UK Shooting Incident Not Surprising, But Disappointing; Coach Stoops Praised For His Handling
By Jamie H. Vaught
Editor
Thumbs up for UK coach Mark Stoops (pictured).
Thumbs down for four Kentucky football players.
As you have heard, there was a scare taking place on the south side of UK campus when air pistol shots were fired Sunday night near a residence hall complex, resulting a campus shutdown for about two hours.
And it was learned the shooting incident involved four freshman players -- Dorian Baker, Drew Barker, Tymere Dubose and Stanley Williams. Because of their involvement, violating team rules, they have been suspended for Saturday night's Kentucky-South Carolina showdown at Commonwealth Stadium. Also, these players will have additional internal team discipline.
Stoops, who has received praise for his handling and disciplinary action, said the proper conduct by the players is emphasized as a core value of the football program.
Among the four players, only Baker at wide receiver and Williams at running back have seen significant action, playing the team's first four games, with Williams leading the team in all-purpose yardage with 279 yards for an average of 69.8.
While it isn't surprising to see some college kids display their immature actions and get themselves in trouble from time to time, it's still very disappointing to see childish behavior among the young adults.
Stoops, the former Florida State defensive coordinator who is now in his second year at Kentucky, is like a good father who has sent a strong message to the team: Stay out of trouble.
Stoops' disciplinary move should wake the kids up and teach them a valuable lesson in life. And hopefully we won't see many off-the-field distractions, if any, at Kentucky in the next few years.
Photo by Jamie Vaught
