Cardinal Carvings

[bullwark]

I know UK fans are licking their chops after having them kicked in while Coach Petrino was there.  I don't forsee UL doing well this upcoming season and I know that USF has not won on the road against UL, but, this should be the year the Bulls breakthrough and win in Papa Johns Stadium.

[bullwark]

June 29, 2008

Slew of Cardinals have left the nest

Football team has lost 20 since spring of '07

By Brian Bennett

bbennett@courier-journal.com

Sophomore defensive tackle Aundre Henderson quit the University of Louisville football team last week, deciding to give up the sport and concentrate on academics.

Henderson's departure was difficult to predict and perhaps even more difficult for the coaching staff to prevent. Yet it continued a pattern for the Cardinals, who have suffered a significant talent drain the past year.

Since the end of spring practice in 2007, according to a study by The Courier-Journal, U of L has lost 20 scholarship underclassmen from the roster. The reasons for their departures vary. Some were kicked off for behavior problems, some transferred to other schools and others, like Henderson, simply quit the team.

But collectively those defections add up to a normal year's recruiting class. As Steve Kragthorpe enters his second season as the Cards' head coach, depth looms as his No. 1 challenge.

"We've got to stay healthy," Kragthorpe said. "That's the name of the game. Certainly we didn't do that as well as we would have liked last year, when we lost some key players in some key spots."

Of the 20 players who left, nine were starters: Receiver Mario Urrutia and linebacker Lamar Myles left early for the NFL; running back Anthony Allen transferred after leading the team in rushing; cornerback Rod Council and linebacker Willie Williams were kicked off the team after high-profile arrests; linemen Marcel Benson, Mike Donoghue and Peanut Whitehead were all diagnosed with career-ending medical conditions; and running back George Stripling was dismissed for undisclosed violations of team rules.

Other ex-players had been counted on to play major roles at some point, such as Henderson, defensive end Jonathan Holston (dismissed), running back Dale Martin (transferred) and offensive lineman Marcus Gordon (left team).

Every program suffers attrition, and player turnover isn't particularly surprising after a new head coach takes over. Kragthorpe also has said that he had to clean up a lot of "off-the-field issues" when he came to U of L.

"When you go into a program that has been losing and there's attrition, people say, 'That's just a new coach who's changing the way they do things,' " Kragthorpe said last week. "In my situation, I came into a program that had been winning, so people aren't as apt to see it that way."

The Cardinals still expect to field the full allotment of 85 scholarship players this season. Kragthorpe has tried to fill some of the roster gaps with a heavy influx of junior-college players this season, several of whom have three years' eligibility remaining. Kragthorpe said he might also have to play more true freshmen this season.

"We're going to play the best players, whether that's a young guy or a fifth-year senior," he said.

Depth is of particular concern on defense this season. The Cards return eight players who started on defense at some point last year, but they have no experienced linebackers and virtually no seasoned backups at several key spots.

Meanwhile, Kragthorpe hopes to stem the recent talent drain as much as possible.

"Our expectation level for this program is very high," he said. "We have to a do a great job as we recruit players to come into this program, to make sure they understand what's expected of them, not only on the football field but in all aspects of life."

Brian Bennett can be reached at (502) 582-7177.