DeAndre Square and Jacquez Jones show what kind of culture Mark Stoops has built at Kentucky

Kentucky's four starting linebackers, from left, Jordan Wright, DeAndre Square, Jacquez Jones and JJ Weaver savoring the win over Louisville. (UK Athletics Photo)

If you wonder about the culture that Mark Stoops has built with the football program at Kentucky, just pay attention to what senior linebackers DeAndre Square and Jacquez Jones did in Saturday’s win over Louisville.

Neither one was expected to play. Square had missed the three previous games with an injury and Jones had missed six straight games. Yet not only did both linebackers play but they both with over the 300 mark in career tackles during the game.

They both had three tackles in their limited playing time against Louisville. Square had 58 tackles in nine games this year while Jones had 34 tackles in six games.

But numbers don’t show the heart, character, and leadership this duo had or why Kentucky missed them so much when they were not on the field.

“They are such good team guys,” defensive coordinator Brad White said.

White got emotional talking about the two and asked media members if they were “trying to make me cry on camera” but having him talk about what they meant to UK football.

“I am going to miss a lot of these veteran guys who have done so much. It means a lot (for them to play). Meant a lot to our defense,” White said. “They were not missing this game. They would have hobbled around (to play) if they had to.”

Jones, an Ole Miss transfer before the 2021 season, went on Twitter after the win and posted, “Man I Wasn’t Even Supposed To be out There,” but thanked BBN for its support.

Square answered him this way on Twitter: “Man I definitely wasn’t supposed to be out there but doing wrong felt so right tonight 🙏🏾 I loveee the #BBN I still can’t believe this was the last one.”

It might have been the last home game, but associate coach Vince Marrow doesn’t think it will be their last game playing for the Cats. 

“Sometimes at some places you have seniors thinking about the NFL and injuries and they might shut it down. I watched Jacquez and Square fight their butts off to get back and they made plays,” Marrow said. “There is NFL interest in both of them. I will be shocked if they don’t play in a bowl game. We have got a culture where guys want to play for Stoops and this university.”

The UK coach said what the duo did against Louisville just shows who they are and why they were so valuable.

“The other guys (who had replaced them) were playing well. But it means something to them, it means something to our team, so them being out there and coaching the guys when they weren’t able to play, you know, coming back and fighting through it today, means a lot,” Stoops said.

“It’s just who they are. It’s the character, and that needs to carry on with the younger guys in our program.”