By Zach Dail * Host Communications
Dreams of playing college football began at an early age for Win Gaffron III. Gaffron came to Kentucky as a second generation Wildcat, following in the footsteps of his father, Win Gaffron II. The senior Gaffron suited up for the Kentucky football team from 1967-71, and received a varsity letter in ’71.
“My dad played here at Kentucky, so I grew up watching football with him,” Gaffron said. “I watched football every Saturday afternoon and it was just a dream to play here.”
The 6-5, 240-pound tight end began his football career at UK as a walk-on but has since earned the right to compete as a scholarship player.
During his freshman year, Gaffron played for the UK junior varsity team. After redshirting the season in 2000, he rejoined the team in 2001, played in six games and received a varsity letter. As a junior last season, Gaffron played in all 12 games on special teams and caught a 6-yard pass during the Georgia game.
“Being a walk-on is no easy thing to do,” he said. “It’s been a long and winding road, but I had some great people to learn from, and it’s all paying off now.”
Gaffron, who hails from Nashville, Tenn., came to Kentucky with a strong background in athletics. A five-year letterman and four-year starter for Nashville Christian School, Gaffron played several different positions including tight end, defensive end, linebacker and long snapper. He was named to the all-region and all-state teams as a junior and senior. In addition to football, Gaffron was a three-time all-region pick for basketball and a two-year member of the track and field team, finishing third in the state in the discus. As involved as he was in so many sports, the decision to play football at Kentucky was an easy one for Gaffron to make.
“I came from this tiny Christian school in Nashville and there was never anyone out of my high school to go Division I,” Gaffron said. “My high school coach had a lot of confidence in me. I grew up loving Kentucky and it just turned into a dream.”
A dream which has now come true. Throughout the 2003 season, Gaffron has proven himself worthy of his scholarship status and has become a vital component in several aspects of Kentucky’s game. Rich Brooks’ new offense, which requires strong blocking at tight end, has suited his skills well and a 33-yard reception in the Alabama game showcased another one of his abilities.
Filling in as long-snapper when Coleman Barnes suffered a knee injury last season has led Gaffron into handling the long snapper position on punts, too. Here, Gaffron’s strong in-fluence and versatility was displayed again. Field time at different positions has put a great amount of responsibility on Gaffron.
“I think being the long snapper for punts brings a lot to our punt team,” he said. “I can get down and cover punts pretty well. Transitioning from tight end to punt snapper isn’t easy, but I’ve done fairly good at it. I love to run down there and make some tackles. It’s exciting. I love the punt team.”
Although the Florida game ended in a disappointing loss, Gaffron’s talent and experience shone through as one of the bright spots for Kentucky. His four receptions for 46 yards led the Cats in receiving yards. Gaffron’s final reception caught the eye of ESPN and was featured as the Play of the Day. For Gaffron, however, it’s all about what comes next.
“That was a heartbreaking loss; I thought we had them,” he said. “We had them on the ropes and we just let them go. We did a lot of good things, and we did a lot of bad things. We just have to learn from the good stuff that we did. It gave Jared [Lorenzen] some more confidence in me, and it gave Coach Brooks some more confidence in me as well.”
A game with such a shocking ending such as last season’s LSU game or the recent Florida game would normally break a team’s morale. However, according to Gaffron, it’s done something entirely different.
“It’s a motivator,” he said. “It leaves us dying to get back out on the field and trying to get another win.”
Looking ahead to tonight’s game against Ohio, Gaffron is optimistic. Hard practices and increased confidence among the Kentucky players have made them a force to be reckoned with. For the Wildcats, every game is a new beginning, an opportunity to learn from mistakes and move on.
“We’re trying to take it one day at a time and look forward to the next week,” he said.
As for the rest of the season, Gaffron has high expectations for the team.
“We’re just trying to make a bowl, so every one of these games is so important.”
When his football days at Kentucky are over, the kinesiology major is planning to head out west and hopes to open his own small business in California.
“I have a lot of friends that moved out to the San Diego area, and once I graduate in December I’m planning to move out there and start some kind of fitness facility, so I can live in the sun and open my own gym,” Gaffron said.
