Josh Paschal Continues to Prove That He's 'For The Team'
The Kentucky football team has adopted the motto “For The Team” for the 2021 season. Perhaps no player on the squad embodies that phrase more than Josh Paschal.
Paschal has had his share of injuries and health issues during his career. He dealt with malignant melanoma in his foot in 2018, which required three surgeries and ongoing immunotherapy treatments. He fought his way back late in the 2018 season and was able to play in three games during his redshirt season.
Last year, Paschal fought through numerous injuries, something that he said was tough but that was something he had to do.
“It did take a toll on me physically but as far as being a captain and getting the opportunity to lead this team, it was nothing,” Paschal said. “A lot of people would have folded in that situation. Once it came to game time and I had 100 brothers next to me and you look to your left and your right and there’s guys that you can trust and guys that you want to play for, even coaches, everyone in the facility. Once that energy came, all of that other, all the injuries and everything, you put that to the side for that whole game. You can handle the next week next week. It’s really just a blessing to be able to push through that and have these guys push me as well.”
Last season, he had 32 tackles in 11 games, with 6.5 tackles for loss, including a sack. He also recorded his first career interception against Mississippi State, taking it back 76 yards and coming up just short of his first career touchdown.
After electing to forego the NFL Draft, Paschal returns for his senior season and he likes where his body is at this point.
“I know they have my weight listed a little high, I’m 275,” Paschal said. “I feel like that’s a good weight for me right now, being able to play the run while also being light enough and quick enough to jump outside and rush the edge while also being able to rush inside as well.”
Paschal is one of the leaders for the Cats up front and he continues to mentor the younger defensive lineman. He can see the progress that those young players are making.
“I just see the growth from the first practice to now, just from the younger guys in the D-line,” Paschal said. “They’re a lot of hard-working guys and I can really see how their game is growing from that first day until the end of practice today.”
One player in particular that has stood out has been Marquan McCall.
“I know he’s poised for a big season,” Paschal said. “The one thing with ‘Quan before was just consistency and staying that way. There may have been some things that ‘Quan was going through that led him to not be consistent in the past. But now, I can really see the maturity level that he has right now. He’s really a leader as far as the D-line and I’m really proud of him for that. He’s flipped that switch to where you can see that he’s going to be a dominant guy up front.”
Paschal has proven to be a leader for the Cats both on and off the field. His courageous story, and his willingness to put the squad above himself, proves that Paschal truly is For The Team.
