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Just two days after Kentucky offensive line coach John Schlarman passed away following a two-year battle with cancer, the Wildcats found a creative and touching way to honor his memory.
In Saturday’s 38-35 win over Vanderbilt, Kentucky took the field for the game’s opener with just 10 players, leaving the left guard spot open. The offense fell behind in the match penalty (which Vanderbilt quickly turned down), and senior offensive lineman Landon Young came onto the pitch in the No. 65 jersey. Young usually wears the No. 67, but changed to honor Schlarman, who wore the No.65 during his playing days in Kentucky.
Schlarman played for the Wildcats in the 1990s, winning SEC All-Freshman honors in his freshman year and an All-SEC first-team selection as a senior. He joined the Kentucky staff in 2013 and was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma in the summer of 2018. He didn’t miss a game until Kentucky’s last two games while being treated for the disease. He was 45 at the time of his death.
“I am sorry to hear of my friend’s passing,” Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops said in a statement following Schlarman’s passing. “My prayers go out to LeeAnne and the children, Joseph, Benjamin, Matthew and Evelyn, through this very difficult time.
John was everything we all strive to be – honest, tough, fair, respected. Kentucky football won’t be the same without him but his legacy will never fade. He was a fighter and we will strive every day to honor his warrior spirit. “
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