In 1923, a UK football player died. McLean Stadium was named in his honor
Editor’s Note: As Lexington celebrates the 250th anniversary of its founding, the Herald-Leader and kentucky.com each day throughout 2025 will share interesting facts about our hometown. Compiled by Liz Carey, all are notable moments in the city’s history — some funny, some sad, others heartbreaking or celebratory, and some just downright strange.
In 1923, tragedy struck at a University of Kentucky football game, resulting in the death of a player.
At the game against Cincinnati on Oct. 7, the Wildcats won 14-0. But the game is remembered for the loss of a player, Price McLean.
McLean was a junior playing in his first season of varsity football. Right before halftime against Cincinnati, McLean took a hit to the head. He seemed visibly shaken, but recovered and continued to play the rest of the half.
At the time, helmets weren’t mandatory. It wouldn’t be until 1939 that the NCAA would make helmets mandatory in college football. At the time, some players wore soft leather helmets that offered little protection, instead of the plastic helmets we know today.
By 1923, UK had developed a reputation for collegiate football. The school formed its first team in 1880 and faced off against Centre College for the first intercollegiate football game in the state. In 1881, its first football team played three games against Kentucky University, now known as Transylvania University.
In 1898, the greatest football team for UK took the field. Known as “The Immortals,” they are the only undefeated, untied and unscored upon team in UK football history. Coached by W. R. Bass, the team ended the season with a perfect 7-0-0 record.
From there, the team had several winning seasons — Jack Wright led the team to a 7-1 record in 1903, and Fred Schacht posted a 15-4-1 record in the 1904 and 1905 seasons.
Several years later, the team was welcomed home, with one fan saying the team “fought like wildcats.” The nickname stuck.
The Cats’ game on the field was fierce. And on that October day in 1923, McLean was in the thick of it.
But after his injury, his condition worsened.
“The blow that he received temporarily blinded him, but on each play, he would line up with his team and automatically charge with the linemen,” the Kentucky Kernel’s report from the game said. “He was unable to remember his signals but with the aid of the guard who played next to him he passed the ball each time until the half closed.”
During halftime, he complained of dizziness and was removed from the game.
According to reports at the time, his injuries weren’t believed to be serious since he was able to walk off the field on his own. On the train ride home, McLean was put to bed along with another injured player. The next day, his family reported he was alert when he woke up at their home.
After eating lunch on Oct. 7, his family found him in his room unconscious and he was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital. There, doctors discovered a blood clot in his brain.
While surgery initially was thought to be successful, McLean died later that night.
“The tragedy is unfortunate beyond the measure of words,” UK professor Enoch Grehan, a faculty representative on the university athletic council, told The Lexington Herald. “I knew the young man well. He was an admirable student, clean, capable, courageous as a lion, and his loyalty to the university, to its traditions and to his teammates was an inspiration at all times. He was gallant in victory and defeat alike. He was never known to flinch under fire.”
Two days later, UK classes were cancelled, and the campus gathered to mourn his death.
Six days later, the football team returned to Stoll Field for a game against Washington and Lee.
McLean’s death caused some in the community to call for the university to eliminate the football team, claiming students “were being killed and crippled for the amusement of a cheering crowd.”
As a rebuttal, former deputy sheriff Cloud Bosworth said, “Too many of our youths are being reared under a glass case now … football develops their muscles and strength and makes men of them.”
After McLean’s death, former classmates honored him by dedicating a plaque at the Stoll Field grandstand during the 1924 homecoming game. The grandstand ultimately became McLean Stadium, where the football team played until 1972.
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