May 9, 2009
LEXINGTON, Ky. – University of Kentucky football superfan Jim Brown turned 90 years old recently. Brown’s family held a surprise party for him, and Wildcat Coach Rich Brooks was one of the guests who congratulated the dedicated UK fan on his milestone.
“That was a complete surprise,” Brown said. “I thought we were just going out to dinner. Mary Anne (Brown’s wife) said my children and their spouses would be there and when we arrived there were 90 people, including Coach Brooks! He stopped by on his way to his radio show and was so accommodating.”
Since enrolling as a freshman at UK in 1938, Brown has seen every Wildcat home football game, except for 1944, when he was a member of the “Burma Bridge Busters” in World War II. His streak has reached 409 consecutive games and he has no plans of stopping.
Brown has seen a lot of road games over the years, too. He went to Kentucky’s first bowl game, the Great Lakes Bowl win in Cleveland in 1947, and the Wildcats’ most recent post-season appearance, the victory over East Carolina in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl on Jan. 2.
Brown was one of the 20,200 fans who attended the Blue/White Game last Saturday and is excited about the upcoming season.
“It (the Blue/White Game) was pretty good,” Brown said. “Of course, you never can tell when you’re playing each other and each team knows the other’s plays. I think we have a lot of promise (for the 2009 season).”
Lindley, M. Johnson Get Preseason National Honor: Senior cornerback Trevard Lindley has been named first-team preseason All-America and senior linebacker Micah Johnson is an honorable-mention preseason All-America choice by NationalChamps.net.
Lindley (Hiram, Ga.) received second-team All-America and first-team All-Southeastern Conference accolades during the 2008 season. He had four interceptions and 11 pass breakups last year and led the SEC in total passes defended per game.
Johnson (Fort Campbell, Ky.) was a first-team Coaches All-SEC selection in 2008. He totaled 93 tackles and ranked third in the SEC in tackles per game. He also had 13 tackles for loss, leading the team and ranking fourth in the league in that category.
Hart, Masthay, McAtee Named to Hampshire Honor Society: Long snapper Brad Hart, punter Tim Masthay and cornerback Robbie McAtee have been named to the Hampshire Honor Society by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.
The Hampshire Honor Society recognizes players from all levels of college football who were in their final season of eligibility in 2008 and were either a starter or significant reserve.
Hart (Marion, Ky.) was a two-year starter as the long snapper for extra points and field goals while also seeing duty as a punt snapper. He will graduate next week with a degree in finance and has a 3.91 grade-point average. He will attend law school next year and is deciding between offers from UK and Vanderbilt.
Masthay (Murray, Ky.) led the Southeastern Conference in punting as a senior and earned first-team All-SEC honors. He will graduate next week with a degree in economics and has a 3.82 GPA. He has signed a free-agent contract with the Indianapolis Colts. Following his football career, his long-range plan is to join the Peace Corps and serve in Africa.
McAtee (Louisville, Ky.) had a memorable senior season with his game-saving tackle against Middle Tennessee and his game-clinching interception at Mississippi State. He completed his degree in sociology with a 3.67 GPA and currently has a 4.0 GPA while studying for his master’s in public administration.
