Interview with John Maddox, May 18, 2017

Partial Transcript: Well, I'm Dennis Emery, and I'm here with John Maddox, the 1982 team captain on Jerry Claiborne's first team here at the University of Kentucky.

Segment Synopsis: The interviewer, Dennis Emery, introduces himself and Maddox, who played for UK football from 1978-1982, some "turbulent years" for the team.

Keywords: Football; Ohio State University; Southeastern Conference (SEC); University of Kentucky; University of Tennessee; West Virginia University

Subjects: Football.; Southeastern Conference.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: To, to begin, tell us how you got from West Virginia to UK.

Segment Synopsis: Maddox tells the story of how he ultimately chose to go to the University of Kentucky out of high school, why he chose it and how the university and others tried to recruit him, as well as UK athletics' success at that time.

Keywords: Football; Lexington (Ky.); Southeastern Conference (SEC); University of Kentucky

Subjects: Football.; Southeastern Conference.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Well, good. Now, now, now you're signed, now you're coming, and now it's summer camp.

Segment Synopsis: Maddox talks about the "man's environment" of college football as opposed to high school football, and what that summer transition was like. He gives an anecdote of a varsity player, who was married, "had acne scars," and was a Vietnam veteran--everything he wasn't.

Keywords: Attitudes; Football; Southeastern Conference (SEC); University of Kentucky

Subjects: Football.; Southeastern Conference.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Well, so, so, you're coming in here in '78, your redshirt year, and as you alluded to, y'know, Curci had come in and then they had just had some glory years.

Segment Synopsis: Maddox and the interviewer talk about the "underground" issues in UK football, such as drug and probation scandals, and how in that time, before media as we know it, he had very little idea of any of that going on.

Keywords: Football; Lexington (Ky.); Southeastern Conference (SEC); University of Kentucky

Subjects: Football.; Southeastern Conference.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Well, y'know, so, so you redshirt in this '78 season and the team goes four, six, and one, coming off a ten and one year.

Segment Synopsis: Maddox discusses his thoughts on why UK's football team did so poorly in the 1978 season as opposed to 1977. This also took a toll on team morale for the 1979 season, further contributing to their poor scoring.

Keywords: Football; Lexington (Ky.); Southeastern Conference (SEC); University of Kentucky

Subjects: Football.; Southeastern Conference.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Well, uh, what was your role, this first year that you're playing?

Segment Synopsis: Maddox is asked about his role on the team in his early years, the ways in which he had to improve, and what it's like to be on a football team--to never question the coach, among other things.

Keywords: Football; Lexington (Ky.); Southeastern Conference (SEC); University of Kentucky

Subjects: Football.; Southeastern Conference.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Well, you, you guys opened your season with Miami of Ohio, first game of the year.

Segment Synopsis: The interviewer asks about the first game of the 1978 season, in which they played Miami of Ohio at home and lost in the last few minutes of the game. Playing Indiana University, the University of Maryland, and West Virginia University are also mentioned.

Keywords: Football; Indiana University; Miami University; Southeastern Conference (SEC); University of Kentucky; University of Maryland; West Virginia University

Subjects: Football.; Indiana University; Miami University; Southeastern Conference.; University of Kentucky; University of Maryland; West Virginia University

Partial Transcript: Well, your next game you play Ole Miss.

Segment Synopsis: UK's win over Ole Miss and the effect of morale is discussed, followed by their loss to Louisiana State. Having four quarterbacks in five games is also mentioned.

Keywords: Football; Louisiana State University; Southeastern Conference (SEC); University of Kentucky; University of Mississippi

Subjects: Football.; Louisiana State University; Southeastern Conference.; University of Kentucky; University of Mississippi

Partial Transcript: Great environment.

Segment Synopsis: Maddox and the interviewer discuss changes in football culture, possibly resulting from the increase in entertainment options over the decades. They also talk a bit about the basketball fan-base.

Keywords: Basketball; Football; Southeastern Conference (SEC); University of Kentucky

Subjects: Basketball.; Football.; Southeastern Conference.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Well, y'know, we won't go into the next game much.

Segment Synopsis: The two talk about later games in the 1979 season, as well as listing all the quarterbacks UK had during that season.

Keywords: Bowling Green State University; Football; Gainesville (Fla.); Nashville (Tenn.); Southeastern Conference (SEC); University of Florida; University of Kentucky; Vanderbilt University

Subjects: Bowling Green State University; Football.; Southeastern Conference.; University of Florida; University of Kentucky; Vanderbilt University

Partial Transcript: It--I mean, the SEC when I was there--y'know, you touched on it briefly earlier, about having--it being a really good conference then.

Segment Synopsis: Maddox and the interviewer talk about the difficulty of playing in the SEC, then and now, and what it was like. He lists famous footballer players who he played against, such as Herschel Walker and Bo Jackson.

Keywords: Football; Lexington (Ky.); Southeastern Conference (SEC); University of Kentucky

Subjects: Football.; Southeastern Conference.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Was there any teammates that year that stood out to you?

Segment Synopsis: Maddox talks about teammates he remembers in particular, football injuries, and a major sexual assault scandal at the time that resulted in eight players being arrested and making wide enough news that his parents heard about it in a different state. Maddox says that these eight players were later acquitted but were not allowed to rejoin the team.

Keywords: Football; Lexington (Ky.); Southeastern Conference (SEC); University of Kentucky

Subjects: Football.; Southeastern Conference.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: So it's a cloud going into the next season but...

Segment Synopsis: Maddox discusses the role that the sexual assault scandal had on their practices, and from there the role their poor practices had on their game performances.

Keywords: Football; Practicing; Southeastern Conference (SEC); University of Kentucky

Subjects: Football.; Southeastern Conference.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Well, you all open up with Utah State at home.

Segment Synopsis: Maddox talks about four more games UK played, against Utah State, Oklahoma, Indiana, and Bowling Green.

Keywords: Bowling Green State University; Football; Indiana University; Southeastern Conference (SEC); University of Kentucky; University of Oklahoma; Utah State University

Subjects: Bowling Green State University; Football.; Indiana University; Southeastern Conference.; University of Kentucky; University of Oklahoma; Utah State University

Partial Transcript: Well, speaking of deep teams, now you play number one Alabama in Birmingham.

Segment Synopsis: Maddox tells the story of playing the University of Alabama in Alabama's stadium and the awe of being physically near Bear Bryant, "the greatest coach of all time."

Keywords: Football; Southeastern Conference (SEC); University of Alabama; University of Kentucky

Subjects: Football.; Southeastern Conference.; University of Alabama at Birmingham; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: And--but now you've got, y'know, a buy week in there; you've got two weeks to regroup, and now you're gonna play LSU.

Segment Synopsis: Maddox and the interviewer talk about a Louisiana State game and then the game against the University of Georgia, which had by that point supplanted Alabama as number one.

Keywords: Football; Louisiana State University; Southeastern Conference (SEC); University of Georgia; University of Kentucky

Subjects: Football.; Louisiana State University; Southeastern Conference.; University of Georgia; University of Kentucky; Walker, Herschel

Partial Transcript: Now, now we're gonna come to this crazy game.

Segment Synopsis: Maddox and the interviewer talk about a "surreal" game against Tulane University. Maddox also tells an anecdote about Coach Curci allowing the team some time free to go to Bourbon Street.

Keywords: Football; Fran Curci; Southeastern Conference (SEC); Tulane University; University of Kentucky

Subjects: Football.; Southeastern Conference.; Tulane University; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Well, you guys come back.

Segment Synopsis: The two of them further discuss games from the 1980 season.

Keywords: Football; Knoxville (Tenn.); Southeastern Conference (SEC); University of Florida; University of Kentucky; University of Tennessee; Vanderbilt University

Subjects: Football.; Southeastern Conference.; University of Florida; University of Kentucky; University of Tennessee; Vanderbilt University

Partial Transcript: Um, so now, now let's go to '81 here.

Segment Synopsis: Maddox discusses his role on the team for the 1981 season, his junior redshirt year. This, as the two talk about, was also the last year of Curci's career, something Maddox says the players were aware of.

Keywords: Coaches; Football; Fran Curci; Lexington (Ky.); Southeastern Conference (SEC); University of Kentucky

Subjects: College sports--Coaching; Football.; Southeastern Conference.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Well, you open the year. You beat North Texas 28 to 6.

Segment Synopsis: The interviewer states that UK's schedule for the 1981 season was the sixth hardest schedule that year, and then asks about four teammates of Maddox's.

Keywords: Football; Lexington (Ky.); Southeastern Conference (SEC); University of Kentucky

Subjects: Football.; Lexington (Ky.); Southeastern Conference.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Well, good, now let's go into this, this stretch here.

Segment Synopsis: The two talk about UK's first SEC game that season--against Alabama.

Keywords: Football; Southeastern Conference (SEC); University of Alabama; University of Kentucky

Subjects: Football.; Southeastern Conference.; University of Alabama; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Well, the next game, you go to Kansas.

Segment Synopsis: Maddox and the interviewer further discuss the difficult schedule, with Maddox actually praising it, for how far it pushed them and how much of an honor it was to play against such great teams and to a full house.

Keywords: Clemson University; Football; Herschel Walker; Louisiana State University; Southeastern Conference (SEC); University of Georgia; University of Kansas; University of Kentucky; University of South Carolina

Subjects: Clemson University; Football.; Southeastern Conference.; University of Georgia; University of Kansas; University of Kentucky; Walker, Herschel

Partial Transcript: Well, the next one is homecoming.

Segment Synopsis: The two discuss UK's homecoming loss to Virginia Tech, which they describe as a sort of dark horse that wound up being incredibly good. He talks about their win at Vanderbilt, even without their starting quarterback, and their home win against Tennessee--their final game of the season in "brutal cold" weather.

Keywords: Football; University of Kentucky; University of Tennessee; Vanderbilt University; Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Virginia Tech

Subjects: Football.; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Football; University of Tennessee; Vanderbilt University

Partial Transcript: You remember certain things.

Segment Synopsis: Maddox recalls Curci's last game with them as a very important memory, and discusses the hiring of Claiborne. From there, they discuss Claiborne as a football coach and as a person.

Keywords: Coaches; Education; Football; Fran Curci; Jerry Claiborne; Lexington (Ky.); Southeastern Conference (SEC); University of Kentucky

Subjects: College sports--Coaching; Education.; Football.; Southeastern Conference.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Well, you guys go into this year--uh, it's brutal schedule again.

Segment Synopsis: They talk about the 1981 season, which had UK playing against seven top-20 teams. Maddox also talks about playing against William "the Refrigerator" Perry.

Keywords: Auburn University; Clemson University; Football; Kansas State University; Lexington (Ky.); Louisiana State University; Southeastern Conference (SEC); University of Florida; University of Georgia; University of Kentucky; University of Oklahoma; University of Tennessee

Subjects: Auburn University; Clemson University; Football; Kansas State University; Louisiana State University; Southeastern Conference; University of Florida; University of Georgia; University of Kentucky; University of Oklahoma; University of Tennessee

Partial Transcript: You, you know, uh, I, I was fortunate. You know, I came from a little, small town, and to have the opportunity to play in the venues I played, with some of the athletes I got to play with, it was way more than I probably ever deserved.

Segment Synopsis: Talking more about the honor he considers it to have played at all the places he played, to have been recruited by all the places he was, including Ohio State, Maddox further discusses his ultimate choice to go to UK instead of OSU.

Keywords: Football; Ohio State University; Southeastern Conference (SEC); The Ohio State University; University of Kentucky; West Virginia University

Subjects: Football.; Southeastern Conference.; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Football

Partial Transcript: The--y'know, this senior year, okay? We're, we're halfway through it here.

Segment Synopsis: The interviewer asks about Maddox's role as offense team captain, as appointed by Coach Claiborne, and what it was like having such an important role of helping the coach decide who to kick off the team, among other things.

Keywords: Coaches; Football; Jerry Claiborne; Lexington (Ky.); Southeastern Conference; University of Kentucky

Subjects: College sports--Coaching; Football.; Southeastern Conference.; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Football

Partial Transcript: Well, uh, now we go to game six.

Segment Synopsis: Maddox and the interviewer talk about the last part of the season and finish discussing Claiborne as a coach and Claiborne's future plans for the team, that (understandably, according to Maddox) didn't care much for that year's seniors.

Keywords: Coaches; Football; Jerry Claiborne; Southeastern Conference (SEC); University of Kentucky

Subjects: College sports--Coaching; Football.; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Football.

Partial Transcript: Um, you, you know, you all lose to Florida.

Segment Synopsis: Maddox discusses the "larger sense of finality" to giving up football, compared to a sport easier to play for fun, such as tennis. Overall, he declares that they weren't a bad team, but merely in a transition period, particularly in that first year with Claiborne, whose succeeding glory he wouldn't see.

Keywords: Football; Jerry Claiborne; Southeastern Conference (SEC); University of Kentucky

Subjects: College sports--Coaching; Football.; Southeastern Conference.; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Football