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Posted by catmandoo (Member # 1284) on 10-02-2014, 09:24 AM:

He is one player we need to keep an eye on. He is red-shirted but looks to have the talent and desire to be special. It's stories like this that makes athletics so special and so neat to read.

Once Lloyd Tubman realized he wanted to stay in state — he originally committed to Vanderbilt and then Penn State when coach James Franklin changed schools — he knew Kentucky was right for him because of assistant coach Jimmy Brumbaugh and the other coaches.

“I am happy to be in the place I am now,” the freshman defensive lineman said. “Being here is like a football factory. That is all we do and it is every day. I have learned a whole lot. I am not confused. I know different plays and coverages. It’s mind blowing because there is more to be learned. Coming here that is what I thought it would be, but coming here and giving my all and putting on 23 pounds and learning the playbook and doing everything to my full potential is a great feeling and the coaches are teaching and I am excited about all that.”

He wanted to play, not redshirt, this season.

His mother, Warnetta Smith-Cooper, knew when the UK coaches called her to explain he was being redshirted that he would be disappointed.

“He was a little shocked. He was so passionate and wanted to play so bad,” his mother said. “I went up there and talked to him. He was down, but he got over it and has been doing good. He understands and whether he is playing or not, that’s still my team, too.”

It took Smith-Cooper a bit to get over not having her son at home. She went to visit family to help her cope during the summer.

“I was sad when he left. I didn’t know what to do. I was crying for so many days. It was so sad for me and everybody felt sorry for me,” she said. “I visited my sister in Maryland and just need to be around family members because my son is my best friend. We laugh, talk, fuss. I still miss him. He did so much — electronically, driving places, doing things for me if I was tired. He did all my errands. He was such a good boy.”

Kentucky coach Mark Stoops believes Tubman will be a “very good player” in future yeas for Kentucky. Tubman hopes eventually everyone will consider him the steal of the 2014 recruiting class.

“By me committing to out of state schools, not everybody paid attention to me,” Tubman said. “They will know who Lloyd Tubman is when I leave this place. It was like a steal because people didn’t know about me. Taking visits and getting closer to the coaches was just a mind-changing thing for me and I am very comfortable here with my decision and don’t regret anything. I am just happy to be here and ready to make a name for myself and help Kentucky make a name for itself, too.”

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Posted by ALA_KAT2 (Member # 1559) on 10-02-2014, 03:51 PM:

I'm excited to see how he does in the next 3-4 years. It sounds like he has great character and work ethic.