibbans and I worked the pro day, boy, it seems like a long time ago, but before basketball season and here's I'm dating myself. But the first couple of years I was a UK, I attended the varsity games in the coliseum Jack Gibbons played, and we would tell today's players about that, and they would look around and go, how did they
do that? I said, well, the seating arrangement was a little bit different back then with eleven thy five hundred, and people don't realize Adolph Rupp thought that the coliseum was going to be a white elephant. He was thinking, how do we fill this thing? Obviously they did, but now it's a show place. And and what's it like for you when other coaches in ad eastmen around the country, around the conference come in and look around and see the job you all have done on this building.
Well, I think I think it's it's obviously it's a source of pride for our institution and for and we're certainly excited about it. I think people, you know, I think there was there's been a couple of facilities that when we were going through the design process we took note of and said, hey, we want to be like that, and we want to take it. And I used the term we had a gem. I wanted to make sure we turned it into a jewel, you know, And so we polished up the gem and made it a really
beautiful jewel. And it's and it's really really well done. And I love the fact that there's so much blue in the facility. And uh, I was The greatest story on Saturday was Sad Jerris. He was talking about when he played for REPS, was on REPS runs and uh, he said, he came in. He said, they'd go in at halftime and he goes, the crowd back then there
was no laws that said they couldn't smoke. So they went out in the lobbies and smoked a half a pack of cigarettes and came back in the seats and he said, he said, when you came out from halftime, there was this thin haze of smoke over the court, and he goes, you're you're running up and down the court and haaling all that. He goes, it was it wasn't great. So but but you know that's yeah, we laugh a little bit, but uh, that's those feelings were
full of that. And so you know, but great stories and great memories and and and and times change and and we've got to adjust and but at the end of the day, we still want to capture traditions and memories that went.
On to be as you know, a Lieutenant curdl in the United States Air Force. Before I let you go, you mentioned some teams that are coming to the ends of their respective seasons. I work baseball over the weekend. Looks like the baseball team is with all those new faces, Mitch, and you've been at a lot of the games lately, they're figuring things out. The pitching and the hitting are all coming together.
Yeah, they're starting to work the way through it. And as I was talking to someone earlier today, we've had so many injuries in all of our sports program this year. This is most most, maybe the most injuries we've ever seen. I'm not remembered as many as many injuries by sport as we walk through that have just affected us in so many ways. And so it's you know, coach Men just had his share this year between some of the arm injuries and the pitching staff. And then we've had
a couple of unfortunates. Well you know here the last couple of weeks, just folks, we're just starting to play some good baseball and they get hurt and now they're sitting down and and you know, it's so to walk through and continue to find your way to victories through all of that, regardless of teams, has been incredible this weekend. We obviously the baseball team took two or three from South Carolina, which was important to protect home field a
little bit. You know. We go on the road with Mississippi State next week, come home with Oklahoma before going on the road to Vandy, so some games down the stretch. We got to finally have nine games down the stretching conference. We need to find our way to do some work there. But thankful that our guys are playing some really good ball and so a good time of year's story would be trending towards postseason. So we got some other team working towards that as well, and so we're thankful for
their efforts. And this should be a good spring season for us. We're twentieth in the Director's Cup going into the spring and so see if we can hold our spot there. It'll be tough. Our conference is really good in the spring.
So really good, Mitch. Thank you so much for your time and congratulations on getting out ahead of things. But I'm glad you were able to clear some things up. And i hope people understand better now. People who can play, well, they're not playing for the school anymore. They're playing for the LLC. Well, the LLC is the school. That's what they need to remember.
Yeah, it is. It is as far as it just gives the chance to fund it differently. Yeah, yeah, appreciate it.
Appreciate it.
Talk to you soon, Thanks, Dick. Appreciate all the best.
Welcome back with a quick segment and on to hour number two and we talk with Chris Collins, Kentucky's co defensive coordinator and DB's coach. We'll talk to him about Maxwell Harston going to the NFL and Dean Walker they're playing for the Buffalo Bills together now along with Ray Davis. And then at seven thirty we'll make way for the Nick Menji Ownes show here on six thirty WLAP. Welcome back,
Thanks again to Mitch Barnhardt for joining us. Coming up in our next next hour Chris Collins, the defensive coordinator and d backs coach for the Wildcats. We'll talk about Maxwell Harston being drafted along with Dean Walker by Buffalo
in the NFL draft over the weekend. But we need to talk a little bit of baseball because well, of course, as I mentioned earlier, the Wildcats beating South Carolina took advantage of four South Carolina errors, three coming in one inning involving one Kentucky player, Luke Lawrence, who had a weekly hit ground ball to first base. The first baseman flips to the pitcher trying to cover, he drops the ball. It was there ahead of Lawrence, but Lawrence reaches on
the air. Then he moves up on a bunt, so now they try to pick him off. Second pitcher throws it away, center fielder charges backs up, fires a seed to third base, but it's wild goes and hits the front of the dugout. Lawrence breaks for home and he scores a run. So one guy involved with three different errors on one one half inning as Kentucky put up a run that made it what six to one, and
Wildcat's going to win at eleven to five. I bring that up because making the rounds on the internet was a walk off what they call little league home run by the San Francisco Giants over the Texas Rangers. A ground ball to the infield, thrown away at first base, and then a comedy of errors and the base runner the batter ends up scoring, comes around to score on
a weak round ball that never left the infield. And when you see that kind of thing, you're reminded of how young kids, the little kids, the little leaguers will spray around the yard. And that's how the Giants announcers Dwayne Kiper and Mike Cruco called it on the San Francisco Giants telecast promos. Is one for two tapsis one to third and.
He tells down the right Bill l.
Robinson is on the ball and he is gonna stuck.
No, now he's gonna go to third. Here's the throuw the gowd. There comes rebels. This game is over. The Giants win the game at a.
Little league home run, and again that's courtesy Bay Area Sports. That is the most it's gotta be the most embarrassing way to lose the game. They were looking at extra innings, but in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Rangers throw it all over the yard and the Giants go home happy with a three to two win. The play from the Kentucky game happened in the sixth inning. It was later in the game that Kentucky socked it away.
But teams need to get South Carolina now because Paul Minarrey is a coach and he's a great one and he will turn things around there as he did at LSU and Notre Dame. Our number two is next with Chris Collins on six thirty.
Wlapning at such.
Tact Can Anything Anything?
Welcome back to the Big Blue and Cider. Joining us down our celebrity highline is a guy we talked to you back in March about Kentucky football. But we need to revisit with Chris Collins, co defensive coordinator and Dback's coach for the Wildcats, because one of your star pupils now had the night of his life, didn't he, Chris h Maxwell Harrison going in the first round of the Buffalo Bills. You had to be excited, almost excited as he was.
I definitely definitely was, man. It was, you know, the site to see, you know, tremendously excited for Max and his family. I don't know if I could match his excitement, man, you know, watching him, you know, watching him throughout the process. Man, you know, just be who he is, you know, congratulating every guy that went across the stage before him.
You know.
It was funny. We had some uh my wife's sister, so my sister in law was in town and and she's like, he always liked that, Like, yes, he really always liked that, you know, So it was it was it was a pleasure to see. I'm so happy for him and his family.
And he had that that great spot right by the camera. I don't know if he planned it that way or what, but every person who left that room got a handshake and a hug from Maxwell. Yeah.
Man, good little works and mysterious ways.
Man.
You know that that position and kind of put him in a great spot to show who he was. Yeah, so he being for us and show he'll be at the next level. So you know, it's funny. And then you know, out of all the things that kind of could have gone viral, that was one thing that went viral. You know from the experience. You know, so again, man, just excited for him and his family, the hard work he's put in, commitment to the process of being phenomenal. Watch it, you know, watch it kind of unfold.
Yeah, you've coached in several places. You've also worked with academics, with with student athletes, so you get to know these guys. Uh, and so there's it's more than just a coach player relationship. It's more than just you know, having a guy helping a guy move on, isn't it?
Oh, it is it is, man. You know I was blessed in my career to kind of work my way up through the ranks, you know. And so at division two, you know, he talked about it. We had to wear a lot of caps, you know, the blessed to have some guys going to the next level from Division two and every level since. But yeah, I think the Good
Lord put it on my heart at that time. You know, it's bigger than just football, you know, and help need you grow and develop into two quality humans, quality men, you know, and so you know, but yes, dealing with the academics at that level and you know, doing a lot more than just you know the x's and o's. You know, I just continue to carry that, you know, every stop and so that relationship, man, that bond, you know,
it's one that's really special. And you know it takes a lot of time and a lot of committment, a lot of sacrifice to get it to the place that's necessary. But continue to be willing to do that, and you know, nights like Thursday night man or you know, phenomenal deals, uh, to watch that maturation process.
Let's go back a few years when Maxwell was struggling a bit, uh, you know, had a particularly tough game against Vandy when Vandy came in here to election into one and then turned it around, come completely the next year and became an All Conference performer, National Player of the Week. The two pick sixes against Vandy I had, he was our player of the game on the radio network.
I interviewed him out outside of that you know, inflatable tent you guys had for a locker room, and I talked to him before I knew how gracious and humble he was. But just how in the world did this happen? Chris? I mean, the hard work, I know, But what is it that he brings to that position that you think enabled him to make this climb?
Well, you know, the Good Lord blessed Max with ability, right, and so it was our job to kind of help him home that ability, you know. But to his credit, to his parents' credit. Man, you know, the kid understood adversity and wasn't afraid of it, you know. And so a lot of young people go through those moments, and you know, we call them pit moments, to where they could really make you or they could break you, you know. And so we knew what type of player he could be.
He knew what type of player he could be. And so that moment, you know, rewinding back to that young freshman who probably wasn't ready for that moment at the time, you know, thrown in that fire in the sec in the critical moment. He used it as motivation, you know, he used it as fuel to continue to level and elevate the level of work. You know, that was necessary to take those steps. And so we knew he had
the ability. You know, we talk about potential, and potential is a dangerous word, and so you know, but he took advantage of what was in front of him and made the most of that potential. And so you know, again that just goes back to the foundation as parents laid in them, you know, in terms of who he is character wised, His work ethic was there, but it was about honing that work ethic, right, not just going and doing really nearly all kinds of millions of things.
Let's be specific on how we're getting better and intentional about that process from the field work to the film study. And he took the plan and ran with it, you know, and took the plan and ran with it. And so the results are the results. And we talk to our guys about that process all the time, and so it's a great thing to see, you know, when you can see those scars live and in person, you know, and then be able to see guys fight through that a version.
That wasn't the only adversity they faced in his career, but that was a good starting point to it to say, hey, man, I'm strong and I'm mentally in physically to fight through this thing and come out on the other side better because of it.
We're talking with Kentucky co defensive coordinator Chris Collins, a defensive backfield coach for the Wildcats. I've got to think, Chris, this is kind of an obvious question, but dealing with adversity, the ability to do that, I would think has to be especially vital for a defensive back. Am I right, shortest memory on the team?
I gotta think, yeah, it is. It is a crucial, a crucial attribute to being successful at the position. And you know, as coaches, we try to train it. You know, we work really hard at trying to train it and putting our guys in adverse situations, you know, throughout practice, you know, throughout the off season and training, even in the meeting room. You know, we try to train it there as well, and so it becomes a little bit easier, a little bit easier.
Uh.
You know, but I tell guys all the time, nothing like playing in front of one hundred thousand, nothing like playing in front of you know, uh you that home crowd. And so you know, we're putting you in these situations intentionally. So you get these scars now, but understand, you want to get them now in practice, get them now in the meeting room. Uh, so you don't have to feel those same scars in the ball game. And you know, Coach Stoop says it all the time. Nothing is a
better teacher than scars. You know, you get scard from a moment. You know, you'll learn, you know, and a lot of times those scars, you know, run a little bit deeper, you know, when in front of the audience. And so but but training that mentality of the next play, you know, is important, and so we talk about man the confidence that it takes the place position is the correct reflection of the work that you're willing to put in,
you know. And so if you're willing to put in extra you'll develop that confidence and that confidence and carry you through those that situations because they're going to show up, especially in this league.
Oh yeah, uh and in the NFL. You you've been here for it four years, so you know all about the Big Blue Nation. But you know, there's a real parallel I think with Bill's mafia, right, I mean, and they have been vocal and welcoming Maxwell Harriston. You got to love that for.
Him, I do.
I do. His personality, you know, who he is as a young man. I think it fits just like it's fit here. You know, humble, hard working, blue collar you know, a kid that that wasn't given anything, had to go earn it, you know. And I think that speaks to to our fan base, and of course it speaks to the Bills fan base as well, and so I think it's a great fit. I think that's why we have
other UK former UK players you know, on their rosters. Yeah, and so you know, it's really exciting, really exciting time. But again, I think not just the Blue got a lot more in common than Just the Blue in terms of, you know, the style of play, you know, the program and the fan base.
And you gotta love the fact, like you said that Ray Davis is there so and it was Max was so funny when he's that I'm moving in. But uh and now Dion Walker is going with him. So will you talk about a safety We're not a safety blanket, but just some real comfort around him, right.
Yeah, yeah, no question, no question in terms of you know, some guys that have gone through it, you know that he can lean on the guys that are going through it at the same time. You know, rookie year is tough.
Man.
I was talking to Drew Phillips, you know, a couple of weeks back he came back training. He's like, man, it just it goes so fast because you're going from the draft pre draft process, you know, the end of the season, bowl games right then you go straight into Singior Bowl pre draft. Then you're going straight into to Combine right then his draft and and then he goes straight in the rookie Minnie camp and it just stopped.
It's almost a full you know, three hundred and sixty five in terms of like you're going going going, so that rookie year can be a lot, and so having guys who you know going through it, you know previous year, and guys that are going through it with you from the same place. Man, I think will help tremendously.
He is Chris Collins, co defensive coordinator for the Wildcats and defensive backs coach. And of course we're talking about Maxwell Harrison and Dion Walker, both drafted by the Buffalo Bills. Back in just a minute on six thirty Wlap Welcome back to the Big Blue Insider. My guest is Chris Collins. He is the co defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach for the Wildcats. Dion was drafted to provide depth. They needed help on the D line. They drafted some other
D linemen, but Max, he's a first round pick. Now they're going to expect results right away. I don't know if he'll be a starter or be a nickelback whatever, but he's going to have to produce right away, isn't he.
Man.
I'm excited for him. I know he's excited about it. You know. He doesn't run from challenges, you know, and I think that's shown throughout his career and I think that's a big reason why you know, he's drafted the first round. But outside of that, man, the kids all worker like he outside of just the football piece, right, the kids will work. He takes the information. Let's give it to him and try it. Really are works really
hard to apply, you know. And I say work, I mean in the classroom, in the meeting room, right, those things, those those traits, man, you can't always see on tape, but they show up in big plays. And so again, man, I'm excited for his opportunity. He'll make the most of it because he'll continue to work and continue to grind
that and it's gonna be hard, you know. We talked about it, man, at every level it is, and so embracing that grind, you know, leaning on the past experiences that he's had to go through and his life stick up to this point to push him through. But I know he's excited for the challenge and we're excited to see him accept that challenge.
Well, speaking of work, I love the video clip I'm sure you saw when he walked onto the field up in Buffalo for the first time, saying I'm in the NFL, and he was so excited and I'm ready to run some drills right now in my loafers. A lot of adrenaline happenings. But that that's typical, isn't it.
Oh hundreds percent, hundred percent Again, like you know, that's that's his DNA, you know, that's that's his DNA, you know, and he learned it from his mom and his dad and and uh he's continued not just to again learn but apply it right. And so I think that's a big piece of being successful. A lot of guys can get the information right, but who's willing to apply it
on a consistent basis? And so, uh, he's had guys that he's learned from in our room in the past, uh, who have gone on to the NFL, who's still in the NFL. And so I think he took all those you know, those nuggets right that he got from from family, from from teammates, right from uh, from from myself, from our coaching staff, from coach students and uh and worked really hard to apply him And so, you know, getting tremendously happy for him.
Some of the experts say that as great as he is at breaking on the ball his speed, that he needs to learn to tackle a little bit better. But at least one guy said, then, you know, he was dealing with injuries this past year. Do you have any qualms about that? I mean, everybody needs to get better, but was that Chris The result of the fact that he did have the injury he was dealing with this past season.
I do.
I do believe that, you know, we never know, but I do believe that because you look back, you know, you know, you go back twenty three season, and he's one of our better tackles, you know, especially out in pliminary space. He's willing to do it, you know what I mean, And so there's no fear in that regard. And so I think, you know, dealing with the injuries,
because it's funny, you know, for forty injuries. I was talking to one s guy and he's like, man, the best name Max needed versus South Carolina was special teams. They had three tackles on special teams of the gunner, you know, and so you know he had to strip back and so again that was pre you know that nobody really realizes that that injury was early in the season, yeah, you know, and so again that's a really uncomfortable deal.
You know that he pushed through all through. But but I do think they had to, you know, play the part in it, played the party in the kids tough. You know, he's fought through injuries in the path. You know, when you're dealing with a show. You're trying to get big people on the ground. You know, it plays the part, It plays the part. But but again I think he's you know, he hears it, you know, just like he hears everything. Here are things here when he was a player.
You know that that that motivate him, you know, that'll push him. And again I think he's excited for the challenge.
Talking with Chris Collins, he is a co defensive coordinator and defensive back coach for the Wildcats, and we mentioned Dion Walker earlier. Were you surprised Dion? I don't know if I want to say he slipped to the fourth round because generally D tackles D linemen are quite a commodity. But you know, I guess the team and whole kind of struggled last year, as we all know. Do you think that affected his draft status?
You know, I think I think the good little works and mysterious ways, you know, I think it was a perfect storm that everything kind of played the way it did. And you know, and Max and Dion both from the same area, right, played at the same university, get to start their professional career, you know, with the with the
with the same programs. So you know, I think, you know, we can all speculate and do those things, but at the end of the day, got an opportunity, you know, man, dream came true, get drafted and uh, and I think he's gonna go make the most of that. And just like Max, I think his best football is in front of him.
I love the video clips when they were showing Dion and they had that hit that he put on down at Florida a couple of years ago when he stoned the running back in the backfield. That was That was like his coming out party, wasn't it. He signaled to the sec Hello, I'm Deon Walker, and this is what you can expect.
Yeah he did, he did. He said, yes, I'm a very big human.
Uh.
That's really athletic. That's also got some power behind that athleticism. And so I'm here to stay. And he did that. And he's an anchor for us in the middle, you know, three years here and really appreciative for sacrifice and you know, man, the hard work that he put in, and excited to see him continue to do that at the next level and continue to elevate and grow.
Man.
That's part of it.
Man.
The process, man continuing to grow in it. Sometimes it's uncomfortable, right, Sometimes it doesn't look how we always envisioned it. But the opportunity, the opportunity man continue to grow and continue to do that. I think, uh he will take full advantage of that.
Oh yeah, oh yeah. And and plus, as we mentioned earlier, he doesn't have to carry the load on the D line as you know, if you were a first round pick, which would have been nice. But uh, he can kind of learn at a different pace, can he. I mean, he's gotta he's got to work hard, but he doesn't have to go in there and and and you know, be a superstar on day one.
Man. I think you know, again, I think the program that he was drafted to fit, you know, just like you know, White Joe's University of Kentucky. I think I think a lot of those things. You know, we can't line them up any the way we want to, right. The good lawyers got our plan and we just got to trust it. Man. But we look at it, man holistically, you know, you mentioned a great point. But holistically, man,
I think it's a great fit. Sure, uh, you know, for them to go go in there and be really successful and you know, again make the most of it.
Well you're a southern guy. Uh can you imagine playing in that weather up there? And fans love it. When you talk about a new stadium and do we need a dome, they're like, no, you know, they love the weather up there. But uh, your kids are gonna have to make that adjustment. Rate made it, but I guess they're gonna have to do it as well.
Yeah, it's a little bit colder, just a little bit.
You know.
We both both of them are from you know, from Michigan, minister, you know, a little bit further north as well, and so you know they're both custom playing weather all the way through youth league, you know, and we have some weather games here, you know, a couple of snow games, you know what I mean. And so you know, uh, when you're out there that WANs pumping.
Uh.
You know, you you tend to kind of forget about it. Now when you get over to the sideline, you know, it might be a little bit of a reminder because you're not out there running around.
Yeah.
Man, they got heated benches in the Yeah, yeah, they got it. I hear old school, Uh, Kentucky playing We never had those heaters on our sideline.
You know that's right.
I'm sure too, But.
Kentucky, honestly, I didn't mean to cut you off. I think it's harder for the coaching, you know in the cold weather, man, you know what I mean. You know, I'll just messing with you know, we don't get the pads on running we did out there standing cold, you know, so you gotta you know. But but but now I'm
just messing. I think those guys will do well. I think a lot of pieces play into the fit, you know, and so I know NFL teams, man, they spend a lot of time and a lot of resources, you know, digging back and pulling back those layers saying you know, hey, man, what's the what's the backdrop behind just the you know, the film that will help them be successful. I think, you know, some of that played into the part, hey, where they're from originally?
You know, well before I let you go, you also coached Carrington Valentine a place for my Green Bay Packers. I heard from Have you heard from him lately? What's the word on him?
Yeah? I was actually dming with a CV a couple of weeks back. You know, after you know, after we had our pro date, after got our pro date, and so kind of leading up into the draft process, checking in with him, and he's doing he's doing well, continuing to enjoy grow. You know. Uh, you know coach Angeley who was here for a while, he's actually a dB coach you know at Green Bay, and so we had a chance to talk throughout the draft process, you know, of course about Max, but also just you know house
caringson doing it. He's doing well, and they're excited about you know, this upcoming season for him, and so I'm excited for him as well.
Yeah, we drafted for offense for a change up in Green Bay.
But yeah, and that was a pretty cool moment.
Yeah, I was surprised. Yeah, first first wide receiver drafted O two. Obviously we root for Carrington and I am a shareholder, so I'm an owner, so I need to keep tracking things like that. So yeah, you're talking to the NFL owner coach you need to Yes, yes, thanks for your time and I hope to see you soon. But I appreciate all the knowledge. Oh yes, sir, thank you can go and up next to Nick Mnjeones show here on six thirty w l A.
P shop thinking back takes to tip it down into donating to BOS.