ICYMI: Kentucky Wildcats Football – 40 years of reflection of Commonwealth Stadium

Andre’ Woodson, Quarterback (2004-2007)

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

• Prior to attending the University of Kentucky, I was not that familiar with Commonwealth Stadium. My mother and I traveled often, due to her job, so when she was stationed to Kentucky I eventually became acquainted with the state’s passion involving sports. Towards my later years in high school I eventually became enlightened with Commonwealth Stadium and the tradition it held containing festivities, tailgating, and an extremely strong fan base.

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

• My favorite moment as a Cat was the Louisville game in 2007, the pass to Stevie Johnson down the sideline on the last drive. We had previously attempted to complete this exact play two times prior in the game and both times had an opportunity of being huge plays. Fortunately, we connected on this one! I cannot recall a moment I have ever witnessed Commonwealth Stadium so deafening when that ball landed in Stevie’s hands and eventually crossed the goal line. What a moment!

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

• My favorite game would easily be taking down eventual national champions, LSU Tigers, my senior year in 2007. After an extremely disappointing loss to South Carolina the previous week, we were determined to showcase a different performance against the #1 team in the nation. Some believe that was arguably the best game ever in Commonwealth Stadium history, so it feels great to be a part of such an accomplishment. I witness people all the time stating that was by far their most memorable moment as a UK fan. I just enjoy realizing I had something to do with bringing some success to the program.

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

• Haha What game would I like to erase from my memory bank? There are several games. haha My first few years on the team were an experience I will never forget. We went through a lot of struggles, trying to eventually get the program back on its feet. I could name several games I would like to forget existed, many I played in. lol Nonetheless, they were all games that helped mold us into a competitive team my last two years as a Wildcat.

What is your favorite game at Commonwealth Stadium as an assistant coach?

• My most memorable game as a graduate assistant would be the Tennessee game in 2011. After losing, from injury, the starting quarterback, the 2^nd-string quarterback, and then realizing we did not have a 3^rd-string quarterback to truly lean on, we decided to alternate our entire offensive playbook from 150 plays into a notebook of just 22 plays. Not to mention replacing the quarterback role, with only three days of preparations, to a wide receiver who had not played the position in five years. It was truly amazing watching everyone brainstorm and scheme a game plan fitting for what personnel we had suiting up for the upcoming game. To eventually beat Tennessee, a team that UK had not beaten in the last 27 years, with a wide receiver playing quarterback and 22 brand new plays scripted for a game with only three days of preparations was remarkable in that conference.

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

• Once again, the Louisville game in 2007 was by far the loudest I have ever witnessed Commonwealth Stadium. The moment Stevie crossed the goal line, I do not think I recall a moment it was ever that deafening in Commonwealth Stadium.

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

• I will forever remember the LSU game in 2007. In the third overtime, after scoring, LSU was driving in to tie the game. After being stopped short on a third down, they opted to call timeout to scan through their script for a fourth down play on their play sheet. I remember taking one leg and chatting with one of my teammates, while someone kept saying in my ear “Do you hear the crowd?” I remember getting immediate goose bumps once I realized what they were chanting back and forth. “WE…BELIEVE!” Back and forth, the entire timeout, they continued to get louder and louder. You could see it on every player’s face, all the years of losing and feeling like failures, finally the look of confidence and belief that we were capable of beating the best. By far my favorite memory at any UK game containing the fan base.

Trevard Lindley, Defensive Back (2006-2009)

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

• One of my most favorite moments at Commonwealth Stadium as a player would be the interception I made to seal the deal to beat Georgia in 2006. Then the fans rushed the field, and to actually see something like that in person was my first. Seeing people jump on the goal posts and bringing it down was exciting to see too. We had one of our teammates (Adam Richey) on the goal posts with the fans as they were bringing it down. That’s something I’ll remember forever.

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

• My most memorable game at Commonwealth Stadium is the LSU game in 2007. They were ranked #1 in the nation and everybody figured they would come in and kill us. At the beginning it seemed like they were just going to do just that, then slowly we started to come back and make it a game. We had some big time field goals too that kept us in that game. Then when we went into overtime and that felt like a totally different game. We scored or kicked a field goal, then they scored or kicked a field goal. On the last play, when it was 4^th down and 2 yards to go, they had to score or get a first down to keep the game going. Braxton Kelley made the game-saving tackle to end the game. It seemed like a pause after he made that tackle because we beat the #1 ranked team. Then the players rushed the field followed by the fans rushing the field. That was probably the longest game I ever played in and one of the most memorable ones.

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

• I don’t have any games from Commonwealth Stadium that I would delete from my memories. But I do have some away games that I would erase from my memory.

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

• My most memorable game as a spectator at Commonwealth Stadium is when we finally beat Tennessee, after about 26 years, in 2011. A lot of those players weren’t born the last time Kentucky beat them. Every year fans would say to me, that’s the most important game every single year until we beat them. To finally see UK beat them after so many years felt good and to see it happen in Commonwealth Stadium made it that much more memorable.

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

• I don’t know the loudest game at Commonwealth Stadium because there were so many loud ones. But every time we played Louisville the stadium was usually loud because that’s Kentucky’s rival team.

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

• Hearing the fans cheer when we ran out the tunnel and hearing, “It’s football time in the Bluegrass!” before the games. Seeing Scratch do the one-handed push-ups after every score and hearing “Oooohhhh C-A-T-S CATS CATS CATS” was always fun and exciting. Hearing all those things during the game gave you some boost to go out there every play and give it your all for the fans.

Mike Hartline, Quarterback (2007-2010)

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

• I didn’t know anything. Growing up where I did in Canton it was all about the Big Ten. I knew all about Ohio Stadium and the Big House but nothing about Commonwealth Stadium and barely anything about the SEC in general.

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

• As a player there were so many good ones. The most memorable is a tie between beating #1 LSU in three overtimes in 2007 and beating South Carolina in 2010. Taking down a #1 team at home is always something special you will take with you, and considering LSU won the National Championship that year, it made it that much sweeter. The South Carolina game was not only a hard fought game but a redemption game for myself from the year previous where I went down with a knee injury that sidelined me for the season. Although, the battle during that game, coming from behind, converting on fourth down to go ahead with minutes ago, and then ending the game on an interception and taking a knee was just an unbelievable feeling.

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

• My first unforgettable play at Commonwealth Stadium was in 2007 when Andre’ Woodson threw a ball down the sideline to Stevie Johnson against Louisville with seconds remaining to go ahead and eventually win the game for us. The most unforgettable play that I was personally a part of was 2010 against South Carolina on a fourth down late in the game when I tossed a corner right to Randall Cobb in the end zone for the go-ahead score and eventual win.

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

• Nothing. Everything that happened at Commonwealth Stadium was a blessing and an incredible opportunity that I do not want to forget. Between the wins and losses I was one of the few student-athletes to cleat up and play on Saturdays at Commonwealth Stadium and I am forever grateful. Regardless of the end result each game molded me as a football player and until this day you always want one more game to play at your home stadium.

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

•  I have to say my first ever visit at Commonwealth Stadium was something you do not forget. As a young high school kid, in his letterman’s jacket standing on the field, I really did not know what to expect. It was a different kind of glow from the lights on the grass that I was not used to. The game wasn’t all that exciting but the Kentucky Blue registered with me in a strange way. Also I would comment on when we finally beat Tennessee in 2011, but I was watching it on a gamecast and could not actually watch it!  I was disappointed but proud to know the streak was finally over.

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

• Compared to those other stadiums, never! haha Commonwealth Stadium has a passionate crowd, no doubt about it, but it was hard to think of a time when it was overly loud compared to other SEC stadiums that felt like the field was moving! The most memorable sight I’ve ever seen in Commonwealth Stadium was the goal posts coming down after we beat Georgia in 2006.

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

• The Cat Walk is something I will always cherish. To see where the line started in 2006 and where I last walked in 2010 was phenomenal, it just kept backing up. I will always remember the truly loyal fans that called out my name as a high school recruit and clapped for me when I finished my last home game. It is difficult sometimes to handle the spotlight and try to be mature about the whole situation at the same time. Sometimes I faltered and sometimes great things came about, but at the end of the day I knew who the great fans of Commonwealth Stadium were. They were sitting there in Blue and White, in rain or shine, in win or loss, knowing that they cared about this team and program and they cared about you.

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

• Commonwealth Stadium continued to give me memories throughout my entire tenure at UK. From the first fan day to times that I make it back to Lexington to catch games. I could probably talk all day, year-to-year about fun moments and just reminisce. I probably could write a short novel. Lol

Derrick Locke, Running Back (2007-2010)

What was your favorite play at Commonwealth Stadium?

• My first touchdown against Kent State in 2007, my freshman year.

What was your favorite game at Commonwealth Stadium?

• Upsetting #1 LSU in 2007, because I was once again player of the game.

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

• Auburn in 2010 because that was the injury that changed my life.

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

• It was the greatest atmosphere when I was there. The screaming fans, acting crazy and drunk. Just the way you like them.