Nov. 19, 2002
by Jennifer Renaker * Host Communications
Derrick Tatum had no idea what he wanted to do after high school or where hewanted to play football.
He had offers from UK, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Minnesota andIndiana, just to name a few. But he said he was really confused about whereto go.
“The truth is, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do and I was reallyconfused,” the senior cornerback said. “So, I just prayed about it. Then Ihad a dream that I was wearing a UK uniform, practicing in Nutter facility.”
The Cleveland, Ohio, native said he knew he had to be a Wildcat after havingthat dream. So, the next day he committed to UK.
Now with two seasons as a Wildcat starter under his belt, Tatum relies on hismouth as motivation for him to play better.
“I love talking trash,” the 6-0, 190-pounder said, laughing. “It motivates meto play harder. When I tell you that you can’t catch a pass, that means Ihave to play up to that level.
“Come game time, I don’t stop. My motor is running all through the game. Ifeel like when I talk trash, I play better.”
Tatum said he doesn’t mind how other people feel about his approach.UK cornerback coach Wesley McGriff doesn’t seem to mind.
“Sometimes the coaches don’t like it, but Coach McGriff said as long as I canplay well, let me keep talking,” Tatum said.
Although, Tatum said, there is more to him than just trash talking.
“I’m a very kind person,” he said. “I do a lot of volunteer work. I give backmore than people think. A lot of people think that I’m just some loud-mouthtalker, but really I’m a nice person on the inside and they don’t reallyknow that. All they see is my football image.”
A weekly volunteer at the Martin Luther King Academy in Lexington, Tatumspends his free time being a role model to many students with behaviorproblems.
“I just talk to them and try to be a role model for them,” he said. “I try toteach them that there are other ways out than just being on the streets.
Education is the key. I don’t go out and broadcast it to people that Ivolunteer there and I don’t want media attention for it, I just do it tohelp out the kids.”
Tatum knows all too well about living a tough life. He has continued to playfootball to help make a way for his family.
“I play for love of the game and for my family,” he said. “I love footballwith all of my heart, but I’m trying to make a way for my family. My familydoesn’t have a lot of money and I’m just trying to make a way for them.”
Tatum said his father wasn’t there for him growing up, but his motherfulfilled that role.
“My mother is my main motivation,” he said. “My father wasn’t there for mefor a lot of my life, but my mother was. She was a mother and a father.She’s the reason why I’m always positive and why I keep working hard.Because she did it. She woke up at 3 a.m. every day to go to work to providefor our family. If she can do it, I know that I can do it.”
With his mother working so much, Tatum had to do a lot of things on his own.
“It made me grow up fast,” he said. “I had to grow up faster than other kids.I had to wash my clothes at the age of nine and wash dishes at eight. Stufflike that made me grow as a man.”
If he would have to give advice to someone who is in the position that he wasin growing up, he would tell them to pray and keep working harder.
“You just have to pray,” he said. “And if you keep working harder, thingswill work out for you eventually. You can never say die. You can never stopbecause hard times will come and you just have to keep striving throughthose hard times because they will make you stronger.”
Tatum also seems to have a softer side that not too many know about – heloves playing chess.
“I played chess all of my life and it was my first love until I startedgetting really good with football,” he said. “I didn’t really have enoughtime to study chess and still play football. I still love chess to this day.That’s the game that I love.”
But football seemed to be his sport of choice. Playing tailback at ShakerHeights High School, Tatum rushed for nearly 3,900 yards and 50 touchdownsin his career. He helped his team win three conference championships andadvance to the state playoffs his last two seasons, reaching the statequarterfinals his junior year.
He was named honorable mention All-America as a senior by USA Today,second-team all-state by the Associated Press and earned Most ValuablePlayer honors in the Lake Erie League and in his county.
Last year for the Wildcats, Tatum made 42 tackles and had nine pass breakups.This season, he ranks as one of the best in the Southeastern Conference inpass breakups.
A personal finance major who will graduate in May, Tatum is set on what hewants to do for the rest of his life.
“Hopefully, if I don’t go to the NFL, which is my dream, I want to work as afinancial planner and then eventually open up my own financial planningbusiness,” he said.
He is going to miss the fans the most after he steps out of his Blue andWhite uniform.
“Coming to the games and seeing all of these fans who love us, regardless ofa win or a loss, that’s what I’ll miss the most,” he said. “Seeing littlekids ask for my wristband after the game if we win or lose, that’s one thingI won’t forget.”
Regardless of what he says on the field, this cornerback is proud ofeverything he has been through, and looks forward to having a successfulfuture, whatever might be in store for him.
