It’s complicated: Kentucky’s Stoops, McWilson have had interesting relationship

It has to be the most common phrase written on an elementary school report card: “If (insert name here) would just apply himself … ”

It also is the most regular assessment by Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops when he has discussed safety Marcus McWilson over the past four years.

Rarely is a compliment uttered about the senior without an immediate caveat:

“He’s got great ability, and it’s just a matter of just really being disciplined in his preparation,” Stoops said of McWilson in his freshman season. “He means well. He’s just gotta concentrate and be more precise in his practice habits.”

The broken record continued to spin in 2014, when Stoops said this about McWilson: “We need to continue to lean on him to play with a greater sense of urgency, a greater passion for the game. He’s got the ability.”

Then there was this one a month ago: “Marcus McWilson is a guy that needs to play better. I was counting on him coming into the year to play well.”

Against Mississippi State last week, the 6-foot senior safety finally impressed his coach with a key 45-yard interception for a touchdown that gave UK its largest lead of the game.

“What he did Saturday, that’s how he can play,” Stoops said Monday of McWilson, who is fourth on the team in tackles this season, with 36.

When McWilson ran to the sideline after the pick-six, an eager Stoops was there waiting for an embrace that nearly turned into a full-on takedown.

“He was just as excited as I was,” McWilson said of his head coach’s hug. “He’s a guy who’s always pulling for me, and I’m glad he’s got my back.”

Stoops said he was glad to get a “good tackle” on McWilson, who had a season-high eight tackles — not including the collision with his coach — in Saturday’s UK victory. “I’m very happy for him because I am hard on him and he’s wonderful. He’s one of my favorites.

“I’m just harder on him because he can play like that all the time. To see him make some big plays and contribute, I couldn’t be more happy for him.”

Maybe it’s that McWilson is a safety from Cardinal Mooney in Youngstown, Ohio, just like Stoops.

Maybe it’s that Stoops has seen flashes of star power in the four seasons that McWilson has been at UK, including 14 starts in 38 games.

It’s probably all of the above.

The pick-six wasn’t the only play that had Stoops excited Saturday. In the first quarter, Stoops saw McWilson make a huge open-field tackle on third down. He looked like a player on a mission, coming from the other side of the field to take down Aeris Williams for a two-yard loss.

“I’m really encouraged by that,” Stoops said of that play. “I thought he would play good down the stretch. I thought he’s really been playing well.”

What Stoops is seeing from McWilson is a greater sense of urgency, a more complete understanding of the game, a willingness to go above and beyond.

That 45-yard interception return for a touchdown clearly was a product of McWilson applying himself. He said he spent extra time studying film of quarterback Nick Fitzgerald.

McWilson knew the route that was coming and was able to slide in front of the receiver.

That extra work no doubt came thanks to a nudge from Stoops.

“I definitely had to accept the challenge myself and be the player he expected me to be,” McWilson said Saturday. “I had to hold myself to a higher standard and above the standard he even holds me to.

“They tell us that all the time that a coach is someone that takes you to a place that you cannot get to on your own. So as he pushes me, I push myself.”

Don’t expect the pushing of McWilson to lessen now, though, especially with a challenging assignment against Missouri and its Big 12-style offense that creates coverage problems for opposing secondaries. The Tigers are averaging 304.6 yards a game and are 18th nationally in passing offense.

“We will be challenged heavily this week, but this past week, I thought our DBs played exceptionally well,” Stoops said.

One defensive back in particular.

But Stoops probably won’t tell McWilson that just yet.

“He and I still have a very close relationship, and most players I coach like I coach him probably wouldn’t have a personal relationship because I’m very hard on him,” Stoops said. “I know he can take it and I know he needs it.”

This story was originally published October 25, 2016 at 1:32 PM with the headline "It’s complicated: Kentucky’s Stoops, McWilson have had interesting relationship."