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

Jeff Snedegar, Linebacker (1996-1999)

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

• Well, when I went around visiting different colleges I attended a UK game at Commonwealth Stadium and this was when we were having a terrible year. What I noticed was the stadium was sold out and the fans were crazy.  I thought to myself what would these fans be like if we had a winning program.  The loyalty of the fans at UK is definitely a strong hold for the program and the state.  It was very exciting seeing the town, people, university, and football program go from a losing season to a winning program and I have two bowl rings to show for it.

You were at Kentucky during the expansion process. Describe the excitement around the program knowing that the stadium was going to be larger and your thoughts on being a part of the first team to play in the “new” Commonwealth Stadium in 1999?

• Knowing that we had started a winning tradition that caused for an expansion was very exciting.  I do believe that the first game that we played after the expansion was Louisville.

What was your favorite play at Commonwealth Stadium?

•  I don’t have one particular play that stands out, but I would say my whole career there.  It was an honor and I’m very proud to say that I’m a UK alumni football player. I love the state and university and hope that someday my child will get to play in Commonwealth Stadium!

What was your favorite game at Commonwealth Stadium?

• That would be when David Ginn blocked the field goal during the Alabama game in 1997 and Anwar Stewart took it all the way back for the win. Fans hit the field and tore the goal posts down. It was a very creditable win for the university.  

What game at Commonwealth Stadium would you most like to delete from your memory bank?

• That would be the Tennessee game in 1997 that I got kicked out of.  We were up and I was having a pretty good game and after I got ejected it seemed to have a big impact on the defense and I really wanted to beat Tennessee once in my career at UK.

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

• When we beat Alabama in 1997.

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

• A few years back when we beat South Carolina in 2010, when they were ranked in top 10.  It was great to see UK finally get some respect and that game was very exciting.

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

• The beginning of the game when players and fans sang My Old Kentucky Home. I loved it!

Tom Leach, The Voice Of The Wildcats (1997-Present)

Being from the Bluegrass State, what did you know about Commonwealth Stadium prior to becoming The Voice Of The Wildcats? 

• My dad purchased season tickets for the first time the year Commonwealth Stadium opened, 1973. So we attended every home game, tailgating outside, listening to Leonard’s Losers and the other pregame radio programming, etc. So I was there in Section 129 every Saturday except for one or two games until I started working on the network in 1989.

What is your favorite play at Commonwealth Stadium since becoming The Voice Of The Wildcats?

• It’s Tim Couch’s touchdown pass to Lance Mickelsen in the first quarter of the 1997 win over Louisville. That was my first game as the football “voice” and it was a one-season trial so there was no guarantee beyond that first season. That play signaled the beginning of a new era, the Air Raid, and it gave me numerous exciting plays to call. And when things are going well for the team, fan support generally carries over to other areas, like the broadcast team.  The Braxton Kelly tackle to secure the upset of #1 LSU in 2003 would rank high, as well as the Couch-to-Yeast overtime touchdown to beat Alabama in 1997.  Also, the touchdown pass to Stevie Johnson against Louisville in 2007 may be the loudest I’ve ever heard the crowd at Commonwealth Stadium.

What is your favorite game at Commonwealth Stadium since becoming The Voice Of The Wildcats?

• The Louisville game in 1997. That first game was crucial to easing my nerves and getting me comfortable in that chair that has been held by the likes of Cawood Ledford, Claude Sullivan, Ralph Hacker, etc.

What game at Commonwealth Stadium, since becoming The Voice Of The Wildcats, would you most want deleted from your memory bank?

• Easy, the 2002 last-second loss to LSU.  It was such a deflating moment.  A close second would be the 2007 loss to Tennessee in 4 overtimes because it would have been such a big win for that team and might have put UK back in the Outback Bowl.

What was your favorite game at Commonwealth Stadium as a spectator?

• Probably the 1977 win over Tennessee that secured the 10-1 season.  Derrick Ramsey’s shoulder injury left him playing with essentially one arm and he showed such toughness and I really wanted that great team to finish off their season the right way.  Art Still, at defensive end, was such a dominant force for that team too. In that win over Tennessee, a reserve quarterback named Mike Deaton came off the bench to throw a pass to Felix Wilson that Ramsey would not have been able to throw and it led UK to the clinching touchdown.

When you finish your career as The Voice Of The Wildcats, what will you remember most about the gameday atmosphere/fans at Commonwealth Stadium?

• The passion of the Kentucky fans. They want it so badly for this program and when there’s been just the least bit of promise of a brighter day in the future, they have jumped in to help push the Cats forward with full force.

Hal Mumme, Head Coach (1997-2000)

The excitement surrounding your Air Raid offense at the University of Kentucky created a greater demand for attendance to watch your games and kick-started the expansion process of Commonwealth Stadium. Briefly discuss your thoughts on being a part of the expansion process at Commonwealth Stadium and being the first head coach at UK to play inside the “new” Commonwealth Stadium in 1999.

• Helping to expand Commonwealth Stadium was a great time and I enjoyed every minute of it. But the guy who deserves all the credit is C.M. Newton. He had the vision and enough courage to give a Division II coach a shot and saw the need to strike quickly on the stadium.

• Probably the Alabama game in 1997 because it had been such a long dry spell (75 years). They tore down the goalposts.

• The touchdown pass from my son Matt to Garry Davis against Indiana in 1998, it sparked a great comeback in a rivalry game. There are lots of other favorites but I have to be a proud dad on that one so it tops the list.

• I wouldn't delete any of the games, they were all fun. Even the losses were fun.

• I haven't really seen any games. I've had other games at other schools to coach so I don't get to watch much and I've never been to Commonwealth Stadium except to coach. I will enjoy watching Coach Stoops & the new Air Raid crew put on shows. So this one is yet to come.

• The greatest crowds ever, I loved those fans. Standing in the tunnel before kickoff, listening to them sing "My Old Kentucky Home" always brought a tear.

• My favorite story was after the Alabama game in 1997, the quarterback from the 1920s-era UK team that last beat Alabama (1922) was brought via wheelchair to our locker room where we gave him the game ball. He summoned Tim Couch over and whispered in his ear and Tim smiled. After the celebration I asked Tim what the 99-year old man had said to him and Tim replied, "He said that I needed to run the plays faster". Even a 99-year old ex-quarterback was into the Air Raid!

Anthony White, Running Back (1997-1999)

Describe the excitement surrounding the program, the fans, and yourself during the expansion process of Commonwealth Stadium and what it meant for you to be a part of the first team to play in the “new” Commonwealth Stadium in 1999?

• It was a great feeling knowing that we could pack more people into the stadium. With the addition of the screen on the scoreboard it gave us the opportunity to watch a big play again after it happened. It was really amazing because the fan support we were getting, coupled with the addition of the stadium renovations, made our fan base excited to enter the stadium. Then there was the added support with the extra end zone seating to feel the cheers as we entered the end zone. Funny thing is, when the renovations were occurring,  I personally felt like they were expanding the seating to meet consumer demands for more seats in the house to watch the Air Raid up close. Lol

What was your favorite play at Commonwealth Stadium?

• My favorite and most memorable play was the ESPY-nominated Billy Jack Haskins option run against Tennessee in 1995, no explanation necessary. And scoring the last touchdown against Tennessee in 1999, on a swing route, because it was my last game and it helped set a record although I don’t recall which one.

What was your favorite game at Commonwealth Stadium?

• Beating Alabama in 1997. In 1996 I had the worst game of my athletic career against them, which helped us lose a close game. Then to come back the next season and beat them for the first time in 75 years and almost amass 100 rushing yards and 100 receiving yards in the upset win was great.

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

• The loudest I have ever heard it at Commonwealth Stadium was in 2007 as a fan at the Louisville game, during the last 90 seconds of the game.

What game at Commonwealth Stadium would you most like to delete from your memory bank?

• I would like to erase the 1995 Florida game from my memory, which I already have because I don’t recall any details. It was just a good ass whooping.

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

• My favorite game as a fan was probably the South Carolina game in 2010 or the LSU game in 2007. Both games because they were exciting games that came down to the wire against top SEC opponents and we pulled it out down the stretch. That made both of those games exciting and memorable.

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

• I always will remember the fans yelling “First down Kentucky!” and the fans counting aloud as Scratch did push-ups. Those were always exciting moments for the fans as well as myself when it happened.

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

One of my proudest moments in Commonwealth Stadium was when I was invited back to be recognized during the game at midfield, I think it was 2004. There were Anthony White highlights on the scoreboard and the crowd gave me a welcomed reception. And that was my first time on the field since 1999 and my playing days. It was a really warming experience and a lasting feeling.