Nov. 14, 2002
By Stephanie Peterson * Host Communications
There are several adjectives to describe Aaron Boone – humble, driven,dedicated – but one word stands above them all: Unbelievable. His teammatesand coaches will readily tell you that the senior wide receiver offers morethan just magic hands.
A native of Fillmore, Utah, Boone grew up as one of 10 children, which inpart, he believes, is how he developed his competitive edge. A stand-out,three-sport athlete at Millard High School, this quick-footed wide receiversimply wanted to succeed so he could gain some of the attention his oldersiblings were hogging at the time. As the sixth child, he remembers taggingalong with his mom to their various athletic events.
“I saw my older brother and older sisters playing high school sports and Ithought ‘I can do that,’ ” he said. “Finally it was my turn for my mom tocome watch me.”
Boone knows that no sport is complete without passion. It was exactly thatfire which led him to choose football for his collegiate sports career inthe end.
“I was probably better at baseball in high school – my sister taught me howto throw my curveball,” he said laughing. “I always loved football more,though.”
Boone first started his collegiate football career at Snow College, a juniorcollege in Utah. His reason to attend Snow extended beyond football – heneeded an opportunity to accomplish some of his other life aspirationsbefore settling down at a big school like Kentucky. Two years ago, afterdeliberating between several schools – including Brigham Young where hisfather, Coley, and three uncles all played football – he decided that beinga Wildcat was the choice for him.
“I felt this was the best football conference in the country and I thought Icould get the most exposure here,” he said. “I saw a lot of opportunities inKentucky.”
Switching from quarterback to wide receiver might have been a challenge, butit was a transition Boone succeeded at making. For him, learning the routeswas the most difficult adjustment. With so many different ways to run to theball, you either had to master them or forfeit your chance of game time.Wide receiver coach Harold Jackson sees Boone’s work ethic day in and dayout. A former NFL star himself, he understands what it takes to be great -and he sees it in No. 13.
“He’s the kind of guy that makes a coach’s job easy,” said Jackson. “He wantsto hear what you’re telling him even though he already knows it. Every timeyou throw the ball to Aaron Boone, something good is going to happen – he’sjust that type of player. I like to say that ‘the only thing Aaron Boonedoes is make touchdowns’ because he’s that focused.”
When practice is over, you will still see Boone out there, running a playwith the quarterbacks, doing sprints or catching balls that Coach Jacksondrills at him.
“Sometimes you have to tell him to go home because he’ll just stay therepracticing, always trying to get better,” said Jackson.
In fact, it is evident that a challenge is something Boone looks forward to.On the football field, he’s worked hard to make his position change apositive one, believing that while he has improved along the way, he stillhas much to learn.
Off the field, Boone has faced more demands than most of us could everimagine. While most 19-year-olds were adjusting to college and a new sociallife, he was in South America at the Trujillo, Peru mission helping thepeople find their faith and enrich their way of life. For two years, Boonespent time building adobe houses, digging ditches and teaching thecommunity.
With only the chance to make two phone calls a year back home – Mother’s Dayand Christmas – he communicated with his family through letters, all thewhile appreciating even more the life he was chosen to live.
While serving the mission, Boone’s strength was tested more than it couldever be on a football field. In 1998 when South America was being hit hardby El Ni?o, he was right in the middle of the storm that caused so manytragedies.
“At one point this huge cemetery that was up high became flooded and beganwashing bodies and coffins down the streets and wiping out a lot of peoples’homes,” he recounts. “So we had to try and care for a lot of the people whowere getting sick from the dust and debris, plus we had to rebuild theadobes that were all lost. It was definitely one of the scariest times of mylife.”
One adjective that doesn’t describe Boone, however, is superstitious. Born inJanuary 1978 on Friday the 13th, he says the number he wears has brought himnothing but good luck. In fact, his says some his most memorable games havebeen played on the 13th.
For the game against LSU, he had a different sort of good-luck charm. Boone’smother was at Commonwealth Stadium watching her son play for the firsttime in person since he joined the Wildcat team.
Then again, with the stellar last two years that Boone has had at Kentucky,luck might not have anything to do with it.
Boone’s philosophy is “work will win when wishing won’t.” He said that CoachGuy Morriss and his staff follow the same mantra and this, in part, is whathas made UK so strong this season.
“Our attitude this year is more of a winning one,” he said. “We have a mentaltoughness now, lot more confidence and a year under our belts.”
“I want to be the strongest link possible,” he said. “As seniors we decidedto set a standard for Kentucky football. We want to say ‘this is what isexpected.’ “
Boone would like to continue on with his football career but if he doesn’t,he will rely on his business management major with a minor in Spanish – inwhich he is fluent – to achieve success.
“I’m always telling him someday he’ll be a millionaire because he always hasthese ideas and gimmicks,” says Jackson laughing.
“Hopefully I can play football beyond this level, get some capital and starta business -I want to be an importer/exporter,” said Boone. “No matter inwhat, I want to leave a mark as a person who has given his all.”
From what we’ve seen of Aaron Boone so far, there’s no question he’s alreadymade his mark on Kentucky.
