Jordan Lovett, right, hopes better team bonding produces better results on the field for UK this season. (UK Athletics Photo)
What is the biggest challenge facing the Kentucky football team this season?
There are probably a lot of potential answers to that question but Kentucky safety Jordan Lovett had a quick answer at SEC Media Days last week.
“The biggest challenge this season is overcoming what happened last season, just putting your head down, being dialed in, just focused on the little things,” Lovett said referring to UK’s 4-8 finish in 2024. “We focus on the little things, the big things will come and they’ll be easier. Really just the big moments, more film study, more working, more just team bonding.
“Last year I would say that our team bonding, we were tight but we weren’t as tight as we are now. If we just stay together and execute together, I feel we’ll be good.”
Lovett believes the team is “more dialed in” already this season even with the large number of transfer players the Cats have.
“We have to be, chemistry has to be on 10, and everybody has to be dialed in a lot more than we did last year to overcome this slump that happened last year,” Lovett said.
What does he tell the transfers about the program?
“I tell them, attitude, toughness, discipline, pride is our core value. As long as we go by those core values and as long as we stick together, I feel everything will be great,” Lovett, who has started 33 games and played in 37 total games, said.
Lovett credits Dean Hood, a former UK assistant coach who is now UK director of player development, for the enhanced connectivity on this year’s team.
“Every Wednesday we have a guest speaker. It’s called four for 40. We have a guest speaker, certain people just giving us on and off-the-field advice, just like about mental health, about just stuff, just to make us better people in life,” Lovett said.
“We kind of used that as team bonding, just to get closer as a team. We got a lot of new guys. I don’t even know they feel — they feel like they’re my brothers already.”
Lovett said if the team can keep a “blue-collar mentality” this season he’s confident things will be much better than 2024.
3 Responses
Every season there has been a gigantic need for a guest speaker just to wake up the entire team before kickoff & again at half time. Give a major thumbs up to Dean Hood for his priceless input during the summer. Hopefully, there will be someone – ANYONE – other than the same person is has been for a dozen years. Has it always been the same person? How many times does a team have to come out of the locker room flat, uninspired & not even 10% focused AS A TEAM. Maybe a few players were fired up, but the overall search for a team pulse was virtually missing.
THANK YOU DEAN HOOD!!!
I sure hope the HC has enough TEAM interest to arrange for a guest speaker before every game! If the same person is putting players to sleep this season, fire him! Is it the HC? If so, ask him for a refund for every game his deflating “pep talk” cost UK a loss because the TEAM as a whole was asleep!
Dean Hood should be given an award for waking up the HC & coaches who should have seen, known & addressed this problem the past 12 years!!!
To the one who makes nasty childish personal comments about me, keep your loose mouth shut. I have been a UK fan for 3/4 century and call it like it is – just as Cawood Lefford always called out teams, players & coaches who mailed it in. Pointing out REPEATED flaws year after year is simply proclaiming the facts.
Some moderator should examine all the nasty personal comments against many avid UK fans – all made by the same person. He has had issues with everyone who posts a lot. Thank you kindly for your attention.
Guest Speakers before kickoff and @ the H…
Tim Couch
Anthony White
Will Levis (if he has a bye week)
Moe Williams
Hal Mummie
Yeast,
& many more who contributed to the Big Blue better years.
.
Will Levis has a bye season.
Thanks. He would be a good one for at least a couple of games