Commonwealth Stadium, Through The Players And Coaches: 40 Years Of Reflection

Sonny Collins, Running Back (1972-1975)

What is your favorite play at Commonwealth Stadium as a player?

• My touchdown run against the Alabama Crimson Tide in 1973. They were ranked #4 nationally.

What is your favorite game at Commonwealth Stadium as a player?

• The Virginia Tech game in 1973. It was the first game of the season playing in the new Commonwealth Stadium. (Sonny Collins had the first UK touchdown run ever in Commonwealth Stadium in that game)

What game at Commonwealth Stadium, as a player, would you most want deleted from your memory bank?

• The Vanderbilt game in 1974 when I got injured. I was leading the conference in rushing yards with over 900 heading into the game. I had 73 rushing yards before the first half was over and a touchdown when the injury happened. We had two games left on the season. Without a doubt I would have led the SEC again in rushing yards. (Sonny Collins finished the 1974 season with 970 rushing yards, second in the SEC behind Mississippi State’s Walter Packer, who finished with 994 rushing yards.)

When was it the loudest you ever heard it at Commonwealth Stadium?

• I recall all the home games being loud and exciting.

What is your favorite game at Commonwealth Stadium as a spectator (either in attendance or watching on tv)?

• The Florida game in 1974. I was watching on the sidelines as an injured player and we beat Florida, they were ranked #9 nationally.

What will you remember most about the gameday atmosphere/fans at Commonwealth Stadium?

• My family attended each game and the fans were just amazing! Also, my senior year in 1975, knowing that each game will be my last playing in Commonwealth Stadium.

Fran Curci, Head Coach (1973-1981)

September 15th, 1973 is special for two reasons. One, it was Kentucky’s first game ever played at Commonwealth Stadium. Two, it was your first game as head coach at the University of Kentucky. Describe the excitement in the fanbase, and the excitement for you as well, surrounding the opening of the new stadium and the start of a new era with Kentucky football.

• It was a new stadium, everyone was excited, and we won. It was a great start.

What is your favorite play at Commonwealth Stadium as head coach?

• Sonny Collins scoring a touchdown against Alabama our second game there in 1973.
  

What is your favorite game at Commonwealth Stadium as head coach?

• Beating Penn State in 1976.
  

What game at Commonwealth Stadium, as head coach, would you most want deleted from your memory bank?

• Many games

When was it the loudest you heard it at Commonwealth Stadium?

• When we beat Tennessee in 1977.

What will you remember most about the gameday atmosphere/fans at Commonwealth Stadium?

• The SEC makes every game have a great atmosphere. We had good success against the SEC.

Rod Stewart, Running Back (1975-1978)

Being from Ohio, what did you know, if anything, about Commonwealth Stadium prior to becoming a student at the University of Kentucky?

• I knew nothing of the SEC or UK, therefore I knew nothing of Commonwealth Stadium. Growing up in Ohio State’s backyard and being heavily recruited by Woody Hayes everyone assumed I was going there.

What is your favorite play at Commonwealth Stadium as a player?

• It was a 62-yard run against Penn State in 1976. Growing up in the midwest you knew the tradition of teams like Penn State and Joe Paterno. I was a sophomore and starting at fullback. I broke through the middle, kicked it outside, and ran it in front of the Penn State bench and Joe Paterno. It was captured in the newspapers. It was a great photo.

What is your favorite game at Commonwealth Stadium as a player?

• The Florida game in my sophomore year of 1976. They came into Commonwealth Stadium highly rated (ranked #15 in the AP Poll) and we were not expected to win. Coach Curci switched benches so that we were on the visitors side and they were on the home side. It put them in the shade and the cold and we were in the sun. They dropped a lot of passes that they normally caught. I remember Cris Collinsworth being wide open and in front of our bench and he dropped a sure touchdown pass. We won that game, 28-9.

What game at Commonwealth Stadium, as a player, would you most want deleted from your memory bank?

• The Penn State game in 1978. It was my first game as a starter coming back from a knee surgery. I was not ready and was getting hammered. The best thing out of that game was my first hit on Penn State’s defensive end Matt Millen and he was at his knees. He lifted me up and said, “listen Stewart, we are both coming off knee surgeries, how about we both hit above the belt”. We did so the rest of the game. In the newspapers he was quoted as saying, “that Stewart is a class act”.

What is your favorite game at Commonwealth Stadium as a spectator (either in attendance or watching on tv)?

• It was not my favorite but it was my most memorable game. The year I was out with knee surgery, 1977, and going to the game on crutches. The newspaper captured it on photo and called me the injured warrior. It was the hardest thing to do, to watch from the sidelines.

When was it the loudest you ever heard it at Commonwealth Stadium?

• It was always loud. My freshman year, 1975, we only won two games but we ranked 6th in the country for home attendance. The games we lost, we lost in the final seconds (5 of their 8 losses were by a touchdown or less). We were exciting to watch. Of course we would follow up that season as SEC champs.

What will you remember most about the gameday atmosphere/fans at Commonwealth Stadium?

• The thing I remember most about gameday is my first game as a Division I player in 1975. It was at Commonwealth Stadium (Virginia Tech) and nothing can prepare you for that emotional high. Walking out there during pre-game with music playing, the tailgate atmosphere, and the stadium with scattered people slowly filling it up. Then walking out to a sold out crowd. It was awesome.

Derrick Ramsey, Quarterback (1975-1977)

Being from Florida, what did you know, if anything, about Commonwealth Stadium prior to becoming a student at the University of Kentucky?

• I knew nothing about the new stadium prior to me coming to UK. However, once I arrived there, there was always the conversation about enlarging the stadium.

What is your favorite play at Commonwealth Stadium as a player?

• My longest run at UK was against Penn State in 1976, it was certainly one of my most memorable plays at UK.  Most importantly we beat them, and we were not picked to win. (Penn State was ranked #20 in the AP Poll heading into the game)

What is your favorite game at Commonwealth Stadium as a player?

• The Tennessee game in 1977. We were all beaten up from the week before (defeated Florida 14-7 down in Gainesville), and yet we found a way to win. This just speaks to how great this team was.

What game at Commonwealth Stadium, as a player, would you most want deleted from your memory bank?

• The Georgia game in 1976. We did everything we could to give it to them. Offensively we had 410 yards and one touchdown. As our quarterback I did not do my job. My job is to get us in the end zone.

What is your favorite game at Commonwealth Stadium as a spectator (either in attendance or watching on tv)?

• Watching Tim Couch lead us against Alabama in 1997. As an athlete I never got to play against the Crimson Tide, so I got to live through Tim as we rolled over the Tide.

When was it the loudest you ever heard it at Commonwealth Stadium?

• The Tennessee game in 1977. It was the culmination of a great season. And the fans of Kentucky finally got what they deserved, the best! Because Kentucky fans are the best in the country! I will always have a love affair with the fans of Kentucky.

What will you remember most about the gameday atmosphere/fans at Commonwealth Stadium?

• Gameday was always exciting for me, there is no better feeling than walking into Commonwealth Stadium, knowing that you are going to war! And knowing that we were going be victorious, there is no better feeling.

Any interesting stories concerning Commonwealth Stadium that you would like to share?

The gladiators that I went to war with will never be forgotten in Kentucky, SEC or national history. The best ever!