Posted on Wed, Mar. 26, 2008

NOTES

Several Cats will be limited by injuries

BROOKS 'ANGRY' OVER WOODSON'S DRAFT STATUS

By Mark Maloney

MMALONEY@HERALD-LEADER.COM

Mark Cornelison | Staff

UK receiver Dicky Lyons Jr returned to the field after undergoing a procedure on one of his patellar tendons last month. Lyons will be the top receiver coming back after the Cats lost Keenan Burton and Steve Johnson. Photo by Mark Cornelison | Staff

Brand new Cats

» 2008 UK football schedule

Even before spring football drills began Wednesday, Kentucky had nearly a dozen players shelved by injuries.

Those who will participate in some drills but will have no contact:

• FB/TE Maurice Grinter (shoulder surgery) and DE Nii Adjei Oninku (knee), both for the entire spring; and CB Robbie McAtee (lower back), FS Calvin Harrison (knee), DE Jeremy Jarmon (knee) and TE Tyler Sexton (lower back), all for at least a couple of weeks. DT Ricky Lumpkin (hip) could return the middle of next week.

Ruled out of all spring drills:

• DE Charles Mustafaa and LB Brandon Thurmond, both coming off knee surgery.

A month ago, the Cats revealed that DE Jamil Paris won't return because of a career-ending medical condition.

TB Brandon Jackson remains suspended from the team.

However, CB Ahmad Grigsby Jr. (blood clot) has been cleared to participate, as conditioning allows. He is off of blood thinners but has missed a lot of conditioning workouts.

Soothsayer sayeth

Coach Rich Brooks, asked about the draft outlook for Andre Woodson, Wesley Woodyard, et al., says there's no way to tell. The NFL Draft is not an exact science, he said.

For example, he said, star quarterback Tom Brady was a 2000 sixth-round draft pick, 199th overall, by the New England Patriots. Ryan Leaf, a total bust, was a 1998 first-round pick -- second overall -- of the San Diego Chargers.

"They make mistakes," Brooks said. "I will say this: If Andre Woodson doesn't get drafted real high, there's somebody making a mistake."

• Teams don't always have the same plans for a player. For example, Brooks said, Keenan Burton has gotten looks at his position, wide receiver. But he's also had workouts during which he's been asked to do one thing: catch punts.

• Some draft gurus have said Woodson's stock has dropped since his Senior Bowl performance.

Brooks has heard those reports: "I get a little angry, to be honest. Because, one, Coach (Mike) Martz, who was just hired by the 49ers, went in there and threw 200 plays at them and started tinkering with technique. You don't usually do that at an all-star game. It wasn't just Andre; it was all the quarterbacks."

Brooks said all-star games are a crap shoot. Players don't control who is blocking, running or catching. Timing routes are difficult at best.

The plus side of taking part in such games is to reveal personality and leadership.